Archives: Our Services

Self-Harming

Self-harm is often a way of coping with overwhelming emotions—not a sign of being ‘broken’ or beyond help. At Oak Tree Behavioral Services, we provide a non-judgmental space to understand what’s driving self-harming behavior and develop healthier, more effective ways to manage emotional pain.

Signs You May Benefit from Self-Harm Support

  • Cutting, burning, scratching, or hitting yourself
  • Using physical pain to manage emotional numbness or distress
  • Hiding injuries from others
  • Feelings of shame or secrecy around the behavior
  • Escalating frequency or severity over time
  • Self-harm as a response to trauma, anxiety, or depression

Our Treatment Approach

We use DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), which is the gold-standard treatment for self-harm, along with trauma-informed care. DBT teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills that address the root causes of self-harm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does self-harm mean someone is suicidal?
Not necessarily. Self-harm and suicidal ideation are different, though they can co-occur. We assess for both and address each appropriately.
Do you work with adolescents?
Yes. Self-harm is most common in adolescence and we have significant experience working with teens and their families.
Should I tell my child’s school?
This is a nuanced decision. Your therapist will help you navigate disclosure decisions in a way that protects and supports your child.

Self Esteem

Low self-esteem quietly sabotages careers, relationships, and happiness. It shapes how you treat yourself, what you pursue, and what you believe you deserve. Therapy can help you identify where your self-image came from, challenge the beliefs that hold you back, and build genuine, lasting confidence.

Signs You May Benefit from Self-Esteem Support

  • Chronic self-criticism or negative self-talk
  • Difficulty accepting compliments or recognizing your strengths
  • People-pleasing or difficulty saying no
  • Fear of failure or avoidance of new challenges
  • Feeling fundamentally flawed, unlovable, or not enough
  • Comparisons to others that leave you feeling inadequate

Our Treatment Approach

We use CBT, schema therapy, and compassion-focused therapy to identify the origins of low self-esteem and build a more balanced, grounded self-concept—one rooted in evidence rather than early wounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can low self-esteem be fixed?
Yes. With the right therapeutic approach, people develop genuinely different ways of seeing and relating to themselves.
Is this suitable for teenagers?
Adolescence is a critical time to address self-esteem. We work with teens using age-appropriate approaches.
How is this different from ‘positive thinking’?
Real self-esteem isn’t positive thinking—it’s an accurate, grounded relationship with yourself. Therapy goes much deeper than affirmations.

School Issues

School is where children spend most of their waking hours—and for many, it’s a significant source of stress, anxiety, or conflict. Whether your child is struggling academically, socially, or emotionally in school, therapy can help identify what’s getting in the way and build skills to thrive.

Signs You May Benefit from School Issues Support

  • Refusing to go to school or frequent absences
  • Anxiety about tests, grades, or performance
  • Difficulty with teachers, peers, or school rules
  • Declining grades despite effort
  • Behavioral problems in the classroom
  • Bullying, social exclusion, or conflict with classmates

Our Treatment Approach

We assess academic, emotional, and social factors contributing to school struggles. We use CBT, school refusal protocols, and coordinate with school counselors and teachers with parental consent to create a consistent support environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you work with my child’s school?
Yes. With your permission, we can communicate with teachers, counselors, and special education teams.
What if my child has an IEP?
We’re familiar with special education processes and can provide documentation or participate in IEP meetings when appropriate.
At what age can children start therapy for school issues?
We work with children from early elementary through high school for school-related concerns.

Relationship Issues

Relationship struggles—whether with a partner, family member, friend, or colleague—can be a major source of pain and stress. Therapy helps you understand your relational patterns, communicate more effectively, and build the connections you want.

Signs You May Benefit from Relationship Issues Support

  • Recurring conflict with the same person
  • Feeling chronically misunderstood or dismissed
  • Difficulty trusting others after past hurt
  • Patterns of choosing the wrong people or relationships
  • Fear of intimacy or commitment
  • Codependency, people-pleasing, or unhealthy boundaries

Our Treatment Approach

We use attachment-based therapy, CBT, and interpersonal approaches to help you understand how early experiences shape your current relationships and build more secure, satisfying connections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to come with a partner?
Not necessarily. Individual therapy for relationship issues is very effective for understanding your own patterns.
Can therapy help after a breakup?
Yes. Processing the end of a relationship, understanding what happened, and preparing for healthier future connections are all goals we can work toward.
What if the other person won’t come to therapy?
You can still make meaningful progress working on your side of the relationship dynamic individually.

Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are among the most emotionally complex times in a person’s life. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders affect one in five new mothers—and are among the most common, and most undertreated, medical complications of pregnancy. You deserve real support.

Signs You May Benefit from Pregnancy, Prenatal & Postpartum Support

  • Persistent sadness, emptiness, or crying during or after pregnancy
  • Anxiety, panic attacks, or intrusive thoughts about your baby
  • Feeling detached from your baby or unable to bond
  • Rage, irritability, or feeling out of control
  • Fear that you’re a bad mother or that something will happen to your baby
  • A traumatic birth experience

Our Treatment Approach

We are trained in perinatal mental health and use evidence-based approaches including CBT, trauma-focused therapy, and interpersonal therapy adapted for the perinatal period. We support individuals through pregnancy loss, birth trauma, PPD, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum PTSD.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I seek help?
As soon as you notice symptoms—don’t wait to see if it ‘gets better on its own.’ Perinatal mood disorders are highly treatable when addressed early.
Is postpartum depression the same as ‘baby blues’?
No. Baby blues are brief (2 weeks). Postpartum depression lasts longer, is more intense, and requires professional support.
Do you work with partners who are struggling?
Yes. Partners can also experience postpartum depression and anxiety, and we provide support for them as well.

Pet Loss

The loss of a beloved pet is a profound grief—and one that’s often minimized by those who haven’t experienced it. Pets are family members, sources of unconditional love and routine, and for many people, central figures in daily life. If you’re struggling after losing a pet, your pain is real and deserves real support.

Signs You May Benefit from Pet Loss Support

  • Intense sadness, emptiness, or crying spells after your pet’s death
  • Guilt about end-of-life decisions
  • Difficulty functioning at work or home
  • Others dismissing your grief as ‘just losing a pet’
  • The loss triggering memories of other losses
  • Anticipatory grief if your pet is terminally ill

Our Treatment Approach

We provide compassionate grief counseling that honors the significance of animal bonds. We address guilt, trauma around the circumstances of death, anticipatory grief for aging pets, and the particular isolation that comes with pet loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it ‘normal’ to be this sad about a pet?
Absolutely. The human-animal bond is deeply real, and grief after pet loss can be as intense as grief after losing a person.
Do you help with euthanasia decisions?
Yes. The anticipatory grief and guilt around end-of-life decisions for pets is one of the most common reasons people seek support.
Can children be seen for pet loss?
Yes. Children often process their first experience of death through pet loss, and therapy can support that process.

Peer Relationships

Friendships are central to a child’s wellbeing and development—but social struggles can be incredibly painful and difficult to navigate alone. Whether your child is being bullied, has difficulty making friends, or is dealing with toxic peer dynamics, our therapists can help.

Signs You May Benefit from Peer Relationships Support

  • Difficulty making or keeping friends
  • Being bullied or engaging in bullying behavior
  • Social anxiety in peer settings
  • Exclusion or rejection by peers
  • Social media-related conflict or distress
  • Loneliness, withdrawal, or feeling different from peers

Our Treatment Approach

We use social skills training, CBT, and narrative therapy to help children and teens build confidence, navigate social situations, and develop authentic connections. Parent involvement is often included to reinforce skills at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age do you work with for peer issues?
We work with children as young as six and through adolescence for peer relationship concerns.
Can therapy help with social anxiety?
Yes. Social anxiety is very treatable and responds well to CBT and graduated exposure approaches.
Do you address cyberbullying?
Yes. Online peer conflict is a significant part of many children’s social lives and is fully addressed in therapy.

