Therapeutic Specialties
For over 30 years the team at LifeStar has focused on saving relationships by creating a dual-track curriculum that addresses both sides impacted by negative sexual behavior.
While we help our clients in all realms of mental health, our core focuses are recovery from pornography and sexual compulsivity and relational trauma.
Everyone is welcome; any orientation, faith, or demographic. Our approach is based on proven clinical methods and powerful techniques we are certified in.
Understanding & Treating Negative Sexual Compulsivity
Humans intrinsically seek comfort and a primary source of it is sexuality. This natural drive is healthy, but it can propel us to negative effect - anytime it drives disconnection from real relationships, loss of options and agency, or harmful outcomes it can quickly escalate and take over our lives.
Many caught in this cycle suffer from anxiety or depression, self loathing from compromised values, intense loneliness, and significant negative life consequences. Filling in this void can rapidly define our lives.
Negative Sexual Behavior can come in many forms:
- Excessive viewing of pornography
- Compulsive masturbation
- Emotional or sexual infidelity
- Illegal acting out
But you are not alone.
LifeStar Salt Lake has been treating individuals and families affected by negative sexual behavior for over 30 years. Guided by our Trained Therapists, you’ll learn about the biological foundations of our behavior, why we behave like we do, and how to change your life. In a phased process that utilizes a unique curriculum, you’ll understand how recovery isn’t just abstinence, it is a whole new way of healthy living.
Recognizing & Treating Trauma
We are all wired to connect and form secure relationships. When something disrupts our ability to be close to others it can be traumatic - tremendous fear, loss of control, and profound helplessness can overwhelm us.
We can flow between states of intense shock, rigorous denial, deep hurt, sudden disgust, intense anger, and suffocating guilt quickly. All these intense feelings are real, and need to be respected. In fact, much of this is a natural response to trauma.
Trauma can come in many forms:
- Shock or Acute Trauma from an incident, accident, or assault
- Chronic Trauma from repeated and prolonged exposure to stress or abuse
- Developmental Trauma from early life circumstances
- Complex Trauma from varied and multiple life events
LifeStar Salt Lake is a safe place to process your trauma.
Together, with our specially trained Trauma Therapists, we can help you overcome the negative impact of trauma on your life. The healing process starts with education and support to regulate emotion. Next, you’ll work on creating emotional safety through specific techniques you’ll learn from your Therapist. Lastly, know that growth beyond the trauma is possible - creating a new balanced life with healthy living skills is available to all, and we’d love to help.
All Issues Addressed
Specific areas of mental health are professionally identified as "issues" and concern the diagnosis of recognized psychological pathologies. Here is a limited list of what we can address in counseling (please reach out and ask us if you don't see a topic you need covered):
- Anxiety
- Abuse
- Anger
- Bipolar
- Compulsivity
- Depression
- Divorce
- Drug Abuse
- Fear
- Gambling
- Grief
- Infidelity
- Neglect
- OCD
- Panic/ Panic Attacks
- Paranoia
- PTSD
- Postpartum
- Self-harm
- Shame
- Suicide
Of note, we recognize a broad spectrum of issues that unfortunately get the label of "addiction." We acknowledge that the term "addiction" gets used too loosely and too frequently. We at LifeStar avoid labeling anyone as an "addict".
Clinical Approach and Orientation
A broad array of philosophy, cognitive science, and biology contribute to modern psychology today. At LifeStar, we have honed in on key approaches that influence our work. Our individual therapists thematically use and blend several systems of thought to address a broad spectrum of positive psychology.
These "types" of therapy can include:
- Attachment Theory
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Family Systems
- Anger Management
- Equine-assisted Therapy
- Positive Psychology
Additional Specialty Certifications
Within the profession of Psychology, certain systems and approaches develop internal certifications, usually associated with an affiliated association. LifeStar Salt Lake proudly has therapists certified in the following:
- Lifespan Integration (LI)
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Whom We Serve
Areas of specialization, or "Client Focuses" or "Practice Focuses," concern the categorization of people that therapists main area of expertise lie within when working with individuals. Our therapists focus on the following groups (but are not limited to!):
- Men
- Women
- LGBQ
- Teens
- Christian
- Mormon (LDS)
- Atheist
- Spanish-speaking
- ... and many undefinable types!