Family Therapy in North Dallas, Dallas, TX

I tailor my treatment approach to the individual, couple or family that I work with. Each person is different and has different needs in the therapeutic setting. By using a variety of evidence-based approaches, I aim to help each person recognize and utilize their strengths to more effectively cope and eventually be content with where they are in life. I am experienced in working with clients across many diverse backgrounds of religion, ethnicities, and diagnoses. I'm also confident in navigating through one's past to help them be comfortable in the present.

I am passionate about creating an environment where one feels comfortable and safe. My clients would describe me as patient, competent, goal driven, and honest. As a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, I'm committed to challenging you to be honest with yourself while making progress each day towards our long-term goals. It is important to me to empower my clients to be their own agents of change as well as be an anchor for themselves when presented with difficulties in life. I'm eager to work with clients of all populations, including the LGBT Community and other minorities.

Good therapy grows from trust and skilled care. I use research proven DBT skills addressing anxiety, depression and anger and also seek the underlying causes and trauma affect relationships. I work with people in transition, couples in stress or navigating divorce and co-parenting transitions, as well as, substance and alcohol abuse. I enjoy helping people who have seen a lot of life and feel stuck with questions and needs that can no longer be ignored. Prior to being a therapist, I also worked with people as a minister and then as a professor at state and private universities in the areas of history, religion and philosophy.

Current availability for ONLINE therapy. Summer is a great time to work on some goals you have to improve your life and relationships. Couples, families and teens, this is an excellent time to reset and find clarity toward more happiness and peace. I will help you look at the options you have in your life, skills to deal with your challenges and assist you to find a path that will help you to be the best version of yourself. Getting to know you authentically & tailoring therapy toward your specific needs is important to me.

Dr. Duncan has been a psychotherapist in private practice since 1981. For 15 years, he was an Instructor in Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas. For 10 years, he served as Behavioral Medicine Coordinator for the Baylor Family Practice Residency Program at Garland. He currently is an Adjunct Professor in the Counseling department at Southern Methodist University.

Have you and your partner been caught in a vicious cycle, resulting in feelings of exhaustion, insecurity, hopelessness, and resentment? Are you having a difficult time communicating, connecting, and relating to your partner? You or your partner may have engaged in an unfaithful act, overloaded with work or parental duties, or experienced complexity in the blending of two households. The attachment wounds couples experience can be taxing and leave the couple dyad emotionally withdrawn and neglected, paralyzing the growth of your relationship with your loved one(s). Can you resonate? I admire your courage, I am here to help.

People enjoy daily routines in life. Going to work, spending time with family and friends, and hobbies that they love to pursue. Sometimes, unhealthy habits intertwine with those routines, such as overuse of alcohol or other substances. These habits can interrupt daily routines and turn into an obsession. Instead of looking forward to the weekend to spend time with healthy endeavors, the weekends could be a time to escape with the unhealthy obsession which could lead to addiction over time.

My clients tend to be thoughtful, goal-oriented, and serious about life’s big questions. They seek to be more adaptive, unafraid, and want to find freedom in the face of life’s disappointments, griefs and anxieties. My hope for each client I work with is to become more fully human in the therapy process.

I enjoy working with individuals, families, and couples to uncover their limiting beliefs, discover inner strengths and create a vision of how to enhance their relationships. Ideally, clients are eager to learn how to speak their truth and are open to making changes in their lives to improve their situations. Using models of John Gottman, Sue Johnson, NLP, IFS, science-based relationship enhancement techniques, I enjoy helping clients who come to sessions willing to identify the root of their struggles, set goals and create a plan to develop skills to navigate life's ever-changing circumstances. Texas license applied for.

Have you been searching for a therapist who truly connects with your preteen or teen? You’ve tried different things, but the communication, relationships, and interactions in your family are just discouraging and frustrating. You’ve tried therapy before, and even considered more intensive treatment like inpatient or residential options for your child. You don’t know what else to do. You are not alone. It is possible for your child to launch making changes within themselves and in their relationships. Family harmony can be a reality.

Are you frustrated because you seem to be having the same unproductive conversations with your spouse, boss, or teenager? I specialize in helping couples and families achieve healthier relationships, better communication, and more effective coping skills. I also treat individual adults and adolescents struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and eating disorders. I have extensive experience in brief problem focused therapy as well as longer term, more intensive psychodynamic work. Many of my clients are high functioning, professional couples in stressful careers, who are trying to balance the demands of their profession with their individual needs and those of their family .

Imagine for a moment experiencing a better quality of life and happiness! You will discover how to overcome depression, tension, worry, and/or obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Moreover, you will experience a renewed interest in the hobbies you used to adore like playing the piano or reading your favorite author. Your sleeping pattern will no longer be disruptive. Your eating habits will become normalized so you can learn to stay in your healthy weight range. Furthermore, you will implement a healthy lifestyle like exercising and improving your brain health and managing your stress effectively. - Believe your potential is unlimited!

Feeling overwhelmed, unhappy, anxious, stressed? Frustrated, exhausted, angry with yourself, children, your spouse? Do you feel that your relationships with your family members are not what they should be? Issues that may affect your or a family member include anger, anxiety, depression, sibling or parental conflicts, a learning difference such as ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder or a past traumatic experience. I will help you to develop the understanding, skills and strategies needed to better equip yourself and your family to deal with particular circumstances or stressful transitions.

Are you ready to start living your life to its fullest potential? At UPC, you will find caring and genuine support for you and your family . Our hope is that you'll find a fresh perspective and learn more effective and efficient ways of coping with what life brings your way. Many of our clients discover renewed self-confidence, serenity, balance, and wellness. Relationships and work performance improve with this new outlook on life. You are given the tools you need to build and maintain a fulfilling life, along with a deeper sense of your life's meaning and purpose.

My clients would describe me as easy to talk to, a great listener, honest, and informed. I find great value in creating a foundation of trust and comfortability so my clients can work to meet their therapeutic goals. Counseling is most effective when the client feels accepted and believes the therapist genuinely cares about the topics discussed during session. It is a privilege to be a part of one's journey to improve, change, or maintain aspects in their life. I truly care about each of my client's health and well-being.

I help people deal with the emotional pain experienced during, and after a loss. I work side-by-side with my clients, giving them a safe place to heal and grow. What's causing you to grieve? Many people require support, and assistance in coping with life's many twists and turns. Friends and family may not always have the patience, or understanding to help. Allow me to work with you and assist you through your pain. You do not have to suffer in silence. Author of two books at www.amazon.com/author/abbygailsmith under pen name: Abby Gail Smith.

Your life is not supposed to be like this. Maybe you work late to avoid going home. Maybe you or your partner’s affair has put your relationship in crisis. Or maybe you are facing challenges at work. You care about your relationships and career, but you find yourself exhausted, angered too easily, tired of arguments that cannot be won, and devoid of patience.