Business Details
Your Trusted Mental Health Therapists in Dallas, TX
Great Harbor Professional Counseling was founded to provide compassionate, evidence-based mental health support for individuals navigating life's challenges. Our practice specializes in creating a safe, non-judgmental space where clients aged 3 and above can explore emotional difficulties, develop coping strategies, and build resilience. We employ specialized modalities such as Play Therapy for children, Adolescent Counseling for teens navigating identity and social challenges, and EMDR Therapy for trauma processing. With bilingual capabilities in Mandarin and Taiwanese, we serve diverse communities across the Dallas-Fort Worth area.Our founder, Qian 'Mimi' Desmarais, brings over five years of experience from nonprofit settings and holds advanced certifications in both Play Therapy and EMDR. Through personalized treatment plans and periodic parent consultations, we emphasize family collaboration while maintaining strict focus on individual client needs. Our therapeutic approach integrates creative modalities like sandtray and art therapy to address conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma-related disorders.
Services
Play Therapy
Adolescent Counseling
Adult Counseling
EMDR Therapy
Highlights and features
- We offer EMDR therapy for trauma recovery
- Bilingual counseling in Mandarin and Taiwanese
- Registered Play Therapists with specialized training
- Experienced in treating diverse emotional issues
- Flexible scheduling with 15-minute consultations
Associations and certifications
- Association for Play Therapy
- EMDR International Association
What people say
Safe non-judgmental environment
Effective trauma recovery techniques
Culturally sensitive bilingual services
Engaging child therapy methods
Experienced professional staff
Services
Play Therapy
Play Therapy utilizes toys and creative expression to help children aged 3-12 process emotional difficulties. This approach addresses behavioral issues, trauma recovery, and developmental challenges through a child's natural communication style. Certified therapists guide sessions that improve emotional regulation, social skills, and self-confidence while maintaining regular parent consultations.
Adolescent Counseling
Adolescent Counseling supports teens through identity formation, social challenges, and emotional regulation. Our therapists use talk therapy combined with creative modalities to address anxiety, depression, and transitional difficulties. Family collaboration ensures comprehensive support while maintaining teen confidentiality boundaries as required by ethical standards.
Adult Counseling
Adult Counseling addresses life transitions, relationship challenges, and mental health conditions through evidence-based approaches. Our sessions help clients manage anxiety, depression, and trauma while developing coping strategies. Therapists create safe environments for exploring personal growth and improving relational dynamics in both professional and domestic settings.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR Therapy uses bilateral stimulation to process traumatic memories and negative beliefs. This evidence-based treatment helps clients across all age groups alleviate symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Sessions incorporate eye movement techniques similar to REM sleep patterns, allowing natural reprocessing of distressing experiences without forced narrative exposure.
People
Qian "Mimi" Desmarais
Licensed Professional Counselor
Mimi Desmarais is a Texas-licensed counselor with specialized training in Play Therapy and EMDR certification. She graduated from University of North Texas with a Master's in Counseling. With five years of nonprofit experience, she treats depression, anxiety, and trauma across age groups while offering bilingual services in Mandarin and Taiwanese.
Questions
How many therapy sessions are typically needed?
The number of sessions is determined collaboratively during initial consultations. Weekly appointments are recommended starting treatment to establish therapeutic momentum.
Do you offer counseling in languages other than English?
Yes, we provide counseling services in both Mandarin and Taiwanese to accommodate diverse language needs within the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What happens during a child's first play therapy session?
Parent-only sessions are recommended first to discuss concerns and goals. Children then engage in unstructured play while therapists observe and facilitate emotional expression through therapeutic techniques.
Are parents involved in adolescent counseling?
While maintaining confidentiality boundaries, we schedule periodic parent consultations to discuss progress and coordinate support strategies for optimal therapeutic outcomes.
How does EMDR therapy differ from traditional talk therapy?
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation techniques to process traumatic memories without requiring detailed verbal recounting. This approach allows natural brain reprocessing similar to REM sleep patterns.
Can therapy help with developmental delays?
Play Therapy specifically addresses developmental concerns by improving emotional regulation, social skills, and self-confidence through age-appropriate therapeutic activities and interventions.
