Sherry O'Malley, MA LP
Licensed Psychologist

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Sherry holds a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from St. Mary’s University. She holds bachelor's degrees in education and human ecology from the University of Minnesota.  She specializes in working with Individuals, couples, & families and with populations from age 3 through senior adults.  Sherry's clinical work includes sexual abuse issues, parenting & family issues, depression, anxiety, ADHD, chronic pain/health issues, PTSD, grief and loss, oppositional behavior, domestic abuse, managing serious and persistent mental health illness and christian counseling issues.

Assistant Position

Part-time opening for an administrative assistant at our Blaine office.  Email cover letter and resume to jenny@rumrivercounseling.com.

Group discussion topics include:

-Feelings
-Self-esteem
-Body image
-Coping skills
-Negative thinking
-Healthy choices

Signs of Depression:
If one or more of these signs of depression persist, parents should seek help.

~ Frequent sadness, tearfulness, crying  
~ Hopelessness
~ Decreased interest in activities; or inability to enjoy previously favorite activities  
~ Persistent boredom; low energy
~ Social isolation, poor communication
~ Low self esteem and guilt
~ Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
~ Increased irritability, anger, or hostility
~ Difficulty with relationships
~ Frequent complaints of physical illnesses, such as headaches and stomach-aches
~ Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school
~ Poor concentration
~ A major change in eating and/or sleeping patterns
~ Talk of or efforts to run away from home  
~ Thoughts or expressions of suicide or self-destructive behavior
~ Alcohol and Drug Abuse
~ Self-Injury

 Teen depression

Though the term 'depression' can describe a normal human emotion, it also can refer to a mental health illness.  Depressive feelings can range in severity.  It is defined as an illness when the feelings of depression persist and interfere with an adolescent’s ability to function. Teens under stress, who experience loss, or who have attention, learning, conduct, or anxiety disorders are at a higher risk for depression.  Teenage girls are at especially high risk.

New Hope: A group for teen girls with depression

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New Hope is an eight-week therapy group for females ages 13-15 who struggle with symptoms of depression.  The group provides a respectful and relaxed atmosphere where teen girls can learn about self-care strategies, coping skills & ways to overcome depressive symptoms.  The group also offers a place for girls to share their experiences and receive support from others.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a scientifically validated integrative psychotherapy. It is a process that was discovered by Dr. Francine Shapiro, a psychologist in Palo Alto in 1987. It is based on the philosophy that human beings are capable under appropriate conditions of naturally moving toward greater health and integration. When a stressful or traumatic event occurs, it seems to get locked in the nervous system with the original picture, sounds, thoughts and feelings. This information can become distorted and significantly can significantly affect our feelings about these events. The eye movements used in EMDR appear to unlock the nervous system which allows the brain to re-integrate positive information. The procedure includes reprocessing of negative, distorted self-thoughts associated with the trauma to positive, true self-beliefs.

The repetitive eye movements stimulate optical nerve clusters to loosen disturbing thoughts, which are frozen and stored, and process them to resolution. Simply by providing side-to-side, bi-lateral stimulation to a person while discussing traumatic events or feelings of any kind in a specific therapeutic fashion, EMDR works wonders in allowing a person to heal. The key seems to be the alternating stimulation of the right and left sides of the brain.

EMDR has had more published case reports and research to support it than any other method used in the treatment of trauma. Over 20,000 clinicians have been trained worldwide. In many ways is has shown to be more effective and easier to access than hypnotherapy. It is a proven technique for working with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, self-limiting beliefs, and hard to break patterns.