Higgins Counseling & Psychological Services, Inc.

It is never too late to develop skills to create the life you want & deserve.

Take the next step towards emotional wellness & resilience.

With guided discovery, insight, hope, and motivation, you can change replace unhealthy thinking patterns and behaviors with healthy ones that can positively affect your mood, energy level, & relationships.

-- AVAILABILITY UPDATE - As of 2-21-23 I am currently full and not accepting new clients.

**AVAILABILITY UPDATE - 2-21-23 I am currently full except for a few day-time counseling telehealth spots. My next new patient psychological evaluation / assessments appointment will be in May 2023 if you are interested in being placed on a waiting list.

I look forward to helping guide and empower clients to make healthy changes in their lives. I have more than 15 years of experience providing compassionate client-centered counseling & psychological testing.

My therapeutic treatment approaches include: Mindfulness Based Therapy, Positive Psychology, Play Therapy, Compassion-focused Therapy, Attachment Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Pet-Assisted Therapy. I specialize in working with children, teens, and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders.

Psychological evaluations can be provided to determine DSM 5 diagnoses, make referrals to specialists such as ABA providers, and recommend specific interventions for treatment, including adjustments to Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and 504 accommodations for students with special needs.

If you would like to verify private medical insurance coverage prior to appointments and set up credit card profile for copayments, please go to Headway Provider portal. Most Telehealth and in-person appointments, consents, and electronic health records will be maintained using Simple Practice patient portal.

Also, please check out my book Pawsitive Affirmations from Rescued Pet Therapy Dogs on Amazon.

Office Address:

1140 Railroad Street, Paso Robles, CA, 93446 USA
(805) 237-0993 - Shared Office Fax at Paso Robles Counseling & Therapy

Pawsitive Affirmations from Rescued Therapy Dogs

GLAD technique - Gratitude, Learning, Achievement, Delight

Releasing and Welcoming - burning bowl ritual of letting go of the negative thoughts and feelings then inviting in replacement positive thoughts and feelings

Mindfulness Activities

Resource Tapping and Tapping In - Laurel Parnell EMDR

Happiness Games and Activities https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/click-here-happiness/201711/ten-plus-happiness-games-and-activities

Greater Good Magazine - Positive Psychology - calming your mind in stressful times

ADDitude Magazine about ADHD / ADD

Autism Speaks -- Autism Support and Info

https://www.autismspeaks.org/tool-kit/parents-guide-autism

PsychCentral

American Psychological Association

Association for Play Therapy

If this is an emergency, call 911 and SLO MHET Available 24/7 at 1(800) 838 -1381 for psychiatric emergency response team in SLO. Additional crisis support at: Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Call 988 - Chat online - Crisis Text Line - Text HOME to 741741 - Trans Lifeline - Call 1-877-565‑8860 - The Trevor Project - Call 1-800-246‑7743 - Text "START" to 678-678 - Chat online - Veterans Crisis Line - Call 988, then PRESS 1 - Text 838255 - Chat online - Whatsapp - Crisis Text Line

SLO County TMHA calendar of events & support group meetings Workshops and Classes | Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) (t-mha.org)

Links to CBT, DBT, and other free handouts and worksheets for supplements to therapy sessions:

CBT, DBT, ACT, & more worksheets and info - CBT Worksheets | Therapist Aid

DBT info & worksheets - Resources - Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Tools

Psychology Tools CBT, DBT, ACT, & more worksheets & info - Worksheets - Psychology Tools

CBT, DBT, ACT, & more worksheets & info - CCI - Self Help Resources for Mental Health Problems

Communication, Interpersonal Effectiveness, and Relationships Links:

The Center for Nonviolent Communication | Center for Nonviolent Communication (cnvc.org) - 5 Satir Categories for Understanding Communication Styles (sourcesofinsight.com) - The Gottman Institute https://www.gottman.com - The 5 Love Languages: How to Receive and Express Love (verywellmind.com) - Your Complete Non-Violent Communication Guide (positivepsychology.com)

YOUTUBE LINKS

Links to improve Communication and relationships - (117) CNVC org Session #1 Introduction Nonviolent Communication Training Course Marshall Rosenberg - YouTube - (117) The Gottman Institute - YouTube - (117) How Not to Be Defensive in Relationships - YouTube - (117) The School of Life - YouTube

