Counseling Services
Advanced Counseling and Testing Solutions (ACTS) offers individual counseling, family, group therapy, and kids counseling services. Our seasoned clinicians specializing in treating children 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, Asperger's Syndrome, and Trauma.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is directive and collaborative and aims to improve functioning immediately and eliminate suffering over the course of treatment. 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 have unique areas of practice and specialization. If you have a problem or challenge, our doctors and therapists can create solutions for your children's problems. We can help!
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 or a court-ordered evaluation to ADHD evaluations and Autism Spectrum evaluations. 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 precise and effective recommendations. We have skilled clinicians that are experienced and capable of any questions you may have. Our services are delivered promptly, meeting specified time frames.
If you need an evaluation, we are your best choice, and 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 assessments 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 to 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 dexterity, reaction time, and memory skills can help a neuropsychologist diagnose conditions such as brain injuries or dementia.
If a child is having problems at school or in personal relationships, tests can help a psychologist understand whether they 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.
The underlying cause of a person's problems isn't always clear. For example, if a child is having trouble in school, do they have a reading problem such as dyslexia? An attention problem such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Difficulty with impulse control? Psychological tests and assessments allow a psychologist to understand the nature of the problem and figure out the best way to address it.
Play Therapy
Therapeutic play (including play therapy) is a well-established discipline based upon several psychological theories—research, both qualitative and quantitative, shows that it is highly effective in many cases. A safe, confidential, and caring environment is created, allowing the child to play with as few limits as possible but as many as necessary (for physical and emotional safety). It allows healing to occur on many levels, following our natural inner trend toward health. Play and creativity operate on impulses from outside our awareness - the unconscious. No medication is used.
The therapist may reflect on the child's observations of what has happened during the session if this is appropriate. Above all, the child is given “Special Time". So often in modern life, we never seem to have enough time to spend with our children - just playing, being there for them. The child is given strategies to cope with difficulties they face in life, which they cannot change. It provides a more positive view of their future life.
Sessions may typically last from 30 to 60 minutes.
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 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 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 like you learn every other skill, and 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.