12 Common Problems We Treat: Proven Strategies for Healing

Table of Contents

The Core Focus: What Problems Do You Treat?

At Southern Therapy, we don’t believe in a “bandage” approach. We look at the root of the issue. When clients ask Nicole Freire, “What problems do you treat?” she often categorizes her work into four main pillars: Individual Mental Health, Relationship Dynamics, Family Transitions, and Specialized Behavioral Support.

What problems do you treat

1. Anxiety and Stress Management

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek help. It can manifest as constant worrying, panic attacks, or social avoidance.

Social Anxiety: Feeling judged or anxious in social settings.
Generalized Anxiety (GAD): Persistent, excessive worry about everyday things.
Panic Disorders: Sudden episodes of intense fear. Nicole uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you identify the “thought loops” that keep you stuck in a state of high alert.

2. Depression and Mood Disorders

If you feel a sense of hopelessness, loss of interest in activities you once loved, or persistent fatigue, you may be dealing with depression. When answering “What problems do you treat?“, Nicole emphasizes that depression is more than just “feeling sad”—it is a clinical condition that requires a compassionate, strength-based intervention.

3. Relationship and Marriage Challenges

Relationships are the foundation of our lives, but they are also incredibly complex. Nicole works with couples to address:

Communication Breakdown: Learning how to talk so your partner will listen.
Infidelity and Trust Issues: Navigating the aftermath of a betrayal.
Conflict Resolution: Breaking the cycle of “the same old fight.”

4. Family Transitions and Reunification

A major specialty at Southern Therapy is family reunification therapy. This is a specific process for families who have been separated—often due to high-conflict divorce or legal intervention.

What problems do you treat in reunification? We address parental alienation, estrangement, and the building of healthy boundaries between parents and children.

Specialized Issues Treated by Nicole Freire

Beyond the “big three” (anxiety, depression, and relationships), Nicole Freire has extensive experience with more nuanced challenges. If you are wondering, “What problems do you treat?” regarding specific diagnoses or life events, consider the following:

ADHD and Executive Functioning: Helping adults and teens manage distractibility and organization.
Grief and Loss: Processing the death of a loved one or major life changes.
Trauma and PTSD: Using mindfulness and trauma-informed care to process painful past experiences.
Anger Management: Learning to regulate emotions before they lead to destructive behavior.
Career Counseling: Navigating work-related stress, burnout, or a total shift in professional identity.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Managing intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors.

The Logistics of Healing: The 50-Minute Session

Knowing the answer to “What problems do you treat?” is only half the battle; you also need to know how we treat them. At Southern Therapy, we utilize the “therapeutic hour,” which is typically 50 minutes.

Why 50 Minutes?

This timeframe is the “goldilocks zone” of mental health. It is long enough to dive deep into a problem but short enough to ensure you don’t leave feeling emotionally “raw” or overwhelmed.

Assessment: The first 10 minutes allow for a check-in on your progress.
The Work: 30 minutes of deep processing or skill-building.
Regulation: The final 10 minutes are dedicated to grounding techniques so you can return to your day in Metairie or jump back into your work tasks after a telehealth session.

Telehealth vs. In-Person at the Metairie Office

We treat a variety of problems via both mediums. Some clients prefer the sanctuary of our Metairie office, while others find that telehealth allows them to be more vulnerable in their own environment.

Telehealth is excellent for individuals and couples with busy schedules.
In-person is often recommended for certain types of family reunification therapy where physical presence and body language play a major role.

Why Choose Nicole Freire, MA, PLPC?

When you ask a therapist, “What problems do you treat?” you are also looking for their “vibe” or approach. Nicole Freire approaches her clients with a humanistic, person-centered lens. This means she doesn’t just see a “problem” or a “diagnosis”—she sees a person.

Nicole’s background includes:

BS from the University of New Orleans.
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands.
Expertise in CBT and Mindfulness.

She is particularly skilled at helping people navigate life transitions. Whether you are a student graduating college, a parent navigating an empty nest, or a professional facing mid-life changes, Nicole provides the tools to help you manage the uncertainty.

Does Therapy Actually Work for My Specific Problem?

Many people hesitate to start because they aren’t sure if their specific struggle “qualifies” for therapy. If you are asking, “What problems do you treat?” because you feel your issue is too small—or too big—know this: If it is impacting your quality of life, it is worth treating.

Preventative Therapy: You don’t have to be in a crisis to seek help. We treat “problems” like wanting to be a better communicator or wanting to understand your own patterns better.
Crisis Intervention: We also treat acute issues like suicidal ideation, domestic abuse recovery, and high-conflict family disputes.

Navigating the Complexity of Family Systems

When people ask, “What problems do you treat?” in the context of family, they are often dealing with high-stakes emotional environments. Family dynamics are among the most difficult to navigate because they involve multiple personalities, history, and often, legal complexities.

High-Conflict Divorce and Co-Parenting

Divorce is a major life transition, but the “problem” often persists long after the papers are signed. Nicole Freire works with parents to move from a state of conflict to a state of “business-like” co-parenting.

The Goal: Protecting the children from adult conflict.
The Method: Learning to set emotional boundaries and communicate through neutral channels.

Parental Alienation and Estrangement

A frequent sub-topic of “What problems do you treat?” is the painful reality of a child pulling away from a parent. This is where family reunification therapy becomes essential. Nicole facilitates a safe environment where grievances can be aired, and trust can be painstakingly rebuilt. This isn’t a quick fix; it is a specialized process that treats the “problem” of a broken bond.

Adolescent and Young Adult Challenges

The transition from childhood to adulthood is fraught with new stressors. Nicole Freire is particularly passionate about working with this demographic. When parents ask, “What problems do you treat?” regarding their teenagers, the answers often include:

Academic Pressure: The overwhelming stress of performance in schools across the Greater New Orleans area.
Identity Formation: Helping young adults figure out who they are outside of their family or peer groups.
Social Media Anxiety: Treating the modern “problem” of digital comparison and cyber-bullying.
Failure to Launch: Supporting young adults who are struggling to gain independence.

The Intersection of Physical and Mental Health

We cannot answer “What problems do you treat?” without acknowledging that the mind and body are inextricably linked. Many of Nicole’s clients come in with physical complaints—chronic headaches, stomach issues, or fatigue—only to discover these are manifestations of suppressed emotions.

Somatic Symptom Management: Using mindfulness to address how stress lives in the body.
Sleep Disturbances: Treating the “problem” of insomnia caused by a racing mind.
Chronic Pain Support: While we aren’t medical doctors, we treat the emotional toll that chronic illness takes on a person’s spirit.

Addressing Behavioral Patterns: “Why Do I Do That?”

Sometimes the answer to “What problems do you treat?” is simply: unwanted habits. Nicole Freire helps clients peel back the layers of their behavior to understand why they keep repeating the same mistakes.

People Pleasing: The “problem” of saying “yes” to everyone else while saying “no” to yourself.
Procrastination: Often treated as a time-management issue, Nicole treats it as an emotional regulation issue.
Self-Sabotage: Understanding the fear of success or the comfort found in familiar chaos.

Trauma-Informed Care in Metairie

Trauma is perhaps the most profound answer to “What problems do you treat?”. Trauma isn’t just what happened to you; it’s how your brain changed to survive it.

Nicole Freire provides a “bottom-up” approach to trauma.

Safety First: Ensuring you feel safe in the 50-minute session.
Regulation: Teaching your nervous system how to calm down.
Processing: Slowly addressing the memories or triggers that keep you stuck in the past.

Whether the trauma is a single event or “complex trauma” from years of instability, our Metairie office is a sanctuary for this work.

The Role of Telehealth in Specialized Treatment

You might wonder, “What problems do you treat?” effectively over a screen versus in person. With modern HIPAA-compliant technology, almost every issue mentioned above can be treated via telehealth.

Accessibility: If you suffer from agoraphobia or severe social anxiety, the “problem” of leaving the house can be a barrier to help. Telehealth removes that barrier.
Comfort: For some, talking about deep shame or trauma is easier from their own living room couch.
Consistency: For family reunification therapy involving parents in different cities, telehealth allows everyone to be in the “room” at the same time.

Looking Forward: Treatment for Life Transitions

Finally, we treat the “problem” of the unknown. Life is a series of chapters, and the transitions between them are often where we lose our footing.

Empty Nest Syndrome: For parents whose identities were wrapped in their children.
Retirement: Navigating the loss of structure and purpose.
Post-College Blues: The “problem” of “What now?”

Nicole Freire uses a strength-based approach to help you see that these aren’t just problems to be solved, but opportunities for a new version of yourself to emerge.

When you are searching for mental health support, the most important question is often: What problems do you treat? At Southern Therapy, we understand that finding a provider who specializes in your specific struggle is the key to a successful outcome. Whether you are walking through the doors of our Metairie office or connecting with us via telehealth, you deserve to know that your therapist has the expertise to meet your needs.

Nicole Freire, MA, PLPC, is a dedicated therapist at Southern Therapy who specializes in a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and relational challenges. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the specific issues Nicole treats, the structure of our 50-minute sessions, and how our person-centered approach can help you reclaim your life.

Conclusion: Your Next Step at Southern Therapy

By now, you should have a very clear answer to the question, “What problems do you treat?” From the specific rigors of family reunification therapy to the nuanced work of individual growth, Nicole Freire and the team at Southern Therapy are equipped to help.

Our Metairie office is open and ready to welcome you, and our telehealth services ensure that no matter where you are in Louisiana, high-quality care is within reach. Remember, a 50-minute session is a small investment for a lifetime of improved mental health.

Conclusion: Ready to Address Your Challenges?

So, what problems do you treat? At Southern Therapy, the answer is broad because the human experience is broad. From the specific complexities of family reunification therapy to the daily grind of anxiety, Nicole Freire and the team are here to support the Metairie community and all of Louisiana via telehealth.

Don’t let your “problem” define your future. Whether you need a few sessions to get back on track or a longer-term commitment to heal deep wounds, we are ready to walk with you.

What Problems Do You Treat?