Specialties
Perinatal and Postpartum Care
One of the largest transitions in life is that of becoming a parent. There is a plethora of useful information available to most parents-to-be in the practical form of “what to expect”, but when it comes to the nitty gritty mental and psychological shifts these changes often go un-addressed. These shifts tend to begin before our children arrive and often can become more complex and complicated when our pre-child life and post-child lives collide. It is not uncommon nor a failing of any sort to at some point need additional assistance sorting between the two worlds and learning how to merge them together. If you find yourself struggling with higher amounts of anxious thoughts, feelings of overwhelm, and/or depressive symptoms in this stage of life you are not alone and there absolutely is hope for things to change. I, Kayanna, am a mother of three and a certified perinatal mental health specialist who has been trained to specifically help you adjust to this new season of life.
Premarital Counseling
Weddings tend to get all the glitz and glamor in the marriage preparation process. While they are totally fun and exciting I think that the more worthwhile work is in finding ways to carry the fun and excitement throughout the marriage. The merging of two individuals into one new family can be quite the intensive process but just like a great party, completely worthwhile. I am prepare-enrich certified which utilizes a great assessment tool and comprehensive skill building exercises that help setup your marriage for success.
Walk and Talk Therapy
Walk and talk therapy is a simple way that moves towards a more comprehensive approach on personal health. We often attempt to segment our health into separate realms, ie physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. However, the parts of our health that we often segment off to address one by one are all interconnected. The more we begin to work on one of these areas we typically begin to notice an effect on the others. This is why therapy alone can still be an effective tool, just like going to the doctors to address a physical issue, but how much more impactful can it be when we address these other areas of health in conjunction with therapy.
I offer walk and talk therapy sessions for those interested in Ventura county. Most sessions are offered on local trails in Ventura. As this is a unique approach that requires more than the standard talk therapy session it may not be a good fit for everyone and a comprehensive intake process is required. Please inquire for more information.
Christian Counseling
As a clinician it is always my personal priority for you to know factors that have influence over the ways I practice. Worldview is one of those areas that impacts how each of us view and understand the world. I am always working towards providing my clients with unbiased support as I have been trained to do so, however, it would be negligent to claim that my personal worldviews don’t at times have an impact on how I think and approach counseling. At Caring Connection, a defining outlook that impacts how I do things around here is the Christian faith. I am happy to include specific faith-oriented practices (ie prayer, incorporating scripture, etc) in sessions if requested, yet, I do not lead with these practices as we want to match the clients needs, expressed goals, and desired use of time in session.