Green Wave Family Wellness Center

HELPING RESTORE BALANCE ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN

Most of us have found ourselves in a place in life where we are struggling with emotional or relationship stresses and though we may solve these issues on our own, would greatly appreciate a professional who could help us more safely and efficiently move through to a better place in life. This is the role of a professional counselor or therapist. Counseling is a healthcare service (often covered by insurance) that is designed to be personally healing and growth directed. The therapeutic process facilitates growth by first helping one reach stabilization. Then work is done to pull apart and redesign needed areas at the individual and relationship levels to foster growth. In essence, Green Wave counseling is about helping you reach and maintain a better balanced health and wellness and ultimately about facilitating your development of a lifestyle that best produces joy and happiness for you and your loved ones.

Everybody’s life is different. However, there are common issues that touch many of our lives. I like to say we are difference enough to be unique but similar enough to understand. The primary areas we may find ourselves having difficulty in include the levels of individual (Mind, Emotion, Body and Spirit), relationship or purpose in life.

A few common issues include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma recovery
• Substance abuse
• Grief
• Spiritual integration and maturity
• Support counseling for medical conditions (e.g., cancer)
• Anger management
• Career issues & job stress
• Life transition
• Life balance
• Eating disorders
• Legal issues
• Abusive/dysfunctional relationships in couples or families
• Communication skills
• Parenting Skills
• Divorce recovery
• Adoption issues
• Limitations or disorders
• General life enhancement work

Here at Green Wave we offer many modes of counseling:

• Individual Counseling
• Couples/Marriage therapy
• Family Therapy
• Group Counseling

Our services are offered to all, regardless of race, religion, or national origin. Green Wave is also an approved extension ministry of the United Methodist Church Network.

The following is insight into which type of counseling is best for you:

Individual counseling

Individual counseling is a personally tailored opportunity to receive support and experience growth during challenging times in life. Individual counseling can help one deal with many personal topics in life such as anger, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, marriage and relationship challenges, parenting problems, school difficulties, career changes etc. Further, an over arching goal at Green Wave is the development of personal life balance. Individual therapy generally consists of weekly, 50 minute sessions with a registered counseling intern or a licensed therapist. We also offer a Pastoral counseling focus if desired.

Couples/Marriage Counseling

Every couple feels ebb and flow in their levels of closeness and harmony over time. This can range from basic concerns of stagnation to serious expressions of aggressive behavior. Thus, the goals of couples counseling can vary from improving the overall richness in the relationship to trying to make the difficult decision between rebuilding or dissolving the relationship in the most healthy way for all involved. Common topics leading to distress in marriages or other relationships may include: communication problems, infidelity issues, struggles around sex, anger, unrealistic expectations, and poor strategies to punish or leverage power over the other. Marriage counseling or couples counseling can help resolve conflicts and heal wounds. Overall, couples counseling can help couples slow down their spiral and reestablish realistic expectations and goals. Usually we ask couples to meet the first session together and then as needed, they may meet in the individual format as well.

Family therapy

Family therapy is often sought due to a life change or stress negatively affecting one or all areas of family closeness, family structure (rules and roles) or communication style. This mode of counseling can take a variety of forms. Sometimes it is best to see an entire family together for a few sessions. At other times it may be better to see children and their parents separately. Whatever the format, the goal of family counseling is to identify the dynamics that cause problems and to institute changes in the structure or style of how the family operates. A small change in one area can often have tremendous impact on other areas, which means that significant gains can often be produced quickly and dramatically. As in many areas of life, relational problems will not go away just by ignoring them, so family counseling may become vitally important to get back on track to a more enjoyable relationship with those you care about most. Common issues addressed in family counseling are concerns around parenting, sibling conflict, loss of family members, new members entering the family, dealing with a major move or a general change affecting the family system.

Group counseling

Group counseling is often offered at Green Wave. Common themes include:

• Managing your Anger
• Enhancing your Self-Esteem
• Dealing with Divorce
• Stopping the Cycle of Domestic Violence
• Recovering from Abuse and Trauma
• Substance abuse and recovery

Group counseling allows one to find out that they are not alone in their type of life challenge. To be involved in a group of peers who are in a similar place not only increases one’s understanding of the struggles around the topic but also the variety in the possible solutions available. Typically, groups are designed in a set of 8 sessions with each offering specific insights and skills on the common topic. Call to see which groups are available.

Nature of Counseling:

Our Licensed therapists and registered interns consider it an honor and great privilege to be invited into your life and entrusted to provide professional counseling services.

Again, clients are seen in the Individual, Group, Marriage, & Family format depending on the needs at hand. In each case, a careful history and understanding of the individual, family, and societal influences is developed to facilitate our ability to help you. In essence, to attain the goal of better balanced health and wellness, your alignment of self (mind, emotions, body and spirit), relationships (social aspects of being) and purpose over time are explored to play a role in the therapeutic change process. While the speed at which goals are reached may vary, a clear goal sheet and treatment plan is developed to make this investment most efficient and understandable. Further, recommendations (to be approved by you) may be made regarding what members of your life may be helpful to include in the course of counseling.

