Marriage & Couples Counseling Brandon Fl. & Tampa Fl.

Affordable Counseling Center in Brandon F. & Tampa Fl. is here to solve problems, Strengthen communication, Repair hurt and damage from betrayal and other offenses and Restore intimacy. Renew commitments, Revive and restore trust. Recognize the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of both  members of a relationship and expand the possibility for meeting these needs through deeper, more meaningful understanding involving listening and communication skills. Get the help you deserve for marriage & couples counseling at Affordable Counseling in Brandon Fl. & Tampa Fl.

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CHILDREN OF DIVORCE FACTS

At Affordable Counseling Center in Tampa Fl & Brandon Fl. we help children of divorce understand what is happening to them and how to cope with their parents getting divorced. 

General children divorce statistics

• 50% of all North-American children will witness the divorce of their parents. Almost half of them will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage. (Furstenberg and others -Life Course-)
• One out of 10 children of divorce experiences three or more parental marriage breakups. (Gallagher -The Abolition of Marriage)
• 40% of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. (Wade, Horn and Busy, -Fathers, Marriage and Welfare Reform, Hudson Institute Executive Briefing, 1997)
• 50% of all the children born to married parents today, will experience the divorce of their parents before they are 18 years old. (Fagan, Fitzgerald, Rector, -The Effects of Divorce On America-)

Emotional Damage Statistics

• Studies in 1980 – 1981 uncovered that children in repeat divorces got lower results at school. The other children of their age rated them as less pleasant to be around. (Andrew J. Cherlin, -Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage– Harvard University Press 1981)
• Teenage children of divorce are three times more likely (35% instead of 13%) to need psychological help within a given year. (Peter Hill – Recent Advances in Selected Aspects of Adolescent Development- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1993)
• Children from divorced homes have more psychological problems, than children from which one of the parents has died. (Robert E. Emery,- Marriage, Divorce and Children’s Adjustment- Sage Publications, 1988).

Physical Damage Statistics

• Between children of divorced parents there are relatively more cases of injury, asthma, headaches and speech defects than among children whose parents have remained married. (Dawson -Family Structure and Children’s Health and Well Being- National Health Interview Survey on Child Health, Journal of Marriage and Family)
• Children of divorced parents are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems than children in two parent families. (Angel, Worobey, -Single Motherhood and Children’s Health -)
• Children that are living with both biological parents are 20 to 35 percent physically healthier than children from broken homes. (Dawson,-Family Structure and Children’s Health and Well-being -Journal of Marriage and the Family-)
• Most molestated childs come from single-parent households or are the children of drug users. (Los Angles Times 16 September 1985 The Garbage Generation)
• A child in a female-headed home is 10 times more likely to be physically hurt or murdered. (The Legal Beagle, July 1984, -The Garbage Generation)

Long term Effects and Children Divorce Statistics

• In 1991 a study was done of children from which the parents were divorced six years earlier. The study found that even after all that time, these children tended to be lonely, unhappy, anxious and insecure. (Wallerstein – The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children -Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1991)
• Seventy percent of long-term prison inmates grew up in broken homes. (Horn, Bush, -Fathers, Marriage and Welfare Reform-)

Problems relating to peers

• Children divorce statistics indicate that children of divorced parents are four times more likely to report relational problems with peers and friends than children whose parents have kept their marriages intact. (Tysse, Burnett, -Moral Dilemmas of Early Adolescents of Divorced and Intact Families-. Journal of Early Adolescence 1993)
• Children of divorce tend to be more aggressive toward others. This is especially the case for boys. (Emery, Marriage, Divorce and Children’s Adjustment, 1988)

Suicide statistics of Children of Divorce

• (Adult) children of divorce are almost twice as likely to attempt suicide than children from normal homes. (Velez-Cohen, – Suicidal Behavior and Ideation in a Community Sample of Children -Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1988)

High School drop out statistics of children and divorce

• The high school dropout rate of children of divorced parents is roughly two times higher than that of children of which the parents did not divorce. (McLanahan, Sandefur, -Growing Up With a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps- Harvard University Press 1994)

 

Divorce Facts

Being aware of divorce facts will be helpful for parents to prevent a divorce or to make the best out of a divorce once it takes place. Knowing what to expect takes away a lot of the stress that results from a divorce.

Divorce Statistics

For divorce statistics the divorce rate is the most relevant figure. Next to the divorce rate of all the OECD countries, we provide you with information on the number of marriages, the duration of the marriages and the average age of when people marry for the first time. All these factors influence the divorce rates.

affordablecounselingbrandon.com

starpointcounselingbrandon.com

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The Stigma of Depression

When it comes to obtaining treatment for medical ailments as benign as the common cold, people don’t think twice about running to the doctor, or the acupuncturist, and spending the money on treatments to feel better. So, why do so many who suffer from depression continue to hesitate, despite all of the treatment options available?

