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Please click on an area from the list below to
view more information about each type of
service provided by PSSA.
Counseling and
Psychiatric Services
Business
Services
Personal/Family Health
Services
Parent Coordination in Divorce
Forensic
Services
Children’s
Services
Stepping
Stones
Geriatric
Services
Women’s
Issues
Adult Services
Sex Therapy
Clinical
Hypnosis
Family
TIES
COUNSELING AND PSYCHIATRIC
SERVICES
PSSA offers a wide variety of approaches to
dealing with the full range of adjustment
problems, from traditional counseling to the
latest in pharmacological medical treatment.
Individual therapy, couples counseling, group
therapy and family therapy are all available,
depending upon the nature of the presenting
problem and personal preferences. All are
provided with the utmost attention to
maintaining confidentiality and respect for the
individual(s) seeking help.
When medication is determined to be the
treatment of choice, one of our psychiatrists
will complete a thorough medical history and
closely supervise ongoing treatment.
As medical research has repeatedly demonstrated
that the combined effects of medication with
psychotherapy is far superior to medication
alone, a referral for adjunctive counseling is
often recommended as well.
Clinical Hypnosis, Biofeedback, EMDR and Sex
Therapy are available for those with specific
disorders which have been found to be most
responsive to these specialized forms of
clinical treatment. Compulsive disorders,
anxiety disorders, trauma management and
erectile dysfunction are examples of the types
of problems that are best suited to these
treatment approaches.
PSSA is also a provider of services to those
who have experienced sexual trauma. We are one
of the original contract providers for the
State of Florida, offering individual, group
and family support services for cases of incest
within our catchment area since 1986. In
addition, we offer treatment for both juvenile
and adult sex offenders.
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BUSINESS SERVICES
The greatest challenges in business today
revolve around basic employee issues –
selection, retention, productivity and
satisfaction. For the past 20 years, PSSA has
brought on-site training and consultation
services to local and regional agencies and
corporations, focusing on the “people
part” of business.
Our services include:
Staff screening and selection
Human relations training
Team Building
Management training / consultation
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
We can provide training and consultation
services at your worksite or at a remote
location where staff members are insulated from
the distractions of daily business demands.
These can range from a three-hour presentation
to a three-day retreat, depending on budgetary
considerations and the needs of the
organization.
Several members of our staff have received
training in business consultation at National
Training Laboratories and have provided
organizational development programs to local,
state and national agencies. Our clients
include law firms, non-profit organizations,
civic groups and numerous corporate agencies.
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Personal/Family Health
Services
Individual Counseling / Psychotherapy
Couples – Marriage Counseling
Family Therapy
Medication Management
Clinical Hypnosis
Anger Management Group Treatment
Intellectual/Personality Assessment
Support Groups for Chemical Dependency
Sexual Dysfunction
Adoption Readiness Assessment
Parenting Consultation
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FORENSIC SERVICES
Psychological services that relate to court
proceeding are known as forensic services.
Members of our staff have been recognized as
experts in this specialty area statewide for
over 25 years. As such, we have been called
upon to provide training at the Florida Judges
College, The Guardian Ad Litem Program,
Department of Children’s Services and
State as well as Federal Probation Offices.
CIVIL COURT
Child Custody/Visitation
Evaluations
Forensic experts are frequently hired to
consult in cases of divorce when there is a
dispute over primary custody of the child(ren)
or questions about the advisability of
increasing or decreasing visitation with the
non-custodial parent.
Similarly, we may be called upon to provide a
Parenting Assessment when the state is
considering Termination of Parental Rights
following allegations of neglect or abuse.
Competency Assessments
At times when an individual’s ability to
make rational decisions regarding his/her
personal affairs is questioned, a competency
assessment may be ordered by the court. While
geriatric cases are the most common, others may
include individuals with brain injury or other
serious medical conditions which have affected
their cognitive abilities, including alcoholism
and drug addiction.
Anyone can petition the court to have an
individual evaluated. All that is required is
an affidavit that specifies the person’s
problematic behaviors and a supporting witness
who shares the belief that the individual may
be incompetent.
Mental or Emotional Damages
In cases in which a person claims mental or
emotional damages due to injury by another
party, he or she may seek an assessment from a
mental health professional to document the
extent of injury, the prognosis and anticipated
need for future treatment. Workers compensation
claims and accident injuries are the most
common of these types of assessments.
Civil Commitment
In Florida, it is possible to have someone
civilly committed to a hospital or treatment
center if they are determined to: 1) Suffer
from some form of mental illness (or drug
addiction) and 2) Be considered to be dangerous
to self or others. Florida statutes outlining
these procedures are known as the Baker Act and
the Myers Act.
While state or county doctors are responsible
for conducting the initial assessments, an
individual has the right to request an
independent assessment by his/her own expert.
CRIMINAL COURT
Competency and Sanity Assessments
In the criminal courts, forensic experts are
most commonly called upon to render an opinion
as to an individual’s competency to stand
trial and/or his or her sanity at the time of
arrest. The expert may be appointed by the
court or hired independently and confidentially
by the defense attorney prior to offering an
insanity plea.
The mere fact that a person suffers from some
form of psychiatric illness is not sufficient
to meet the burden of proof that he or she was
“insane” at the time that a crime
was committed. Insanity is a legal term that
refers to an individual’s ability to form
criminal intent. To meet that standard, it must
be determined that due to the person’s
abnormal mental condition, he or she was unable
to think rationally or to understand the
wrongfulness of his/her actions.
Mitigation of Sentence
In some criminal cases, where guilt has been
established, it may be useful to the defense to
hire an expert to offer an opinion as to why
the court should consider a lesser sentence.
