Counseling Offices of Paul Dalton

12/16/2025

Scrolling and social media use can mimic and exacerbate symptoms of ADHD. Now that generations have seen the long effects of recurrent social media use across decades, researchers are focusing on how to protect and support children from social media and screen time. Children with ADHD are at a higher risk of being drawn to digital media, including games and social media, because these platforms often provide more immediate rewards that are especially appealing to them. This increased attraction can make children with ADHD more susceptible to developing addiction problems. Additionally, chronic social media use and excessive screen time can increase symptoms of anxiety and depression and creates difficulty with mood and behavior regulation.

Clinicians recommend several interventions and strategies to combat media mimicked ADHD:

- Promote offline activities
-Teach mindful and purposeful media use
-Set clear boundaries and routines such as time limits for use with parental controls, giving warnings for transitioning away from screen use, and breaking screen time into small chunks to prevent overstimulation or behavioral dysregulation
-Teach and model self-regulation skills through deep breathing, grounding, and mindfulness
-Engage in therapeutic services such as CBT

At Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry, our clinicians can diagnose, treat, and prescribe management for ADHD. Our current offices are located in Lexington, Frankfort, and Richmond, KY. We have been a trusted mental health treatment provider in Central Kentucky for 25 years! Call our offices today to schedule or learn more at 859-338-0466.

Read the full article:
https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/screen-use-and-the-impact-on-attention

Supporting articles:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11272698/
https://creyos.com/blog/adhd-and-social-media
https://www.simplypsychology.org/adhd-doomscrolling.html

We offer counseling, therapy, psychological, & psychiatry services in Frankfort, Lexington, and Richmond to adult, children, and adolescents. Our therapists help with marriage counseling, child and adolescent therapy, and individual therapy. Our experienced providers offer the best counseling servic...

12/11/2025

🌟 Provider Spotlight! 🌟

Lilla Valentine is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor at our Darby Creek office location. Lilla has experience working with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and mood disorders. She is trained in EMDR, which is her primary approach to reaching healing. Additional approaches she utilizes are Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Lilla believes that everyone deserves happiness and fulfillment, as well that people are the conductors of their own life. She focuses on empowering each client towards discovering meaning, understanding, and creating their own destiny. Lilla's purpose is to instill hope, peace, and healing along the way.

Fun Facts about Lilla:
-She loves astrology
-She loves animals
-Her first college major was marine biology because she wanted to be a dolphin trainer at the time!

Link to website: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/about-lila-valentine

If you’ve ever worked with Lilla and want to share your experience, use this link: https://g.page/r/CTW3kabeEyy7EBM/review
- Leaving a review can help others find the right therapist!

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from The Offices of Paul Dalton - Lexington Counseling and Psychiatry!

11/16/2025

Three in five Americans believe the holiday season negatively impacts their mental health. Holiday stress can range from feelings of overwhelm related to planning and increased exposure to family systems, anticipating conflict, financial strain, to missing loved ones. It's important to take time to develop skills and strategies to cope with what westernized culture calls the busy holiday season, to maintain mental health. Here are three ways to help cope during this season:

1. Engage mindfulness by setting intentions and avoiding comparison to others or personal judgment and criticism. Take time to explore what you hope to gain such as emphasizing gratitude, engaging in spirituality, or slowing down to embrace the moment which can reduce stress and enhance your enjoyment of the holidays.

2. Set boundaries by using this I statement:
To establish healthy boundaries with others, consider expressing your thoughts and needs using a clear, structured approach through “I statements.”

3. Talk to your mental health provider about creating a plan of action if you are anticipating grief or trauma reminders.

4. If crisis occurs you can call or text the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline at 988, The Ridge at Behavioral Health System at 800-753-4673, or the Crisis Stabilization Unit at 859-246-7201.

Read full article: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/preparing-for-the-holidays-focusing-on-mental-health

Need additional support navigating the holiday’s? Call our office at 859.338.0466 to schedule an appointment to work with one of our providers. Our current offices are located in Lexington, Frankfort, and Richmond, KY. We have been trusted mental health professionals in Central Kentucky for nearly 25 years!

Additional related articles:
-https://www.nami.org/complimentary-health-approaches/managing-your-mental-health-during-the-holidays/
-https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/path-of-optimal-living/201812/nine-keys-to-a-resilient-holiday
-https://www.headspace.com/mindfulness/holiday-blues

We offer counseling, therapy, psychological, & psychiatry services in Frankfort, Lexington, and Richmond to adult, children, and adolescents. Our therapists help with marriage counseling, child and adolescent therapy, and individual therapy. Our experienced providers offer the best counseling servic...

11/09/2025

🌟 Provider Spotlight! 🌟

Kirstin is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor at our Duval office location. Kirstin’s kind and gentle approach coupled with motivation and healthy confrontation can be helpful in your journey. Kirstin works with adults and often employs EMDR trauma therapy, Motivational Interviewing, CBT, and solution focused therapy to provide a safe space for you to grow in the positive direction that you choose.

Kirstin offers support to those who struggle with mental and emotional health including anxiety and depression, but specializes in work with PTSD, Addiction/Recovery, and first responders.

Fun Facts about Kirstin:
•She has a one year old son.
•She has been sky diving.
•She has two dogs, Montana and Grayson and a cat named Butters that looks like Garfield.

Link to website: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/about-kirstin-parsons-lpcc

If you’ve ever worked with Kirstin and want to share your experience, use this link: https://r.emitrr.com/J1Ej70eKy - Leaving a review can help others find the right therapist!

11/06/2025

You are invited! ