WHEN SHOULD I CONSULT WITH A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL?
Cornerstone Psychological Services is a professional mental health group dedicated to providing quality psychological services tailored to the individual’s needs. Core clinical services include individual, family and group psychotherapy for a wide range of psychological problems. Often families are referred by their physicians. Problems such as depression or attention deficit are best treated by a combination of medical intervention and cognitive behavioral intervention. Often individuals suffering from chronic illness or chronic pain benefit from multi-disciplinary treatment which includes a psychologist. If someone in your family is experiencing one of the following, talk with your physician about a referral.
ADULTS
• Chronic fatigue and irritability without medical cause
• Overwhelming feelings of sadness or anger
• Inability to concentrate at work
• Disruption in sleeping or eating patterns
• Avoidance of certain activities due to anxiety
• Repetitive worries or intrusive thoughts
• Difficulty maintaining intimacy in relationships
CHILDREN
• Poor school performance or school refusal
• Troubled peer relationships
• Withdrawal from family relationships
• Anxious or avoidant behavior
• Inability to control sad or angry moods
• Development that seems much slower or very different from age mates
• Discipline problems that do not seem to respond to parent guidance
HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?
Cornerstone has four convenient offices. Locations are: Wadsworth – Fairview Park – Medina – Barberton. Office hours are by appointment, evening and weekend hours are available. For a confidential discussion of possible services, call the Cornerstone office closest to you. Our receptionist will take basic information and a qualified mental health professional will call you back to discuss your needs.
WILL I BE ABLE TO AFFORD CARE?
There are many ways to pay for the mental health treatment you receive. You may pay out of your own pocket. If you do, you will be free to select the provider that best matches your needs. With your therapist, you may make treatment decisions in a safe and confidential environment and you will have no interruptions in care. Because there are no billing costs to us, we are able to offer you a discount.
If you choose to access your insurance benefits, our support staff will help you determine which services will be covered and whether preauthorization is needed. Most health insurance policies provide mental health benefits. Because of Cornerstone Psychological Services Highly qualified staff, most insurance plans include one or more of our clinicians on their panel. In the event that you choose a therapist who is not on your panel, most companies allow for out of network benefits at a reduced rate of coverage.
The bottom line is quality care for you family. Our support staff will be happy to contact your insurance company for you and assist you in choosing the best payment option.
ADOLESCENTS
In addition, Cornerstone has highly specialized services for children and adolescents. Our staff is well known in northeast Ohio for specialized training in pediatric psychology and in helping children recover from trauma. Staff members have expertise in assessing attention deficit and underachievement. Cornerstone is one of the few mental health centers that offer services for the very young child who may be experiencing developmental or behavioral problems.
HOW CAN A CHILD OR ADOLESCENT HAVE PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE A PSYCHOLOGIST?
Often, we look back on childhood and adolescence as a happy time without the responsibilities of work and family. Childhood can be a happy time, but children as well as adults can develop mental health problems. Symptoms of anxiety and depression in children differ from those found in adults. In children, these problems may present themselves as misbehavior, withdrawal from the family, isolation from peers or school failure. What may seem like misbehavior or laziness may be related to an underlying biological or stress-related problem. One source of information is your child’s teacher or school counselor. Because school personnel see many children and adolescents, they are in a good position to help you distinguish between a normal developmental problem and something more serious. In some cases, schools will be able to offer diagnostic and intervention services. In other cases, teachers or school counselors might suggest an outside assessment.
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN MY CHILD?
If your child is experiencing one of the following symptoms, you may wish to talk with the school counselor or another mental health professional:
• Inability to concentrate at school
• Inability to control sad or angry moods
• Chronic fatigue or irritability without medical cause
• Avoiding certain activities because of anxiety
• School refusal
• Withdrawal from family activities
• Poor social skills
• Low self-esteem
• Chronic worries or intrusive thoughts
• Development that seems much slower or very different from age-mates
• Discipline problems that do not seem to respond to parent guidance
DOES A REFERRAL FOR COUNSELING MEAN I HAVE FAILED AS A PARENT?
As parents, we believe we can protect our children from everything, solve everything and make things right for our children. When things go wrong for our children, we blame ourselves. Sometimes, out of frustration, we respond to them with anger. A skilled child clinician knows that counseling is a way of increasing a family’s tools for addressing a child’s problems. It will never be a substitute for your good parenting. A child specialist can help you analyze a problem in a way that goes beyond “common sense” approaches to discipline, mood swings, underachievement, etc. The counselor is a specialist in the diagnosis of mental health problems and in teaching techniques that help children. You will always be the specialist in understanding your own child.