This type of consultation is most common in
murder trials or when the defendant is facing
many years of possible confinement and has a
rationale as to why he or she deserves special
consideration in sentencing. A history of
spousal abuse is an example.
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CHILDREN’S SERVICES
“Our future will one day be in
the hands of our children…”
Evaluation/Diagnosis
• Gifted Testing
• ADD/ADHD Assessment
• Learning Disability Evaluations
• Emotional and Behavioral Problems
• Substance Abuse
• Social Maladjustment
Treatment Services
• Individual and Group Counseling
• Family Counseling
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• On-Site Urine Screening
• Juvenile Sexual Problems
• Trauma Victim Services
• Corrective Training Programs
• Anger Management
• Behavior Control
Self-Improvement Programs
• Confidence Building
• Leadership Training
• Building Self-Esteem
• Mind/Body Work for Teens
• Career Assessment and Life
Planning
• Children’s Divorce Adjustment
Group
• College Preparation & Search
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GERIATRIC SERVICES
Older adults must face many of the stressors
common to younger adults. In addition, they
frequently must learn to cope with special
problems associated with aging, such as failing
health, chronic pain, loss of friends and
family, loss of self-esteem previously derived
from work or other activities, etc. Considering
the myriad problems facing older adults, it is
easy to see how they may be especially
vulnerable to mental and emotional problems.
Failing health, loss of friends and family,
chronic pain and diminished self-esteem
increasingly challenge each of us as we grow
older…
- Assessment/Diagnosis/Treatment
- Organic Disorders
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Adjustment Disorders
- Addictive Disorders
- Competency Evaluations,
Hospital and Nursing Home Visits
…but despite the inevitability of these
problems for those who outlive their
contemporaries, life can continue to be
satisfying and invigorating.
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WOMEN’S ISSUES
Today many women are faced with
overwhelming demands from family, work,
community and their own expectations. When
health, relationships or emotional well-being
is involved, it may be time to seek help from a
counselor. The counseling relationship is one
that can provide support, insight and skills
that lead to a more balanced and fulfilling
life.
• Post-partum Depression
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Step-Family
• Parenting
• Career Issues
• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Sexual Issues
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Infertility
• Adoption
• Miscarriage
• Pregnancy
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Hypertension
• Eating Disorders
• Self-Esteem
• Elderly Parents
• Life Transitions
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ADULT SERVICES
Clinical Programs
Personal, interpersonal, family and
job-related problems can sometimes render an
otherwise well-adjusted person completely off
balance emotionally. They can rob you of your
peace of mind, awaken you in the middle of the
night and literally wreck your health. Yet,
with professional help, most self-defeating
attitudes and negative behavior patterns can be
overcome in a reasonably short period of time.
Individual/Group Counseling
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Social Isolation
• Poor Self-Esteem
• Substance Abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Grief Work
• Stress Reactions
• Career Issues
• Job Stress
Couples/Marital Counseling
• Communication Skills Training
• Conflict Resolution
• Nurturing Intimacy
• Creative Problem Solving
• Sharing a Dream for the Future
• Maintaining the Marital Bond
Family Therapy Services
• Parenting Skills Training
• Parent/Child Communication
• Creating a Healthy Home
Atmosphere
• Individuation Issues
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SEX THERAPY
Some of the more frequently encountered
problems in sexual intimacy
include lack of sexual desire, sexual arousal
problems, male erectile disorders, female
orgasmic disorder, and male delayed or premature ejaculation.
Today, Sex Therapists are looking at a fairly
quick relief of the client’s
sexual symptom; however they are also
concerned with broader objectives that include
a couple’s communication and general
relationship issues. In all situations Patricia
Lewis-Slayton is an empathetic professional
experienced in guiding individuals and couples
through the difficulties often due in part to
the anxieties of daily life, and helping them
find their way to a natural stress-free way of
achieving the ultimate pleasure of a more
satisfying and exciting sex life.
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HYPNOSIS AND HEALTH
Clinical hypnosis makes use of naturally
occurring states to improve health. The human
mind can operate on more than one level at the
same time. For example, your conscious thoughts
can be busy planning your day while your
subconscious mind is keeping you safe while
driving to work. In this example you may
suddenly realize that you’ve driven five
miles without consciously attending to driving,
and yet you have performed a very complex task
safely and effectively.
Most of the time our subconscious mind helps
us, as in the driving example above, but there
are times when our subconscious can interfere
without higher goals. For instance, we may make
a decision to quit smoking, to improve our
eating habits, or to improve our work or sports
performance only to find that subconscious
emotions sabotage our good intentions.
A trained clinical Hypnotherapist can help you
enter into a state of mind in which you can
communicate directly with your subconscious
emotions. In this state, even well-established
patterns of behavior can be open to change.
Hypnosis used in this way is safe, since the
focus is on your personal goals. The
Hypnotherapist is guided by your intentions and
your values to help you live in a way that is
more true to yourself.
Hypnosis is sometimes used as part of
psychotherapy for phobias, trauma, recovery,
depression and other emotional problems. Many
insurance plans will help with payment for this
type of therapy. Hypnosis is also used, usually
for one to three sessions, for habit change
such as stopping smoking or losing weight. Very
few insurance plans cover this treatment, but
the health and financial benefits usually repay
the personal investment very quickly.
Call Psychological Services for more
information or to schedule an appointment with
a licensed mental health professional that is
certified in clinical hypnotherapy.
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Psychological Services of St. Augustine,
Inc.
1100-1 South Ponce de Leon Boulevard, St.
Augustine, Florida 32084
Phone (904) 824-7733 Fax (904) 829-9768
pssa@pssacare.com
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