Alyssa Mandel, LCSW, founder and Director of The Mandel Center of Arizona, has created an environment to promote psychotherapeutic healing to people in need. Ms. Mandel's philosophy centers on empowering clients through the therapeutic relationship.
I am devoted to treating the legacy of trauma which is experienced in symptoms such as depression, anxiety, foggy thinking, difficulty managing stress, feeling stuck, impulsivity, relational problems, addictions, sleep disorders & chronic pain/illness; I also work with cancer patients and families.
Signs of Communication Issues:
- Attempts to communicate often end in arguments and disagreements
- Criticizing and blaming each other
- Feeling like you are often defending yourself
- Having conversations about the same topics without seeing change
- Challenges communicating about responsibilities, expectations, and needs
- Making fewer attempts to connect with each other
Most of my work is with people who have difficulty in relationships, either feeling too emotionally isolated or too merged. My strength lies in helping people find a place where they can be in intimate relationships and not lose themselves. Loving is difficult - and feeling loved, is even harder.
Licensed Professional Counselor, DBH, MBA, LPC, NCC
We first identify the goals and frame of mind of both parties in the relationship to determine if they are both seeking the same outcome. This is to ensure we are working together rather than against each other. Once we determine where the couple is at we then work on identifying the areas where their relationship needs support and redirects the couple to focus on themselves to be a better partner as it is understood the decomposition of a relationship is not a solo experience.
Helping couples with and without children to navigate relational life is a passion and an honor. If you are feeling misunderstood, frustrated or at odds with your partner, please reach out for support. While they say it takes two to tango, even one can definitely change the dance. I help partners to navigate differences respectfully in order to move conflicts forward more productively and experience greater connectedness and satisfaction.
Relationships are special and take considerable work. It doesn't matter if you are seeking a therapist to help you early in your relationship before "stuff happens" or are trying to back up and address longer standing patterns, I can help you be a strong "Us". When working with relationships we are going to talk about ways to make you a team and help you improve the ways you talk with each other to increase your understanding. The Gottman's talk about "Masters" and "Disasters" - I can help you be the former.
Relationship and marriage counseling offers the opportunity to establish or further establish skills for effective, open communication, mutually satisfying sexual intimacy and enjoyable time for companionship within your relationship. Clinicians will help to increase awareness of your own role in relationship success. Through education, cognitive-behavioral techniques and strategies, and examining interactional patterns, couples will gain further intimacy, resolve reoccurring conflict and sustain a healthier relationship.