Depression continues to be one of the most stigmatized mental health issues out there. This is ironic, given that by the year 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression is estimated to be the second most common health problem in the world. The externalized stigma toward those with mental health issues that exists in society, there comes internalized stigma, or self-shame. This makes the experience of mental health issues all the more devastating. Many times, it is the internalized shame that stops people from acknowledging psychological problems and receiving treatment, since many see it as akin to admitting that they are weak or damaged in some way.

What can you do? If you suffer from depression, tell somebody. Ask for help. Change the stigma, call or text Affordable Counseling Center, Brandon at (813) 244-1521. We are also on the web at:

http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com

http://www.starpointcounselingtampa.com

http://www.starpointcounselingbrandon.com

People go to therapy for a variety of reasons—quite often they have a vague sense “that something isn’t right,” or feelings of sadness or depression. They might be worried that they or someone they care about might have a mental illness, or they’re having problems with significant others.

However,  sometimes even relatively minor stressors, such as doing your taxes, can trigger significant symptoms. Anxiety, fear, panic, insomnia, mental confusion, hysteria, depression that doesn’t seem to lift, and more can be triggered by major (and in some cases, minor) stressful events.

If you find that during stressful times you seem to struggle with persistent symptoms more than you feel is acceptable, therapy might help.  Sure, your belief system, personality, mental and physical health, and other factors determine how you respond to life stressors, but sometimes the sheer magnitude of stressful conditions or times where these situations seem to pile on top of each other, can be overwhelming.

Whether or not you might benefit from therapy is a personal decision that no one can make for you. Brief therapy or, if necessary, longer-term therapy with a highly focused treatment plan, can help you deal with stressful events and the emotions they trigger.

http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com

http://www.starpointcounselingtampa.com

http://www.starpointcounselingbrandon.com

 

 

Don’t Let Parenting Drown Your Marriage.

Between household chores, jobs, extracurricular activities for the kids, and all the other responsibilities that are on your plate you are often left with no time for your marriage. You don’t get to talk much, you only see each other right before bed when you are exhausted, and you’ve become less and less intimate over time. Although you are doing an outstanding job with your parenting and it is understandable that you have little time for yourselves, you must take the time to reconnect with your partner. 

A few simple changes can help shift the focus from the kids back to the marriage:

1. Establish a date night. Set aside one evening per week for a romantic date night. If you can’t manage to get a sitter for the night then give the kids an activity to do that will keep them occupied for a couple hours and tell them not to bother the two of you while you have dinner together. 
2. Reconsider the kid’s schedule. Don’t overload your schedules with extracurricular activities, instead let each child have only one activity at a time so you have more time to do other things as a family and couple.
3. Balance kid time and couple time. Take turns staying in the the kids while one of you goes out with friends. But make sure you also have those date nights too so your not just seeing each other when your handing off the kids. 
4. Find an activity you can enjoy together. Find a dance class, a favorite hiking spot, or just go out to dinner with your friends. Anything that you enjoy doing together and that will give you something to talk about instead of issues with the kids. 
5. Intimacy. You don’t have time? Well make some. Get the children to bed, turn off the computers and TV and spend some quality time together. Decompress, talk about your day, give each other a back rub, or be sexually intimate.
6. Make plans. There is no need for spontaneity all the time, especially when you have children. Relationships take maintenance and planning, make some room in your schedule and fit some plans in. 

Reconnecting takes a re-evaluation of priorities and making some changes in your schedules. To preserve and grow their relationship, the adults need to take care of their own needs as well as their children’s. 

Check out our website for more tips on maintaining your marriage, and how we can help you reconnect with your partner. www.starpointcounselingtampa.com

Coping With Cancer

As most of you know, October is breast cancer awareness month. We all see the streets and stores filled with pink and quotes such as, “Save the Tata’s” are pinned on bracelets and t-shirts nationwide. Cancer and its treatments can take a huge toll on the body, and also on the mind. The psychological effects of cancer are nothing to ignore. Imagine that the doctor gives you 6-12 months to live and all of the sudden your whole life flashes before your eyes. Empathy is a real challenge for loved ones of the cancer patient, because often these loved ones are going through a struggle of their own. Just as cancer can spread through and take over a body, it has a way of spreading through a family system as well.
Different people may react to the diagnosis differently. Some research shows that those who were in denial about their diagnosis and those with a positive attitude about treatment had more positive outcomes than those who continued to feel helpless or hopeless about their diagnosis. Some psychological effects of a cancer diagnosis can include depression, anxiety, and significant distress for the patient and the family members.
Counseling is a great option for families and individuals dealing with a cancer diagnosis. It may be able to help promote a decrease in helplessness for the patient, and can encourage family members to play a supportive and empathetic role. For more information about the psychological effects of cancer and tips for family members visit the American Cancer Society’s link below.

http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/emotionalsideeffects/emotional-side-effects-landing

For more information on mental health counseling, visit our website at http://www.affordablecounselingbrandon.com.