Individual counseling allows you to work through a wide array of issues that might be important to you.

“You either walk inside your story and own it or you stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” — Bréne Brown

Some areas of attention we focus on in individual counseling are:

• Adoption
• Alcohol / Drug Abuse and Addiction
• Anger management
• Anxiety
• Codependency / Boundaries
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Family of origin issues
• Grief
• Infertility
• Obsession / Compulsion
• Panic attacks
• Relationship concerns
• Sexual abuse / Sexual assault
• Sex Addiction

He proposed, you said “Yes!”, the ring is beautiful and the wedding date is picked out. Now what? At Cornerstone, we want to help you prepare for the covenant relationship that awaits you after your wedding! Typically, we like to begin your premarital counseling about six months out from the wedding date. It usually involves about 4-6, one-hour sessions before your wedding and a follow up session about six months after your wedding.

“Many people spend more time planning the wedding than they do planning the marriage.” — Andy Stanley

During pre-marital counseling, we will explore the following areas with you:

• Communication
• Conflict Resolution
• Partner Style & Habits
• Financial Management
• Leisure Activities
• Sexual Expectations
• Family & Friends
• Relationship Roles
• Spiritual Beliefs

What do you do when your marriage is tested, seems cold and distant, or is fractured because of choices that have been made? At Cornerstone, we want to help you find real solutions that lead to healing and deeper intimacy with your spouse.

“When it comes to your marriage, if the grass looks greener somewhere else, it’s time to water your own yard!” — Craig Groeschel

If this is you, we recommend you seek counseling with your spouse to focus on some of the following issues:

• Conflict resolution
• Restoring trust in a relationship
• Communication issues
• Family of origin work
• Healing from infidelity
• Financial strain on a relationship
• Blended family problems
• Divorce recovery
• Parenting work
• Sex Therapy

Sometimes we face issues that require more than individual counseling can accomplish.

“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” — Mary Karr

We recommend you seek counseling with your loved ones to focus on the following issues:

• Restoring trust in a relationship
• Working on communication in a relationship
• Family of origin work
• Blended family problems
• Divorce recovery

The nature of adoption (being taken from a biological parent), creates an attachment wound. Attachment wounding primes the brain for trauma response. By working with families to understand that attachment is not the FIX for attachment trauma, but a RESPONSE to attachment trauma, families and adoptees can begin to heal through connection.

At Cornerstone, we understand that we cannot “fix” a child, but we can help adoptive families learn how to create and maintain an emotional, social and spiritual climate in which children learn to heal.

“Toys are children’s words and play is their language.” Garry L. Landreth

Children, Therapy & Play

In a world of uncertainty and stress, children can have adverse reactions that are hard to understand.  What an adult sees as a temper tantrum, crying, or clinginess is actually a child trying to express an emotion that is overwhelming to them.  Through the use of therapy and play techniques in therapy, a child can safely express themselves and receive help in a way that makes sense to them. At Cornerstone, our children’s therapists have created environments with your child in mind. They have been trained to utilize play as well as other techniques to help your child navigate the world of overwhelming emotions and learn skills to help them problem solve and cope with their emotions. Our therapists can help your child express what is troubling them when they do not have the verbal language to express their thoughts and feelings.  

Therapy with children has been proven to be successful for many disorders, such as:

• anxiety disorders
• obsessive-compulsive disorders
• depression
• attention deficit hyperactivity
• autism spectrum
• oppositional defiant and conduct disorders
• anger management
• crisis and trauma
• grief and loss
• divorce and family dissolution
• academic and social developmental
• physical and learning disabilities

Therapy helps children:

• Become more responsible for behaviors and develop more successful strategies.
• Develop new and creative solutions to problems.
• Develop respect and acceptance of self and others.
• Learn to experience and express emotion.
• Cultivate empathy and respect for thoughts and feelings of others.
• Learn new social skills and relational skills with family.
• Develop self-efficacy and thus a better assuredness about their abilities.

The children’s team at Cornerstone is proud to be awarded the “Family Favorite” award by Parents & Kids Magazine.

THE PROBLEM

Children are born living fully from their hearts, with a deep hunger to belong and to matter. Sadly, children learn to deny, numb, or hide these true feelings and needs in order to secure the love and belonging their hearts long for. They put on more and more personality to gain what they are looking for, after a period of time; this can turn into anxiety, depression, and unhealthy coping skills.

Often, the “presenting problem” that brings an adolescent to therapy is the result of unhealthy or destructive attempts to manage, escape, or hide their hearts.

THE PROCESS

The process of “recovering” the heart of a child involves giving them per- mission to express their truest feelings, needs, desires, and longing by telling their stories within a safe relationship.

It is a “taking off” of all the behaviors and personality they have put on to gain love and acceptance and understanding their essence of self is where love and acceptance starts.

We work WITH parents AND children to create a space where we can bridge the gap in communication and understanding each other in the par- ent/child dynamic. Adolescence is a uniquely different developmental experience for the child and parent. With competence, knowledge, skills and experience our unique ability to work with adolescents brings understanding, healing and awareness of emotions.

It is through the dynamic relationship between the teen and therapist that true change and healing can occur.

THE PROMISE

We work to be a safe place for your child or adolescent to discover and celebrate the unique image of God they are created to be.

