Dr. Colleen Long's therapy approach is an interactive process, aimed at helping the client feel empowered and proactive at the end of each session.
"Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." -Aristotle
Colleen Long trained in the field of clinical psychology for ten years and works from a positive psychology framework, believing that true change takes place when we engage in behaviors that lend to happiness and fulfillment vs. ruminating on what went wrong, or who wronged us in the past.
Daily Happiness Tips : Http://HappinessRx.Wordpress.com
Given the very fortunate opportunity of working in a hospital that allowed Dr. Colleen to pursue her unique clinical interests, she was able to research the specific factors that seemed to effect the greatest change in one's overall level of happiness. This is why she is often referred to as the "Happiness Doc," in many of the articles she is cited in. She also literally wrote the book on Happiness, in her debut work - Happiness in B.A.L.A.N.C.E.: Changing How You Feel for Good- What We Know Now (available November 2010). Dr. Long was recently featured in the MTV pilot "Help My Parents Are Freaks," where she was able to use her B.A.L.A.N.C.E model to help families better communicate. She also will be featured in the Discovery Channel Show "Ghost Lab," where she uses her expertise to help viewers better understand those with severe mental illness.
Dr. Colleen's initial intake focuses on the areas of the individual's life that need fine-tuning, and then helping the client understand what unique strengths they have to tackle those areas. Through her unique B.A.L.A.N.C.E model, she utilizes the principles from her research, to help YOU achieve your optimal level of contentment and bliss.
Dr. Colleen is a very action-oriented therapist, meaning that most sessions end by giving the client an assignment for next week. She believes that genuine progress lies in the work of the client and not the therapist. However, happiness and the happiness of her clients is her true passion, and as such- she maintains a weekly blog titled The Happiness Rx (http://happinessrx.wordpress.com).
Dr. Colleen specializes in the areas of addiction, especially as it relates to love and relationships. She is a featured writer on SetforMarriage.com as well as OnlineDatingSites.net. She is also frequently quoted in many online dating how-to's such as About.com and Lemondrop.com. Additionally, she runs psychotherapy groups for Love and Relationship addiction (L.A.R.A) which addresses repeated patterns of seeking out unhealthy, toxic, and hurtful relationships. Her groups focus on providing each client with insight, as well as recovery tools to find meaningful and lasting relationships.
Dr. Colleen also works in the area of body image, disordered eating, and weight loss and sees patients that are often considering weight loss surgery. She conducts pre-surgery evaluations and provides each patient with the coping skills necessary to lose the weight for good. In her practice, she addresses hallmark issues that may have contributed to the patient's low self-esteem and obstacles towards a healthy image for most of their lives.
Dr. Colleen is currently completing her post-doctoral hours towards licensure as a clinical psychologist and is supervised by Dr. Richard Oelberger (PSY22186). Most forms of insurance accepted, or will work on a sliding scale, if paying out of pocket.