Counseling Services
At Advanced Counseling and Testing solutions (ACTS), we offer individual counseling and family, marital counseling services and group therapy. Our seasoned clinicians are here to help, as our strong desire to help others shines through in how we treat our clients. We provide services that have been proven to be effective. We make it our mission to help you in every way possible, especially through our sound therapeutic techniques and developing relationships with those we serve within the Lancaster, PA, and Reading, PA communities.
Our clinicians utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the "Gold Standard" treatment that is research-proven to be effective in treating numerous disorders, including but not limited to: Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Mood Disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD).
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is directive and collaborative and aims to immediately improve functioning and, over the course of treatment, eliminate suffering. Ultimately, the goal is for the client/patient to effectively learn the principles and strategies of CBT while working with our clinicians so that they may employ newly learned strategies throughout their lives. CBT focuses on changing underlying thinking that drives our emotional state and, ultimately, our behavior. Combined with behavior modification techniques, CBT culminates in positive changes and improvements for clients/patients.
We treat various disorders, as our clinicians each gave unique areas of practice and specialization. If you have a problem or challenge, our doctors and therapists can create solutions to your problems. We can help you!
Psychological Testing
At Advanced Counseling and Testing Solutions, we conduct Psychological Testing and Evaluations for many reasons, ranging from an individual needing an exact diagnosis to a court-ordered evaluation. There are many reasons why an evaluation and/or direct psychological testing is necessary or requested. As you know, Testing Solutions is in our name and we aim to do just that. We are here to provide you with an expert evaluation that will give you a precise diagnosis and elucidate your strengths and weaknesses. We will provide you or your referral source with recommendations that matter. We have skilled clinics that are experienced and capable of any and all questions you may have. Our services are delivered promptly, meeting specified time frames.
If you need an evaluation, we are your best choice in Lancaster, PA; we also have clients that drive great distances to be tested by our Evaluators. Come to see why we are one of the fastest growing practices in Lancaster, PA, and Wyomissing, PA!
If you or a family member is interested in or referred for psychological testing, you probably have questions about what to expect. Or you may have heard about psychological testing and wonder if you or a family member should be tested. Psychological testing may sound intimidating, but it's designed to help you.
In many ways, psychological testing and assessment are similar to medical tests. If a patient has physical symptoms, a primary care provider may order X-rays or blood tests to understand what's causing those symptoms. The results of the tests will help inform and develop a treatment plan.
Psychological evaluations serve the same purpose. Psychologists use tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe a client's behavior to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment.
Psychologists administer tests and assessments for a wide variety of reasons. For example, children experiencing difficulty in school may undergo aptitude testing or tests for learning disabilities. Tests for skills such as dexterity, reaction time, and memory skills can help a neuropsychologist diagnose conditions such as brain injuries or dementia.
If a person is having problems at work or school or in personal relationships, tests can help a psychologist understand whether he or she might have issues with anger management or interpersonal skills or certain personality traits that contribute to the problem. Other tests evaluate whether clients are experiencing emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback or Neurotherapy, uses the brain’s capacity for change to reshape brain networks. It is a way to train the brain to function better directly. Neurofeedback is a research-supported treatment to sharpen attention, relieve anxiety, enhance mood, and improve learning and behavior without medication. ACTS has one of the only state-of-the-art wireless Neurofeedback headsets in both Lancaster, PA, and Reading, PA.
What is Neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback is direct training of brain function, by which the brain learns to function more efficiently. We observe the brain in action from moment to moment. We show that information back to the person. And we reward the brain for changing its own activity to more appropriate patterns. This is a gradual learning process. It applies to any aspect of brain function that we can measure. Neurofeedback is also called EEG Biofeedback because it is based on electrical brain activity, the electroencephalogram, or EEG. Neurofeedback is training in self-regulation. It is simply biofeedback applied to the brain directly. Self-regulation is a necessary part of good brain function. Self-regulation training allows the system (the central nervous system) to function better.
Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain dysregulation. These happen to be numerous. They include the anxiety-depression spectrum, attention deficits, behavior disorders, sleep disorders, headaches and migraines, PMS, and emotional disturbances. It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy.
Although the technology is complex, the process is simple, painless, and non-invasive. It is just learning. You learn to alter your brain activity the way you learn every other skill. You learn through feedback and practice. What is new in Neurofeedback is that you are guided by a form of feedback previously unavailable to you. With Neurofeedback, you get instantaneous information or feedback about changes in your brain’s electrical activity. Every half second, your brain activity is compared to your target or goal for change. You get a signal and “reward” when you meet the goal. No signal or reward when you do not.