Teens are able to overcome immeasurable suffering if they feel cared for, supported by, and understood by at least one primary caregiver.

We are honored to be entrusted with your child’s emotions and pay great reverence to the ability to speak truth into your child. As parents, we know it’s hard to find someone you trust and that your child will trust to bridge the gap in understanding the parent/child dynamic.

Social and cultural conversations about adolescents are negative. At Cornerstone, we work to understand each unique perspective of every teen that walks through our door. We help parents speak their language and work to create an environment of understanding. The process of adoles- cence as a positive and beautiful journey that’s fun and inspired. If you’re a teen that just needs a safe, nonjudgemental place to talk, you don’t have to wait until you’re 30 or 40. You can begin the journey of living into who God made you to be. You can love yourself and feel comfortable in the skin you’re in.

At Cornerstone we believe it is necessary to understand teen in the system in which they function—- the family. Using this approach to therapy, we work in a cyclical nature with teens, and parents to bridge the gap in communication and understanding.

You be you, and I’ll be me

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations And you are not in this world to live up to mine.

I’ll let you be you You let me be me

~ adapted from Fritz Pearls

Our therapeutic process involves an authentic relationship that offers a space of unconditional positive regard to help teens live into who God made them and learning to accept themselves. Adolescents experience the same feelings that adults do, but from a different perspective. With knowledge and understanding of the adolescent developmental perspective, Cornerstone has a special touch to be able to bridge the gap in parent and teen communication and understanding.

At Cornerstone our unique touch to understanding adolescent experience includes:

• Anxiety
• Adoption
• Attachment Issues
• Attachment Trauma Behavioral concerns
• Body Language
• Body image
• Crisis
• Coping skills
• Depression
• Divorce adjustment Molestation
• Eating disorders
• Insecurity
• Obsessions / Compulsions Relationship with family/friends School related stress
• Sexual addiction 
• Self-mutilation
• Substance abuse
• Suicidal tendencies
• Trauma
• Unplanned pregnancy

TeleHealth

Too often our schedules dictate the level of health care we can utilize. Unfortunately, mental health is the first thing that gets shelved when our schedule gets congested. Advances in technology have made communication to a mental health provider one click away. Through Telehealth, Cornerstone uses technology for easy access to a mental health provider so that schedules and distance are not barriers to receiving the help you need.

TeleHealth provides convenient, time-saving access to counseling that works with a client’s proximity to our Jackson and Oxford offices. It is also ideal for clients who struggle with scheduling an appointment during office hours. While the field of counseling is ever evolving, the Board Certified Telemental Health providers at Cornerstone are able to conduct counseling sessions remotely.

***The Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider credential identifies those professionals who are uniquely trained in best practices for delivering traditional behavioral healthcare through technological means. BC-TMH credential holders have met nationally established Telemental health criteria.***

INTERN PROGRAM

WHAT IS AN INTERN?

An Intern is someone who attends an accredited Graduate Program in the field of mental health counseling.Interns are graduate students who have met specific requirements for accreditation and graduate program course work and are ready to begin internship experience in a professional setting. At Cornerstone, interns work in tandem with a doctorate level therapist who oversees their work and provides ongoing supervision to the intern. Additionally, Cornerstone interns are carefully vetted and selected based on their character, professionalism and their potential of success in the mental health field.

WHO CAN SCHEDULE WITH A CORNERSTONE INTERN?  

Cornerstone believes that everyone should have access to mental health resources. Our internship program provides access to mental health counseling for clients who meet qualifications for services and whose counseling needs can be met through an intern. An intern may be appropriate for those who have limited or no access to mental health benefits and qualify based on individual and/or total household income (Less than $35,000 annual income for an individual or $70,000 annual income for a household).

Cornerstone interns receive weekly supervision from Dr. Kristen Jones. During supervision the intern reviews their cases and receives consultation around each case. In a real sense, when you see an intern at Cornerstone, you are receiving the benefit of two therapists – the intern themselves as well as Dr. Kristen Jones. Internships at Cornerstone require the intern to work successively with more complex cases and may require recordings that are reviewed by Dr. Kristen Jones and peers in their same graduate program for assessment, feedback and professional development. Should a recording take place of your counseling session, you will be notified beforehand and asked to give written consent for the recording. It is important to note that any recordings are focused on the intern during the session and not on the client.

WHO CAN SERVE AS A CORNERSTONE INTERN?  

Looking for an internship site? Cornerstone internships provide a broad range of experiences and populations to serve in a private practice setting. The intern will also receive comprehensive insight into the fundamentals of managing a private practice. Intern positions are limited and require an application and interview process. Cornerstone is accepting applications and conducting interviews throughout the year for candidates for our intern program. Interested applicants should email the following to Dr. Kristen Jones at kristen.jones@cornerstone.ms.

Necessary documents to include in your application are:

1. Cover letter explaining:
   • The reasons you believe you would be a good fit with the internship program at
   Cornerstone Counseling.
   • Your training goals for internship and how our program would help meet these training
   goals.
2. Current Curriculum Vitae or résumé
3. Copy of unofficial transcript, showing completed, graduate-level coursework from your academic institution.

All interns are required to carry professional liability insurance coverage throughout their field experiences. Such coverage may be available as a benefit of membership in professional associations or is available for purchase at reasonable rates for students. Contact the state or national associations for more information.