OpenMind Wellness Counseling Services, LLC
melvahartzog@counselingopenminds.com
Telehealth Available
About Me
"The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power."
OpenMind Wellness Counseling Services, LLC provides individual and group counseling to adolescents, adults, and older adults. I believe in incorporating an integrative, holistic approach to wellness, acknowledging the role mind-body-spirit play in the healing process. Healing is also promoted through the development of psychosocial areas of life: career, emotional, social, and interpersonal.
My therapeutic approach is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), including Christian- and spiritually-integrated CBT. I am a multicultural competent counselor. I am located in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, and offer day, evening, and weekend hours. As a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master of Divinity degree, I understand the need for some individual to seek Christian counseling for a variety of issues. Sometimes there is a crisis of faith, other times there is a need to understand Bibilical principles in relation to an issues or struggle. There are other times when a spiritual crisis or need to make sense of a situation from a spiritual perspective is required. I understand that both religious and spiritual are integral in treating the whole person. Holistic healing embraces body, mind, & spirit, and include making sense of life from social and interpersonal perspectives.
Common Treatment Needs
Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Anger, Grief & Loss, Self-Identity, Religious/Spiritual Crisis, Communication
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness, and involve excessive fear or anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. . But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives.
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Christian/Spiritual Counseling
IReligion and spirituality are often part of the client’s problem, but can also be part of the client’s solution. Because spiritual and religious values can play a major part in human life, spiritual values should be viewed as a potential resource in therapy rather than as something to be ignored. During the assessment process, it can be ascertained how certain beliefs and practices of the client can be a useful focal point for exploration. Religious faith, or some form of personal spirituality, can be a powerful source of meaning and purpose. For some, religion does not occupy a key place, yet a personal spirituality may be a central force. Spiritual values help many people make sense out of the universe and the purpose of our lives on this earth. Like any other potential source of meaning, religious faith or spirituality seems most authentic and valuable when it enables us to become as fully human as possible. It can help us get in touch with our own powers of thinking, feeling, deciding, willing, and acting.
Anger
Anger is a natural, instinctive response to threats. Some anger is necessary for our survival. Anger becomes a problem when you have trouble controlling it, causing you to say or do things you regret.
Uncontrolled anger is bad for your physical and emotional health. It can also quickly escalate to verbal or physical violence, harming you and those around you. Many things can trigger anger, including stress family problems, and financial issues.
For some people, anger is caused by an underlying disorder, such as alcoholism
or depression. Anger itself isn’t considered a disorder, but anger is a known symptom of several mental health conditions.
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Depression
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable.
Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.
Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives.
Many individuals can experience symptoms associated with painful and traumatic circumstances. Anxiety, fear, and hopelessness are a few emotions that can linger post traumatic events. We can help you overcome these symptoms and guide you through the process of grief and healing.
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Communication
Grief/Loss
Relationships involve hard work too! The best relationships are those where both the parties are willing to put in the work and show their commitment to moving forward. And one of the top blocks to moving forward?
That is communication
problems.
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Communication problems can leave you both feeling frazzled and frustrated. Sometimes it seems like they just don’t get you. Or maybe you’re wondering why you can’t tackle that one thorny issue without it descending into a fight.
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Communication problems are rarely unsolvable. Sometimes a few simple tweaks is all it takes to get your relationship back on track again.
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At some point in life, most people will experience loss at some point in their lives.
Grief is a reaction to any form of loss. Bereavement is a type of grief involving the death of a loved one.
Bereavement and grief encompass a range of feelings from deep sadness to anger. The process of adapting to a significant loss can vary dramatically from one person to another. It often depends on a person’s background, beliefs, and relationship to what was lost.
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Grief is not limited to feelings of sadness. It can also involve guilt, yearning, anger, and regret. Emotions are often surprising in their strength or mildness. They can also be confusing. One person may find themselves grieving a painful relationship. Another may mourn a loved one who died from cancer and yet feel relief that the person is no longer suffering.
People in grief can bounce between different thoughts as they make sense of their loss. Thoughts can range from soothing (“She had a good life.”) to troubling (“It wasn’t her time.”). People may assign themselves varying levels of responsibility, from “There was nothing I could have done,” to “It’s all my fault.”
Grieving behaviors also have a wide range. Some people find comfort in sharing their feelings among company. Other people may prefer to be alone with their feelings, engaging in silent activities like exercising or writing.
The different feelings, thoughts, and behaviors people express during grief can be categorized into two main styles: instrumental and intuitive. Most people display a blend of these two styles of grieving:
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Instrumental grieving has a focus primarily on problem-solving tasks. This style involves controlling or minimizing emotional expression.
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Intuitive grieving is based on a heightened emotional experience. This style involves sharing feelings, exploring the lost relationship, and considering mortality.
No one way of grieving is better than any other. Some people are more emotional and dive into their feelings. Others are stoic and may seek distraction from dwelling on an unchangeable fact of living. Every individual has unique needs when coping with loss.
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