Clinical Specialties

What does C.A.R.E. Inc specialize in?

C.A.R.E. Inc specializes in treating a variety of disorders and symptoms. While the following list is comprehensive, it is not exhaustive - if you find yourself experiencing symptoms not on this list, or have been previously diagnosed by a licensed professional with a mental health disorder not listed, please still reach out to our office. We would love to assist you in reaching your mental health goals.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Clinical Definition: PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, such as natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, war/combat, rape, or other violent personal assaults.

• Layman’s Definition: PTSD is a mental health condition that develops after someone goes through a very scary or dangerous event, leaving them feeling on edge, haunted by memories, and struggling to cope.

• Common Symptoms: Flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, emotional numbness, avoidance of triggers, difficulty sleeping, irritability.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

• Clinical Definition: CPTSD results from prolonged exposure to trauma, often beginning in childhood, and includes symptoms of PTSD plus difficulties with emotional regulation, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships.

• Layman’s Definition: A more intense form of PTSD that develops from long-term trauma, making it hard to trust others, regulate emotions, and feel safe.

• Common Symptoms: Emotional dysregulation, negative self-perception, relationship difficulties, chronic feelings of guilt or shame, dissociation.

Attachment Therapy

• Clinical Definition: A therapeutic approach aimed at helping individuals form secure emotional bonds, particularly for those with early attachment disruptions.

• Layman’s Definition: Therapy designed to help people, especially children, build healthy emotional connections with caregivers.

Attachment Disorders

• Attachment Disorder (AD)

  • Clinical Definition: A broad term for disorders where children struggle to form healthy emotional bonds due to early neglect or trauma.

  • Layman’s Definition: When a child has trouble trusting or bonding with others because of early neglect or abuse.

  • Common Symptoms: Difficulty showing affection, lack of trust, avoidance of closeness, controlling behavior.

• Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

  • Clinical Definition: A severe disorder in young children who do not establish healthy emotional attachments with caregivers due to extreme neglect.

  • Layman’s Definition: When a child does not learn to trust or connect with others because they were not properly cared for as a baby.

  • Common Symptoms: Withdrawn behavior, lack of interest in social interaction, difficulty comforting or seeking comfort.

• Compromised Attachment

  • Clinical Definition: A less severe form of attachment disruption where a child may struggle with trust and relationships but still functions socially.

  • Layman’s Definition: When someone has trouble feeling close to others due to early-life problems.

  • Common Symptoms: Difficulty trusting others, emotional detachment, fear of abandonment.

Dissociative Disorders

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder where a person has two or more distinct personality states that control their behavior at different times.

  • Layman’s Definition: A condition where someone’s mind creates different identities to cope with trauma.

  • Common Symptoms: Memory gaps, switching between personalities, feeling like a stranger in one’s own body.

• Depersonalization Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: Persistent feelings of detachment from one’s self, as if observing one’s actions from outside the body.

  • Layman’s Definition: Feeling like you're watching yourself from the outside, like in a dream.

  • Common Symptoms: Feeling unreal, emotional numbness, out-of-body experiences.

• Derealization Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder where individuals feel detached from their surroundings, perceiving the world as foggy or dreamlike.

  • Layman’s Definition: When the world feels fake or distant, like you're in a movie.

  • Common Symptoms: Feeling disconnected from reality, seeing the world as distorted, emotional detachment.

Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS)

• Clinical Definition: A condition similar to CPTSD, often seen in individuals with prolonged trauma exposure but not meeting full PTSD criteria.

• Layman’s Definition: A mix of PTSD and emotional struggles caused by long-term trauma.

• Common Symptoms: Emotional numbness, difficulty regulating emotions, problems with self-image.

Depression Disorders

• Major Depression

  • Clinical Definition: A severe mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and impaired daily functioning.

  • Layman’s Definition: Feeling constantly sad and hopeless for a long time, making it hard to do daily activities.

  • Common Symptoms: Deep sadness, fatigue, sleep issues, changes in appetite, loss of interest in activities, suicidal thoughts.

• Recurring Depression

  • Clinical Definition: Repeated episodes of major depression throughout a person’s life.

  • Layman’s Definition: When someone experiences serious bouts of depression multiple times in their life.

  • Common Symptoms: Cyclical episodes of deep sadness, fatigue, hopelessness, and disinterest in life.

• Dysthymia (Persistent Depressive Disorder)

  • Clinical Definition: A chronic form of depression lasting for at least two years.

  • Layman’s Definition: A long-lasting, low-level depression that never fully goes away.

  • Common Symptoms: Low energy, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, lack of motivation.

• Bipolar Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder characterized by extreme mood swings, including manic and depressive episodes.

  • Layman’s Definition: Periods of extreme happiness or energy followed by deep sadness and fatigue.

  • Common Symptoms: Mood swings, risky behavior, high energy, depression, impulsivity.

• Situational Depression

  • Clinical Definition: A short-term, stress-related depressive state triggered by a major life event.

  • Layman’s Definition: Feeling depressed after a big life change, like losing a loved one or job.

  • Common Symptoms: Sadness, worry, trouble sleeping, difficulty coping.

• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

  • Clinical Definition: A form of depression that occurs seasonally, usually in winter due to lack of sunlight.

  • Layman’s Definition: Feeling depressed during certain seasons, often in winter when there’s less daylight.

  • Common Symptoms: Fatigue, sadness, lack of motivation, sleep issues.

• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

  • Clinical Definition: A childhood disorder marked by severe temper outbursts and persistent irritability.

  • Layman’s Definition: When a child has frequent, extreme tantrums and always seems angry.

  • Common Symptoms: Intense mood swings, frequent outbursts, ongoing irritability.

Anxiety Disorders

• Panic Attacks

  • Clinical Definition: Sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort that peak within minutes.

  • Layman’s Definition: A sudden rush of fear that makes your heart race and your body shake.

  • Common Symptoms: Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, chest pain.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

  • Clinical Definition: Persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of daily life.

  • Layman’s Definition: Constant worrying about everything, even small things.

  • Common Symptoms: Restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, trouble concentrating, sleep disturbances.

• Phobias

  • Clinical Definition: An intense, irrational fear of specific objects or situations.

  • Layman’s Definition: Extreme fear of something, like heights or spiders, that affects daily life.

  • Common Symptoms: Panic, sweating, rapid heartbeat, avoidance behavior.

Anxiety Disorders

• Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: A persistent fear of social situations due to intense self-consciousness and fear of embarrassment.

  • Layman’s Definition: Extreme shyness that makes socializing feel overwhelming or scary.

  • Common Symptoms: Avoidance of social situations, sweating, rapid heartbeat, difficulty speaking.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to reduce anxiety.

  • Layman’s Definition: Having unwanted thoughts that won’t go away and feeling the need to repeat actions to feel safe.

  • Common Symptoms: Repetitive behaviors, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, fear of contamination, excessive checking.

Pediatric and Behavioral Disorders

• Separation Anxiety Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: An anxiety disorder in children characterized by excessive fear of being away from caregivers.

  • Layman’s Definition: When a child becomes extremely anxious or distressed when separated from parents or loved ones.

  • Common Symptoms: Clinginess, tantrums when left alone, nightmares, physical complaints (stomachaches, headaches).

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

  • Clinical Definition: A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattentiveness, distractibility, and difficulty focusing.

  • Layman’s Definition: Trouble paying attention, staying organized, or following through on tasks.

  • Common Symptoms: Easily distracted, forgetful, trouble staying on task, difficulty listening.

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Clinical Definition: A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

  • Layman’s Definition: A condition where a person struggles with focus, staying still, and impulsive actions.

  • Common Symptoms: Fidgeting, difficulty staying seated, talking excessively, interrupting others, impulsiveness.

• Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED)

  • Clinical Definition: A behavioral disorder involving sudden outbursts of aggression and rage disproportionate to the situation.

  • Layman’s Definition: Having frequent and intense anger outbursts over small things.

  • Common Symptoms: Sudden episodes of rage, aggressive behavior, physical violence, irritability.

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder in children characterized by defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior towards authority figures.

  • Layman’s Definition: When a child frequently argues, refuses to follow rules, and gets angry easily.

  • Common Symptoms: Frequent arguing, refusal to comply, blaming others, spiteful behavior.

• Conduct Disorder (Non-Legal Involvement)

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder marked by repetitive patterns of aggressive, deceitful, or rule-breaking behavior, though not yet leading to legal trouble.

  • Layman’s Definition: A pattern of behavior where a child is aggressive, lies, or breaks rules but hasn’t been in serious legal trouble.

  • Common Symptoms: Bullying, physical aggression, stealing, lying, rule-breaking.

• Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

  • Clinical Definition: A group of developmental disorders involving delays in communication, socialization, and cognition.

  • Layman’s Definition: A term for disorders like autism that affect communication and social skills.

  • Common Symptoms: Delayed speech, difficulty with social interaction, repetitive behaviors.

• Social Communication Disorder

  • Clinical Definition: A disorder affecting verbal and nonverbal communication in social contexts.

  • Layman’s Definition: Difficulty understanding and using language in social situations.

  • Common Symptoms: Trouble understanding jokes, following conversations, or using appropriate facial expressions.

Grief & Loss

• Clinical Definition: Grief and loss refer to the emotional, psychological, and physiological responses that individuals experience after a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, job loss, or other major life changes. Complicated grief, also known as prolonged grief disorder, occurs when grief does not ease over time and significantly impacts daily life.

• Layman’s Definition: Grief is the deep sadness and emotional pain people feel after losing someone or something important to them. Sometimes, the pain can be overwhelming and make it hard to move forward.

• Common Clinical Reasons for Grief & Loss Counseling:

  • Loss of a loved one (death of a family member, friend, or pet)

  • Divorce or breakup of a significant relationship

  • Miscarriage or infertility struggles

  • Loss of a job or financial stability

  • Major life transitions (e.g., retirement, relocation, empty nest syndrome)

  • Loss of health due to chronic illness or disability

  • Experiencing collective grief due to natural disasters, pandemics, or societal tragedies

  • Complicated or prolonged grief where healing does not naturally progress