Confidential Outpatient Counseling
Life can be complicated and when difficulties and problems affect your ability to manage from day to day, professional counseling can make a difference. At Life Guidance Services we offer confidential care for individuals and families who are struggling with personal and family problems. We offer a wide range of areas concerns including depression and anxiety, aging, substance abuse, parenting issues, divorce, relationship problems, blended families, parent-child communication, difficulties related to physical, sexual or emotional abuse, personal identity and life stage issues, sexual identity and alternative lifestyles. Our clinicians are highly skilled, experienced professionals holding advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, counseling and social work and have an average of 27 years of counseling experience. At Life Guidance, you can expect:
- Treatment therapies with proven results
- Treatment with respect, dignity and concern
- Providing competent, compassionate therapeutic services
- Assistance in tackling problems with a better sense of vision, inspiration and strength
- A personalized and person-centered approach
Group Therapy Counseling
Many clients benefit from counseling among peers who provide mutual support. Our group therapy programs are led by qualified clinicians with special expertise suited for that group.
Coping with Depression Group - We discuss depression as a treatable disease that is treated by therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Topics include the kinds of depression; depression’s relationship to sleep and eating; depression’s relationship to the use/abuse of alcohol and other drugs; depression’s relationship to anxiety; triggers to relapsing into depression. Group members are expected to complete, and present to the group, a written Personal Plan of Recovery indicating what they will do to recover from depression. Led by Martin Rini Mondays from 4:30 to 5:30pm.
Coping with Anxiety and Depression Group - We discuss what anxiety and depression are and how they are related to each other; discusses types of depression and types of anxiety disorders; discusses treatment of anxiety through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes; Group members are expected to complete, and present to the group, a written Personal Plan of Recovery indicating what they will do to recover from anxiety/depression. Led by Martin Rini Tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:00am.
Substance Use Disorder Group - Discusses alcohol use/abuse/and addiction. Group members may have never been in treatment before now and may now be experiencing first arrests for alcohol/drug related offenses. Discusses differences between use, abuse, and addiction; Urges members to make a decision about the nature of their alcohol/drug usage; discusses the relationship of drugs to physical and mental and emotional health and relationships; discusses abstinence versus harm reduction; discusses relapsing and triggers to relapsing. Group members are expected to complete, and present to the group, a written Personal Plan of Recovery indicating what they will do to recover from their use/abuse/or addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Led by Martin Rini Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
Early Recovery/Relapse Prevention Group - We discuss the major work of early recovery, viz., avoiding relapses. Group members address relapses past and present and emphasis is placed on learning from them so that destructive patterns do not continue. Group members are expected to complete and present to the group, a written Personal Plan of Recovery indicating what they will do to promote their recovery and to avoid future relapses. Led by Martin Rini Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30pm.
Coping with Bipolar Disorder - We discuss what Bipolar Disorder is, how it shows up in people’s lives, and treatment through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. The group participants select a topic for each session that often comes from their experiences during the previous week in terms of their bipolar disorder. The participants then generate a list of helpful and not helpful items with regard to coping with the topic they selected. Finally, each participant challenges himself or herself to implement one or more of the listed items in terms of stopping behaviors that are not helpful or developing helpful behaviors. The first part of every session is dedicated to participants reporting on how they did with implementing their challenges, recognizing that we often learn as much from our lack of success as from our successes. Led by James Wood Mondays from 11:30 to 12:30pm.
Coping with Anxiety - The group participants discuss what anxiety and panic attacks are, how they show up in people’s lives, what triggers them, some techniques for reducing their impact, and treatment through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. The group participants select a topic for each session that often comes from their experiences during the previous week in terms of their Anxiety disorder. The participants then generate a list of helpful and not helpful items with regard to coping with the topic they selected. Finally, each participant challenges himself or herself to implement one or more of the listed items in terms of stopping behaviors that are not helpful or developing helpful behaviors. The first part of every session is dedicated to participants reporting on how they did with implementing their challenges, recognizing that we often learn as much from our lack of success as from our successes. Led by James Wood Tuesdays from 11:00am to 12:00pm.