Links to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy skills - (108) Psych Hub - YouTube - (108) getselfhelp - YouTube - (108) Self-Help Toons - YouTube (108) Therapist Aid - YouTube - (108) DBT-RU - YouTube - (108) Psychotherapy Academy - YouTube - (108) The Mental Health Toolbox - YouTube - (108) Dr. Russ Harris - Acceptance Commitment Therapy - YouTube - (108) Qualia Counselling Services - YouTube - (108) Therapy in a Nutshell - YouTube - (108) Barbara Heffernan - YouTube -(108) Dr. Tracey Marks - YouTube - (108) The Holistic Psychologist - YouTube - (117) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - YouTube - (117) The Lukin Center - YouTube - (117) PsychotherapyNet - YouTube - (117) Accept Yourself and All Your Thoughts, Feelings, and Emotions with Dr. Steven Hayes and Luke Iorio - YouTube - (117) The Zen Social Worker - YouTube

Kids and teens links to mindfulness, stress reduction, anger management, ADHD, social anxiety, and more - (115) Mindful Kids - YouTube - (115) Cosmic Kids Yoga - YouTube - (115) Self-Awareness for Kids - YouTube - (115) GoNoodle | Get Moving - YouTube - (115) Kreative Leadership - YouTube - (115) The Partnership In Education - YouTube - (115) Mylemarks - YouTube - (117) Navigating Teen Life - YouTube - (115) Mental Health Center Kids - YouTube - (115) The Mindfulness Teacher - YouTube (115) Psych2Go - YouTube - (115) AboutKidsHealth - YouTube - (117) How to ADHD - YouTube - (117) Magnus Nordmo - YouTube - (117) Flaxseeds & Fairytales - Guided Meditations - YouTube

Somatic Processing Techniques and Yoga Therapy - (115) Hannah Uiri - YouTube - (115) Yoga for Anxiety | Trauma Informed Yoga - YouTube - (115) Somatic Grounding Exercise - YouTube - (115) Somatic Full Practice #1: Body Scan - YouTube - (115) Essential Somatics - YouTube - (115) How To Do A Vagus Nerve Massage - YouTube - (115) Somatic Practice for Trauma and Stress Release - YouTube - (115) Peter Levine's Secret to Releasing Trauma from the Body - YouTube - (115) The Three Steps of Letting Go, with Tara Brach - YouTube - (115) Healing the Nervous System From Trauma: Somatic Experiencing - YouTube - (115) How to Release Emotions Trapped in Your Body 10/30 How to Process Emotions Like Trauma and Anxiety - YouTube - (115) 1 Intro to Somatics Course | Stress Tension Patterns | Lesson 1 of the Free Somatics Course - YouTube - (115) 2 Look Inward Assessment Chapter 2 of Somatics Basics Course with Eric Cooper - YouTube - (115) How Limbic System Therapy Can Help Resolve Trauma - YouTube - (115) Bessell van der Kolk: Overcome Trauma With Yoga - YouTube - (115) 6 ways to heal trauma without medication | Bessel van der Kolk | Big Think - YouTube

Emotional Freedom Technique EFT Tapping resource links - (116) The Tapping Solution - YouTube - (116) Tapping To Heal The Inner Child and Letting Go Of Shame | Tapping With Renee - YouTube - (116) The Surprising Power of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) #IATE - YouTube - (116) How to use EFT Tapping to Accelerate Healing | Jack Canfield - YouTube - (116) Feeling Triggered: EFT- Tapping with Julie Schiffman - YouTube - (116) EFT Tapping Sequence - YouTube - (116) How to Do EFT - YouTube - (116) EFT: The Basic Recipe by Founder Gary Craig - YouTube

