Discover your inner strength and resilience
Compassionate professional psychotherapy for personal growth.
(561) 866-9522
Meena rao, lcsw
Individual and Family Therapist Certified in EMDR
Welcome to my practice! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of
experience in providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents and adults. Twenty years
ago I opened my private practice in Boca Raton, Florida after operating for 12 years prior in
Connecticut.
I have a BA from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and an MSW from Washington University
in St. Louis, Missouri. I am certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
(EMDR), a highly effective clinical approach to the treatment of trauma-related mental health
problems.
I enjoy interacting with people of diverse backgrounds and have many years of experience in
working with varying nationalities, ethnicities, ages and sexual orientations. I strongly believe
that when people are understood in their own unique context, therapy can be customized to
their specific needs, leading to more positive outcomes.
INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY therapy
We are the product of our genetic and cultural heritage and of our life experiences. These are the forces that shape our identity and sense of self-worth. Sometimes, setbacks like traumatic events or chronic stress can undermine our confidence, optimism and ability to cope. This may lead to depression, anxiety or other distressing symptoms.
When this happens, an experienced and compassionate professional can help us rediscover our strengths, set new goals and learn more effective coping skills. Overcoming life’s challenges can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and a closer connection with those we love.
Individual therapy is most effective for people of all ages who are motivated to improve their self-awareness and learn more effective strategies to accomplish their personal goals. Family therapy can help in understanding the context of behavioral and emotional challenges. Including a partner, spouse or children in therapy sessions is often very helpful in fostering mutual understanding and support. It also allows us to focus directly on improving specific relationships that may have become overly stressed or fractured.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful approach that has helped an estimated two million people of all ages relieve many types of psychological distress. It is based on the understanding that when a person is very upset, their brain cannot process information as it ordinarily does. One moment becomes “frozen in time” and remembering a trauma may feel as bad as going through it the first time because the images, sounds, smells and feelings haven’t changed. The traumatized brain has not been able to process the incident. Consequently, such memories have a lasting negative effect that interferes with the way a person sees the world and the way they relate to other people.
EMDR is a physiologically based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way. During EMDR the therapist works with the client to identify specific problems they want to work on and any distressing memories associated with them. Following an established protocol, the client calls to mind each memory while the therapist facilitates the directional movement of the eyes or other dual attention stimulation of the brain. This allows the brain to process the memory in a new and productive way so that by the end of the session, most people report a great reduction in the level of disturbance and a new understanding of the incident or problem being worked on.
EMDR was developed more than 25 years ago by psychologist Francine Shapiro and since that time many controlled studies have consistently found that it effectively decreases/eliminates the symptoms of post-traumatic stress for the majority of clients. Clinicians have also found EMDR to be effective for other mental health problems such as panic attacks, complicated grief, phobias, eating disorders, performance anxiety, chronic stress, addictions pain disorders and sexual and/or physical abuse. Many professional health and mental health organizations recognize EMDR as an effective treatment for PTSD, anxiety and depression, including the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization.
Note: The above is based on information published by the EMDR International Association. To learn more about EMDR please visit www.emdria.org
FORMS
To download the forms below:
Click on the desired link which will take you to a Google Docs page. Click File > Download > Select the format.