Our Mission is to provide professional, confidential, and compassionate services to all of our clients without discrimination based on age, race, national origin or sexual orientation.

Our Vision is to be recognized as a reliable community resource, which improves the lives of the residents who reside in our community.

ASANTE Family Agency is dedicated to serving children, adolescents, adults and families who need mental health services. Our client centered therapeutic services are provided by Licensed and Masters level therapists, who provide:

·        Intake

·        Comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment

·        Personalized intervention plan

·        Education and support

·        Resource and referrals

Our treatment philosophy is based on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) an approach that aims to influence dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure. CBT is an umbrella term for a number of psychological techniques that share a theoretical basis in behaviorist learning theory and cognitive psychology. Based on a therapeutic assessment, our therapists may employ any of the following cognitive-behavioral therapies:

·        Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

·        Rational Behavior Therapy

·        Rational Living Therapy

·        Cognitive Therapy

·        Dialectic Behavior Therapy

CBT treatments have received empirical support for efficacious treatment of a variety of clinical and non-clinical problems, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders, and psychotic disorders. It is often brief and time-limited. It is used in individual therapy as well as group settings, and the techniques are also commonly adapted for self-help applications. Some CBT therapies are more oriented towards predominantly cognitive interventions while some are more behaviorally oriented, hhowever, most cognitive-behavioral therapies we employ have the following characteristics:

1.   Services based on the Cognitive Model of Emotional Response: CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like we, situations, and events.  The benefit is that we can change the way they think, feel/act even if the situation does not change.

2.   Briefer and Time-Limited: CBT is time-limited in that we help clients understand at the very beginning of the therapy process that there will be a point when the formal therapy will end.  The ending of the formal therapy is a decision made by the therapist and client.  Therefore, CBT is not an open-ended, never-ending process.

3.   A sound therapeutic relationship:  Our cognitive-behavioral therapists believe it is important to have a good, trusting relationship, but that is not enough.  Our therapists believe that the clients change because they learn how to think differently and they act on that learning because the focus of the therapy is on teaching rational self-counseling skills.

4.   CBT is a collaborative effort between the therapist and the client. Cognitive-behavioral therapists seek to learn what their clients want out of life (their goals) and then help their clients achieve those goals.  The therapist's role is to listen, teach, and encourage, while the client's roles is to express concerns, learn, and implement that learning. CBT is based on aspects of stoic philosophy. Not all approaches to CBT emphasize stoicism.  Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Rational Behavior Therapy, and Rational Living    Therapy emphasize aspects of stoicism.  Beck's Cognitive Therapy is not based on stoicism. 

5.   Cognitive-behavioral therapy does not tell we how they should feel. However, most we seeking therapy do not want to feel they way they have been feeling. The approaches that emphasize stoicism teach the benefits of feeling, at worst, calm when confronted with undesirable situations.  They also emphasize the fact that we have our undesirable situations whether we are upset about them or not.  If we are upset about our problems, we have two problems -- the problem, and our upset about it.  Most we want to have the fewest number of problems possible.  So when we learn how to more calmly accept a personal problem, not only do we feel better, but we usually put ourselves in a better position to make use of our intelligence, knowledge, energy, and resources to resolve the problem.

6.   CBT uses the Socratic Method. Cognitive-behavioral therapists want to gain a very good understanding their clients' concerns.  That's why they often ask questions.  They also encourage their clients to ask questions of themselves, like, "How do I really know that those we are laughing at me?"  "Could they be laughing about something else?"

7.   CBT is structured and directive. Cognitive-behavioral therapists have a specific agenda for each session. Specific techniques / concepts are taught during each session.  CBT focuses on the client's goals.  We do not tell our clients what their goals "should" be, or what they "should" tolerate.  We are directive in the sense that we show our clients how to think and behave in ways to obtain what they want. Therefore, CBT therapists do not tell their clients what to do -- rather, they teach their clients how to do.

8.   CBT is based on an educational model. CBT is based on the scientifically supported assumption that most emotional and behavioral reactions are learned.  Therefore, the goal of therapy is to help clients unlearn their unwanted reactions and to learn a new way of eating.  Therefore, CBT has nothing to do with "just talking".  We can "just with anyone. The educational emphasis of CBT has an additional benefit -- it leads to long term results.  When we understand how and why they are doing well, they know what to do to continue doing well.

9.   CBT theory and techniques rely on the Inductive Method.  A central aspect of rational thinking is that it is based on fact. Often, we upset ourselves about things when, in fact, the situation isn't like we think it is.  If we knew that, we would not waste our time upsetting ourselves. Therefore, the inductive method encourages us to look at our thoughts as being hypotheses or guesses that can be questioned and tested.  If we find that our hypotheses are incorrect (because we have new information), then we can angel our thinking to be in line with how the situation really is. 

10.  Homework is a central feature of CBT. If when you attempted to learn your multiplication tables you spent only one hour per week studying them, you might still be wondering what 5 X 5 equals.  You very likely spent a great deal of time at home studying your multiplication tables, maybe with flashcards. The same is the case with psychotherapy.  Goal achievement (if obtained) could take a very long time if all a person were only to think about the techniques and topics taught was for one hour per week.  That's why CBT therapists assign reading assignments and encourage their clients to practice the techniques learned. 

ASANTE’s therapists are skilled in providing quality psychotherapeutic services. Our therapeutic services are confidential and provided by Licensed or Masters level clinicians. We offer a wide variety of therapeutic services to children, adolescents, adults and families listed below:

MEDICATIONS - WE DO NOT PROVIDE/PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS. Although we do not dispense medications we can assist our clients in locating a Medical Doctor (MD) who will assess the client and may prescribe medications. Current research indicates that the best treatment outcomes are achieved through the combined utilization of medication and cognitive/behavioral psychotherapy.

INSURANCE - We are an independent group practice. We do participate in many insurance networks and we will bill your insurance as a courtesy to you. You will be responsible for your co-pays as per your policy. Please bring a copy of your insurance card.