Meditation Links (108) Guided Mindfulness Meditation on Feeling Overwhelmed - Calm Anxiety and Stress - YouTube -(108) Guided Mindfulness Meditation to Relax and be Calm - YouTube - (108) Mental and Physical Relaxation (Remastered) - YouTube - (108) A Trip to the Beach (Remastered) - YouTube (108) Tension Relaxation (Remastered) - YouTube (108) Autogenic Stress Relief (Remastered) - YouTube - (108) Steven Halpern: Guided Mindfulness Meditation - YouTube (108) Daily Meditation - YouTube - (108) Self-Healing Vol. 2 (Pt. 2) w/ Subliminal Affirmations by Steven Halpern - YouTube - (108) Doc Snipes - YouTube - (108) Depression Meditation with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes - YouTube - (108) Anxiety Meditation with Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes - YouTube (108) Fall Asleep Fast with Sleep Talk Down Guided Meditation | Sanctuary Sleep - YouTube - (108) Guided Sleep Meditation for a Positive Mindset, Sleep Talk-Down With Affirmations - YouTube - (108) Sleep- its going to be ok - Guided sleep meditation with music - YouTube - (108) 3-Minute Guided Gratitude Meditation - YouTube - (108) Morning Positive Affirmations ~ A 10 minute guided meditation - YouTube - (108) Guided Meditation - White Light for Healing Alignment & Revitalisation - YouTube - (108) White Light of Protection - Guided Meditation for Protection & Healing | Healing Light Energy - YouTube - (108) Guided Morning Meditation | GO EASY ON YOURSELF | Short Meditation to Start Your Day - YouTube - (108) Guided Sleep Meditation | DEEP HEALING: YOUR INNER SANCTUARY | Sleep Hypnosis + Affirmations - YouTube - (108) Letting Go: A Guided Meditation, The Magic Book, Spoken Word Guided Visualization, Waterfall Relax - YouTube - (108) Healing Waterfall Guided Meditation HD 1080p - YouTube - (108) GRAMMY® Nominated DEEP ALPHA (Part 1) - YouTube - (108) Study Music Alpha Waves: Relaxing Studying Music, Brain Power, Focus Concentration Music, ☯161 - YouTube - (117) Emotional Eating Meditation | Guided Meditation to Stop Stress Eating - YouTube - (117) Jon Kabat-Zinn, Guided Mindfulness Meditation, Series 1, Sitting Meditation - YouTube - (117) Tension Relaxation (Remastered) - YouTube - (117) Calming the Mind Meditation - Ocean Sunset (20 min Guided) - YouTube

Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorder Links - (117) ADDitude Magazine - YouTube - (117) How to spot autism in High Masking Autistic Women - What’s behind the mask? - YouTube - (117) Autistic Meltdowns in a Female Adult | AUTISM IN GIRLS - YouTube - (117) Could It Be Aspergers? - YouTube - (117) Sleep Disorders and Asperger's Syndrome with Dr. Ted Kremer - YouTube - (117) Improving Aspergers/Autism – ASD - YouTube - (117) Aspergers Symptoms In Adults (9 YOU NEED To Know!) - YouTube - (117) ASPERGERS MELTDOWNS: 5 Tips YOU Need! - YouTube - (117) Autism: how anxiety affects everything - Sarah Hendrickx - YouTube – (117) Sarah Hendrickx talks about Autism, sex and relationships - YouTube - (117) AUTISTIC RELATIONSHIPS: 10 Tips for Neurotypical Partners in Neurodiverse Relationships 🤟❤️‍🔥 - YouTube - (117) Tips For Romantic Relationships With Autistic Partners| Purple Ella - YouTube - (117) How to Know if Someone With Autism Loves You - YouTube - (117) Understanding Autistic Mental Health - YouTube - (117) Neurodivergent Magic - YouTube

More Autism Related Web Sites - https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html

Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders | CDC Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is working to find out how many children have ASDs, discover the risk factors, and raise awareness of the signs. www.cdc.gov

https://www.additudemag.com/autism-spectrum-disorder-symptoms-test-children/?src=embed_link

Is My Child Autistic? Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms Test - ADDitude Symptom Tests [Self-Test] Is My Child Autistic? Signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder If your child is acquiring social and communication skills slower than his or her peers, take this self-test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and then share the results with a mental health professional for evaluation. www.additudemag.com

https://asatonline.org/for-parents/diagnosis/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAmKiQBhClARIsAKtSj-lt3YuuyFdjvE58pnFVGno_6xsntmC6JlwR7mFF7PfflBekZ5_sp5waAn6HEALw_wcB

Autism Diagnosis - Association for Science in Autism Treatment Research indicates that early autism diagnosis is critically important. Parents and caregivers should be aware of some of the earliest signs of autism. asatonline.org

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/foundations-of-autism-course/

Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorders Online Course | Center for Parent Information and Resources The National Professional Development Center on ASD developed foundational information on Autism Spectrum Disorders including recommended and evidence-based practices for early identification and diagnosis, as well as for intervention and education. www.parentcenterhub.org

www.AutismSpeaks.org

Home | Autism Speaks Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and families www.autismspeaks.org

www.autism.org

The Autism Research Institute ARI works to advance the understanding of autism by funding research and facilitating education on its causes and the potential treatments. www.autism.org

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/evidence-based-practices-autism/

Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder | Center for Parent Information and Resources National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders’ 2014 update on evidence-based practices for children and youth with autism. www.parentcenterhub.org

10 Best Mental Health Apps of 2023 according to VeryWellMind

Best for Depression: Talkspace
Best for Mindfulness: Headspace
Best for Stress Relief: Sanvello
Best for Kids: Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame
Best for Addiction: I Am Sober
Best for CBT: MoodKit
Best for Better Sleep: Calm
Best for Positive Thinking: Happify
Best for Anxiety: Worry Watch

12 best apps for ADHD according to PsychCentral

Best overall: RescueTime
Best for adults: Asana
Best for college students: todoist
Best for teens: OFFTIME
Best for kids: Headspace
Best for focus: Focus@Will
Best for the Pomodoro Technique: Pomodor
Best for staying organized: Trello
Best for filing all things digital: Evernote
Best for managing emails: Clean Email
Best for managing money: Mint
Best for teaching kids and teens how to manage money: Rooster Money

MORE RESOURCES -

Hospice of San Luis Obispo County | (hospiceslo.org)

GALA (galacc.org) for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Questioning, Queer Support resources Resources - GALA (galacc.org)

LGBTQIA Resources

SLO Behavioral Health Access Line: 1-800-838-1381

Services are Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. Our phone lines may be very busy at first; please be patient and be assured that a staff member will return your call.

Transitions-Mental Health Association: (805) 540-6500

Some groups are being offered through Zoom and require a phone, smart phone, or computer to participate with audio only or video. To view the most current group opportunities, visit the Transitions- Mental Health Association website.

Home - Recovery International

Al-Anon Central Coast Family Groups

Central Coast Intergroup Alcoholics Anonymous: (805) 541-3211

Central Coast Area Narcotics Anonymous: 1-800-549-7730

Nar-Anon Central CA

National Resources

Codependency, Overeaters Anonymous, Food Addiction, Gambling Addictions, other 12 step programs

CoDA.org - Twelve Steps - CoDA.org for Codependency

Overeaters Anonymous (oa.org)

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA)

https://gamblersanonymous.org/ for Gambling Addictions

Debtors Anonymous - Meetings, Support, Groups and Programs - Debtors Anonymous in debt spending

Spenders Anonymous - The Twelve Steps shopping addiction 12 steps

https://clutterersanonymous.org/ Hoarding and Clutter 12 steps

** In an emergency situation call 911 and SLO MHET Available 24/7: 1(800) 838 -1381 . SLO MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION TEAM (MHET)SIERRA MENTAL WELLNESS GROUPCOUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO. Our Mission - The County of San Luis Obispo’s Mental Health Evaluation Team’s mission is: • To provide emergency psychiatric evaluation services to the community• To ensure timely follow-up and referral services on all evaluations• To improve access to services through linkage and/or referral to community services. Who We Serve• Any adult or child who has a psychiatric emergency• Any adult or child who is at psychiatric risk• Any adult or child needing psychiatric hospitalization. Where We Serve• The MHET responds to psychiatric emergency calls throughout San Luis Obispo County• We serve all San Luis Obispo County cities and unincorporated areas• The MHET can respond to private residences, police stations, health clinics, private doctors’, therapists’ offices, in the field• This Mental Health Evaluation Team is available to both law enforcement and hospital emergency rooms for intervention with the seriously mentally illWhat We Do• Provide crisis intervention for hospital diversions• Provide evaluation for involuntary hospitalization (5150)• Assist police, fire, and social service agencies in response to psychiatric emergencies• Assist hospital emergency departments (ED) with assessment and consultation for patients in ED in need of, or waiting for, inpatient services• Provide information and referral for family members to community support services, Contact Us - MHET Available 24/7: 1(800) 838 -1381 County of San Luis Obispo. MHET Manager Christine Pirruccello, LMFT 2178 Johnson Avenue(805) 781-4700 San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) - County of San Luis Obispo (ca.gov)