While we pull from many theories to best suit the needs at hand, our general therapeutic approach is from a Multi-Systemic orientation. We also draw from several other therapeutic models including, Structural/Strategic Family Theory, Cognitive Behavioral, Reality Therapy, and Solution-Focused. What all this means to you is that we view Life as a perpetual series of influences both internal and external. Development is seen as a function of individual characteristics mutually interacting with environmental factors. While psychological, spiritual, and biological factors may play a major role in decisions and growth, we believe relationships (especially the family) are of vital importance to one’s foundation and evolving life’s course.

Counseling sessions are approximately 50 minutes in duration. The counseling process often results in a close therapeutic relationship. This will be an interactive process where you and your counselor form a trusting partnership designed to facilitate desired change in thinking, feeling, behavior and changes in the systems which are important to you. The overall goal is a better balanced health and wellness in life. This change process will involve hard work on your part as you explore the past and present situation, establish goals for your future and devise an action plan to get you from where you are to where you want to be. Sometimes it may appear that your circumstances and or relationships are getting worse, this is frequently a beginning step in the change process. We will work through those sometimes painful steps and help you attain a more positive and compelling future. Thus, in sum, this counseling experience will include working to understand the various roles and relationships in your life, along with helping you embrace the belief that “You”

are ultimately responsible for your choices and have the power to play a major role in both Your and Your Family’s Development and life balance.

Green Wave Counselors Are Dedicated Professionals That Are Highly Trained And Have The Common Desire To Help Bring A Better Balanced Health And Wellness To Those We Provide Service.

Chuck Cluxton, Ph.D., L.M.F.T., L.M.H.C., N.C.C.

Dr. Chuck is a native of Panama City, Florida. He received both his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Counseling and his dual Masters/Specialist degrees in Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Counseling from the University of Florida. Dr. Chuck is licensed by the State of Florida (# MT-16780) and the State of Georgia (#871) as a Professional Marriage and Family Therapist . He is also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida (# 6603), Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia (#003309), and a National Certified Counselor (#55653). Further, he is a Clinical Member of the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (# 87642), Clinical Member of the American Counseling Association and a Certified Ropes course instructor. Dr. Chuck has been providing counseling services in the Individual, Group, Marriage & Family format for 16 years. While he has worked with clients across the age span, his primary focus has been working with troubled youth and families in crisis. His other areas of service have included: serving as a state approved clinical supervisor for LMHC and LMFT licensure seeking interns in the State of Florida, an adjunct professor and/or clinical supervisor in Psychology and Counseling (University of Florida, Berry College, and Troy University ), Life and Business Coach, and counselor for the court and school systems. He is also the co-founder of Green Wave Family Wellness Center.

Charlie Broome, Ph.D., L.M.F.T.

Dr. Charlie was born and raised in south Florida and Key Largo. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Miami with a B.A. in Psychology. From there he married and then joined the Air Force as a combat aircrew member on B52s for 6 years. While in the service he earned a Masters Degree from Louisiana Tech. in Counseling. From there he went on to study Social Work and then to earn a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Florida State University. He has held a Florida license in Marriage and Family Therapy since 1982. Dr. Charlie has over thirty years of treating and teaching individuals, families and systems within a wide diversity of settings including inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools and substance abuse centers. He found that Family systems and Psychology combined could be artfully applied to Executive and Business Coaching to produce quantum leaps and enhanced work environments. His primary modality for therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Psychology with a systems overview. Dr. Charlie has been married to his college sweetheart for over 37 years with two married sons and four grand children.

Professor Daniel Hudson, M.S., M. Div.

Dan has been an ordained United Methodist minister for 20 years serving churches and missions in Alabama and Florida. He received his M.Div. from Emory University and a M.S. in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University. Dan has 20 years of pastoral counseling experience including individual, family, adolescent, marriage, and crisis counseling. He is completing his internship as a registered mental health counselor intern (#IMH 5893). Dan has been a sought after public speaker for groups from every state in the Southeast including groups as far away as Canada. In addition, Dan is a professor at Gulf Coast Community College where he teaches in the Liberal Art Department focusing on psychology and religion courses. He provides counseling for individuals, couples, children and families.

Gloria S. Tipton, Ed.D.,  L.C.S.W.

Dr. Gloria holds a Masters in Social Work from Florida State University and a Doctorate in Education in Human Sexuality. She gained Board Certification Diplomate status in both Social Work and Clinical Sexology. Other advanced certifications include EMDR Consultant, Traumatology, and Theophositic Level 1. Her passion is to assist adolescents, adults, couples, and families to achieve emotional and cognitive authenticity, and well as spiritual maturity within themselves or in a committed relationship. With more than 17 years of counseling experience within in-patient hospitalization and private practice (Lic # 3782). Her specializations include Psychotherapy, Life-coaching, and Inner Healing Prayer Counseling. Dr. Gloria is also an adjunct professor in the social science department of Gulf Coast Community College.

Let us know how we can be a part of your solution starting today.