Cindy Browning, LCSW, has been in private practice for over 20 years where she specializes in the treatment of trauma, couples, family therapy, substance abuse and relational addictions. Cindy has been extensively trained in Post Induction Therapy by Pia Mellody, LPC, RN, at the Meadows in Arizona. She has completed training in Inner Child, Feelings Reductions and Couples Boundaries work. She uses Pia's Post Induction Therapy model (PIT) for treating relational trauma and helping people move past stuck points in their recovery and in their relationships in all of her work. Cindy regularly offers small group intensive workshops using Pia Mellody's Post Induction Therapy as well as follow up groups.

Often people come to therapy to get help to feel better or to improve their own functioning in facing challenges in life. Therapy is the process of assessing and identifying the nature and origin of these issues as well as healing the cause and defining a new path thereafter. Most behavior and emotions that people struggle with makes sense in context. Identifying the nature of the issues, e.g. whether they are self-esteem and self worth issues, boundary issues, perfectionism issue, self-care issues, trust and intimacy or trouble being moderate, is very illuminating. Most of these issues have their origin or root in childhood relational patterns with major caregivers and other traumas. Specifically, emotional, physical or sexual abuse or emotional and physical neglect are often what sets these issues in motion. Not only do they interfere with relationships, family life and functioning in work or other social contexts, these adverse childhood experiences influence the relationship one has with self and set up the basis for depression, addiction and other emotional, physical, behavioral and relational problems. Becoming aware of the impact of these relational patterns is not only helpful to clients but helps define a path to healing in therapy. These patterns influence how we all treat ourselves and cause us to revert to old behaviors, thoughts and emotions until we heal them.

Cindy makes extensive use of Pia Mellody LPC, RN's model of Developmental Immaturity and Codependence as a guide to understanding and explaining the connection between adverse childhood experiences and relational trauma and current life issues.

Healing the relationship with self creates the ability to affirm and nurture yourself which means you feel as worthy and valuable as others in your life. It also means you will be able to hold yourself accountable and set limits on yourself, so that you will feel in control of yourself and have respectful relationships with others.

Specializing in the treatment of

• Addiction Recovery
• Anger Issues
• Anxiety, Depression, & Self Esteem problems
• Codependence
• Healing the toxic effects of carrying shame
• Intimacy problems and conflict
• Love addiction Recovery
• Mind-body approaches to Catastrophic illness
• Recent event trauma
• Relational trauma
• Sexual and physical abuse

Family therapy can include all the members of a family, subgroups such as one parent and one child, couples, siblings or even just one member of a family. Often family therapy is focused on solving a problem or negotiating a resolution but just as often it focuses on the overall lowering of reactivity to one another. Paradoxically, becoming detached from outcome and learning to be curious about others in the family, rather than reacting to them and trying to change them, opens the door to greater intimacy and improved functioning.

Cindy has been a student of various family therapy approaches since the beginning of her career and has a deep understanding of how our emotional functioning is linked to our families. Early on, Cindy became well-versed in Bowen Family Theory as an overarching guide to her therapy and currently uses Pia Mellody, LPC, RN's Post Induction Therapy (PIT) in all of her interventions with families.

Cindy uses PIT with families in a straight-forward approach which they find easy to understand and utilize. Using this approach, Cindy helps families learn satisfying communication and bond with greater and appropriate closeness and intimacy. Famiilies also learn to set effective limits and boundaries so they can strike a balance between growth for each person and relational connectedness between family members. Cindy uses the PIT model as well as attachment focused models to expertly guide parents with a variety of parenting concerns.

Specialites Include

• Blended Families (Step-Familiy Issues And Adjustments)
• Codependence Recovery
• Divorce
• Effects of Addiction
• Life Adjustments (Deaths, Coping Addictions And Illnesses In The Family, Etc.)
• Parenting Issues/Concerns

Couples therapy is most effective when it is aimed at identifying, understanding and resolving the circumstances and patterns that set in motion the relationship difficulties. While she incorporates elements from John Gottman's work, from attachment theory and the work of Sue Johnson, as well as Richard Schwartz's work into her couples therapy, Cindy relies on Pia Mellody's PIT model for accomplishing these goals. This work together with skill development, learning to communicate, build trust, intimacy and foster genuine cooperation helps couples develop and restore their relationship. Developing and using functional boundaries is essential to the work and creates a safe, secure relationship bond that is the hallmark of resilience and happiness in relationships.

Areas of specialty

• Family Therapy
• Couples Therapy
• Couples Boundaries Work
• Addiction Recovery
• Love Addiction
• Codependence
• Intimacy Problems
• Infidelity Issues
• Parenting Issues