Parenting

Parenting is the most important job in the world—and the one with the least training. Whether you’re struggling with a defiant toddler, a troubled teen, co-parenting conflict, or simply feeling overwhelmed and ineffective as a parent, therapy can give you practical tools and renewed confidence.

Signs You May Benefit from Parenting Support Support

  • Feeling like nothing you try with your child works
  • Power struggles, defiance, or frequent meltdowns
  • Anxiety about your child’s behavior, development, or future
  • Co-parenting conflict affecting your children
  • Parenting a child with ADHD, autism, trauma, or behavioral challenges
  • Feeling burned out, resentful, or disconnected as a parent

Our Treatment Approach

We draw on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) principles, Collaborative Problem Solving, and evidence-based parenting strategies. We work with the parent alone or with parent and child together depending on what will be most effective.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I bring my child to sessions?
That depends on the issue. Some parenting work is most effective when we work with you alone; other situations benefit from joint sessions.
Do you help with divorced or separated co-parents?
Yes. We work with co-parents on communication strategies and child-centered approaches to co-parenting conflict.
At what age does your parenting support apply?
We work with parents of children from toddlers through young adults.

Obesity

Obesity is rarely just about diet and exercise—it’s shaped by genetics, trauma history, emotional eating, stress, and mental health. Sustainable change requires addressing the psychological dimensions of weight, not just the physical ones. Our therapists provide non-judgmental support for the emotional and behavioral side of weight management.

Signs You May Benefit from Obesity & Weight Management Support

  • Using food to manage emotions or stress
  • Feelings of shame, guilt, or disgust related to your body or eating
  • Yo-yo dieting or inability to sustain changes
  • Binge eating or loss of control around food
  • Depression or anxiety that contributes to weight gain
  • Weight-related health concerns affecting your quality of life

Our Treatment Approach

We use CBT, ACT, and mindful eating approaches to address the emotional patterns underlying weight struggles. We work collaboratively with dietitians and medical providers and can support patients before and after bariatric surgery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide diet or nutrition counseling?
We address the psychological side of eating. We refer to registered dietitians for nutritional guidance and often work in coordination with them.
Is weight stigma an issue in your practice?
We are explicitly committed to a weight-neutral, non-stigmatizing approach. All body sizes are welcomed without judgment.
Can therapy help with emotional eating?
Yes. Emotional eating is one of the conditions that responds best to psychological intervention.

Men’s Issues

Men face unique pressures—cultural expectations to appear strong, difficulty asking for help, and mental health stigma that runs deep. Our therapists provide a direct, practical, judgment-free environment where men can address real challenges without being told how to feel.

Signs You May Benefit from Men’s Issues Support

  • Anger, irritability, or emotional shutdown
  • Withdrawing from relationships or activities you used to enjoy
  • Using work, alcohol, or screens to avoid emotional pain
  • Anxiety about work performance, finances, or identity
  • Relationship problems or feeling disconnected from your partner
  • Life transitions (divorce, job loss, fatherhood, retirement)

Our Treatment Approach

We meet men where they are—offering direct, solution-focused therapy that builds on strengths rather than dwelling on weakness. We work on communication, emotional intelligence, purpose, and the specific pressures men face in today’s world.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is therapy just for people in crisis?
No. Many men come to therapy to perform better, communicate more effectively, or navigate transitions—not because something is falling apart.
Do you have male therapists?
We have both male and female therapists. You can request a preference when scheduling.
Will therapy make me ‘soft’?
Quite the opposite. Working on yourself requires more courage than avoiding hard things. Our clients consistently report feeling more effective, not less.