Coping with Depression - Group participants discuss Depression is, how it shows up in peoples lives, and treatment through therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. The group participants select a topic for the session that often comes from their experiences during the previous week in terms of their Depression. The participants then generate a list of helpful and not helpful items with regard to coping with the topic they selected. Finally, each participant challenges himself or herself to implement one or more of the listed items in terms of stopping behaviors that are not helpful or developing helpful behaviors. The first part of every session is dedicated to participants reporting on how they did with implementing their challenges, recognizing that we often learn as much from our lack of success as from our successes. Led by James Wood Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:30pm.
Intensive Outpatient Program - The group format includes therapy as well as a psycho-education approach. People become hopeful in themselves and their individual recovery plans for both addiction problems and mental health issues. They support and validate each other while increasing their self-esteem, learn how their individual problems have affected others and how to resolve those problems from the past to the present time. Led by Connie Simmons. Meets Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00pm for approximately 20 sessions.
Readiness to Change Group - A therapy group to help participants recognize, address and begin to change behaviors that keep them from reaching their goals. Led by Jeanne Stark Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00pm.
Coping with Trauma - The group discusses a selected topic each week and focuses on building skills to increase personal and emotional safety, to overcome the after effects of trauma experiences and to learn to live more successfully in spite of the trauma. The issues of trauma and substance abuse are addressed as well. The group members do not discuss their personal trauma stories. Led by Dennis Potter Mondays from 4:00 to 5:00pm.
Rebuilding When Your Relationship Ends - For more information and the next meeting date please call Nancy Creighton, LPC, LMFT at (616) 954-1992 x113.
Recovering from Divorce - An ongoing support group for individuals who are divorced/or divorcing. The group is designed to help individuals adjust to the loss of the love relationship, understand the process of rebuilding your life, modify unhealthy adaptive behaviors, adjust to your new life as a single person, and gain support from others who are divorced or divorcing. Group meets twice monthly on Saturday mornings for 1 hour. Cost is $10 per session.
Professional Supervision Group for Newly Licensed Professional Counselors & Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LLPC's/LLMFT's) - This supervision group was created to address the supervision & licensing needs of newly licensed mental health professionals. Supervision is provided for new professionals who need to meet supervision requirements for full licensure as an LPC or as an LMFT. Supervision will involve: case consultations, review/updates of licensure requirements, educational presentations, and quarterly audio/video tapes of supervisee's work with clients. Two groups are offered either the first or third Friday of the month. Supervisees will be assigned to one group. Cost of the group is $100 per month. Group is held from 8AM - Noon, for a total of four hours supervision per month. or more information and questions please contact Nancy Creighton, LPC, LMFT, at (616) 954-1992 x113 or ncreighton@lifeguidanceservices.org.
Women’s SANON - A self-help program of recovery for those who have been affected by someone else's sexual behavior. Meets Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm.
Payment for Services
We accept payment from Priority Health, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Choice, Blue Care Network, PPOM, Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Network of West Michigan and many others and offer a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay. Please download our brochure or contact us for more information.
Community Counseling and Personal Growth Ministry’s mission continues at Life Guidance Services
Proaction Behavioral Health Alliance acquired Community Counseling and Personal Growth Ministry in 2006 and moved these services to our Life Guidance Services division. Life Guidance Services remains committed to this very important mission. This work is truly making a difference in the life those who have benefited from the spiritually sensitive counseling that exemplifies the Community Counseling and Personal Growth Ministry’s mission. Our clinicians continue to facilitate the healing and growth of people through counseling, education, training, and consultation. We highly value a warm, confidential setting in which strong feelings can be expressed, spiritual issues explored, and life troubling problems resolved. We provide these services in a spirituality sensitive, clinically competent, affordable way to children, adolescents, and adults.