The benefits of a therapy dog

Meet Rocky.
Breed: Westie
Age: 2

He is a lover of staying warm (space heater is his new best friend), keeping an eye on the neighborhood, and enjoying de-stuffing plush toys. Besides living the great life of being a dog, he was destined to do more.

After reading story after story about healing, comfort, and joy brought to so many people's lives through therapy dogs and seeing that our profession is therapy, I wondered whether or not Rocky had it in him to follow suit. Like parents, like pup.

Become a Prepare-Enrich Facilitator

Help couples strengthen their relationship.

Are you a mental health clinician, clergy, or a mentor? This training is for you!

If you are interested in becoming a Prepare-Enrich Facilitator, I will be leading a 1-day training in Charlotte, NC, on Saturday, February 22, 2014 from 10am-4pm. 7 CEUs are available.

Cost is $175. Student rates available. Please email me at drdrew@dbpsychotherapy.com for more information.

Click here to register. Registration deadline is February 12, 2014; no late registrants accepted.  Space is limited.

See you at the training,

Meet Ellen Wilson, MA, LMFTA

Meet Ellen:

Hello, I'm Ellen. I have been enjoying my work with the group at Drew|Bitar, PLLC for the past several months and continue looking forward to what 2014 has to offer. 

I am a provisionally licensed marriage and family therapist in North Carolina. I have a particular interest in couple’s therapy, focusing on the family-of-origin and attachment styles of each individual. I graduated from Davidson College in 2007 and from Pfeiffer University's rigorous three-year marriage and family therapy graduate program in 2013. My intensive training included marital and family therapy, individual counseling, crisis counseling, and therapy with children and adolescents. I have worked as a therapist at the Pfeiffer Institute for Marriage and Family Therapy and at the Ronald McDonald House, both located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before earning my graduate degree, I worked for five years at Thompson Child and Family Focus, a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for children and adolescents.

I view therapy as a collaborative process, and strive to provide a warm, comfortable, and non-judgmental therapeutic environment. I do not strictly adhere to one therapeutic framework, but instead consider myself an eclectic therapist. I use cognitive-behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and solution-focused family therapy techniques, among others. I am a believer in an attachment-based view of relationships, and believe that insight into our pasts, including our families-of-origin, can help us heal unhealthy patterns that exist in our lives today.

Please contact me at ellen@dbpsychotherapy.com or 704.351.8654 to schedule an appointment. 

-Ellen Wilson, MA, LMFTA

Unplugged Challenge: Put down your mobile device

Lemon Cheesecake
with Raspberries

Recently I stumbled upon an article in the New York Times on the idea that culturally we're disengaged from being in the moment. I originally thought it was going to be an article on how cool it is to document your life. Although it didn't take that spin on things it was inspiring enough to bring attention to how to create space in your life to stay connected to those around you in real time, in the real moment, face-to-face...like our grandparents and parents did.

On New Year's Eve, my husband (Dr. Bitar) and I (remember, we're married) went to dinner and spent a lovely 2 full hours talking, eating, and only picked up our phones to take a photo to, well, document the evening. Just look at that dessert. Could you blame us?

Reflecting on that evening, we concluded that being in the moment together was a lost art and a lost joy. Conversation was engrossing, especially when there was no "ding" sounding from our phones to distract or interrupt us. I loved it! Being unplugged was awesome.

We are growing!

Meet the team

It has been a dream of ours to own a private practice. Since opening nearly 4 years ago, we've had the priviledge of working with individuals, couples, and families in Charlotte and surrounding areas. Recently we've invited talented clinicians to join us: Dr. Patrick Meadors, Brittney Clark, and Ellen Wilson. 

Left to Right: Dr. Patrick Meadors, Breta Collins (joining Spring 2014), Brittney Clark, me, Dr. Bitar, Ellen Wilson

We have had the honor of working with Dr. Meadors, Brittney, and Ellen due to our connections with the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Pfeiffer University. Through our work over the years, it was a natural next step for us to invite our colleagues to join in this adventure. 

We are very excited to offer even more options! 

• Increasing appointment availability. Now open on Saturdays.
• Adding a sliding fee scale: $55-$85 per 50-minute session.

In the next couple of days we'll add blog entries highlighting
each one of our newest members as a way for you to get to know them better.

Thanks Queen City for all the support and love throughout the years. We look forward to continuing to serve you!

First therapy session: What to expect.

You did it. You scheduled your first therapy appointment. Now what? For many new clients, therapy may be daunting because it is an entirely new experience. Perhaps the only exposure you've had with therapy is from a tv screen. Although you've seen clips of other people, actors, in therapy, but what really happens in real life therapy?

In our practice, we believe it is important to make therapy a respectful and comfortable process. When you walk into our waiting room, you are greeted by soft lighting, background music, and a beverage station. We want our clients to make themselves comfortable. While not every therapy office may have a similar set up, there are general themes that you may experience in a therapy room near you. We've made a list of things you could expect in your first therapy session.

Develop good listening skills

Do you have what it takes to be a good listener? It isn't as easy as you think and it doesn't always come naturally. However, with a little concentration and intention, you can improve your listening skills in as little as five steps.

5 Tips to good listening skills