Mental health care comes in different shapes and sizes.
Services
Psychological Testing
Adult ADHD
More and more adults are realizing they may have missed appropriate diagnosis in childhood or have a reason to reestablish a childhood diagnosis in adulthood.
ADHD is related to brain development of the prefrontal cortex which continues to develop well into adulthood, and thus symptoms and presentation change too.
Many people demonstrate symptoms of ADHD; psychological testing allows for comparison of your symptoms against the general adult population to better understand the severity of symptoms. Testing can also help us identify strengths and weaknesses, informing what types of higher education accommodations, medical interventions, or therapies might be most effective.
Adult Autism
Just as with ADHD, we are learning more about the brain all the time. While we have gotten better at identifying autism in individuals who need higher levels of support due to having limited language abilities or limited independent functioning, we have often failed to recognize the neurodivergence in the many ways autistic individuals experience the world. While I do not believe that autistic traits should be pathologized or require diagnosis, diagnosis can be helpful in receiving accommodations in school or work and can be helpful in understanding the self.
This is an area of emerging science and thus I believe it is important to empower neurodiverse individuals to communicate about how best professionals can help them.
Childhood ADHD
ADHD is related to developmental delays and inconsistent functioning of the prefrontal cortex. The presentation of these difficulties is unique, depending on what the individual finds interesting and rewarding. Different levels of school can create difficulties in functioning, for different reasons.
Public and private schools do not have the ability to diagnose medical conditions such as ADHD. It can often be important in the process of getting appropriate school accommodations and educational support to have an official diagnosis. Medical treatment of ADHD can also be important in helping children get the most out of their education, though medications are not the answer for all individuals or families.
Diagnostic Clarification
Do you feel uncertain about the symptoms you are experiencing? Do you feel like your medical providers or previous mental health providers have not understood your symptoms? Have you tried multiple types of medical or psychological interventions without success?
Diagnosis in mental health is not like running a blood test. All psychological testing done at Ellison Mental Health Services is done in collaboration with the client, the client is the expert on themselves and together we come to a theory or hypothesis about the symptoms we are seeing, and further identifying a way to best approach treatment or accommodations.
Psychological Therapy
Individual therapy is an important part of addressing many different mental health conditions and is helpful in improving functioning in daily life. My training and professional values have led me to use evidence-based approaches to treating mental health conditions, with most of these interventions being based on cognitive-behavioral theories.
Not all therapy is the same, it is important to focus on measurable, attainable goals with the ultimate goal of needing less therapy and being able to do more to function effectively on your own.
Areas of specialty for Dr. Ellison:
Exposure and response prevention for obsessions and compulsions
Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, phobias (vomit, needle/injection, driving, storms, dogs, spiders, etc.)
Cognitive processing therapy for trauma, especially complex trauma
Please inquire about other areas not mentioned here, as this is not an exhaustive list
Education
Information about mental health should not be a secret.
The more we know, the more we can do to help one another and ourselves.
I have provided a number of different presentations with a variety of topics and lengths to different groups of individuals, from teaching courses, continuing education presentations, to talking with groups of employees about self-care.
I have a passion for education and would love to spread whatever knowledge I have.
Below are current offerings, but please reach out if you have any ideas or opportunities you would like to discuss.
Book Club
Join a group in guided discussion of a psychology-related book. Group size can range from 4 to 10 people and can be virtual or in person. The location could be in at a particular location (e.g., coffee shop, park) or in the office. In order to participate you must complete a form indicating your preferences for different settings to help find the group that you would feel most comfortable in.
Book club is meant to be a group of peers discussing book content and how it makes us think about the world differently, rather than a more traditional group therapy setting. These events have a basic cost, to cover materials provided as well as refreshments provided and are not billed through insurance. If cost is a barrier, please indicate this in your interest form.
Have a suggestion for a book? Let us know!
See our current offerings below.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD
Raising Good Humans
by Hunter Clark-Fields, MSAE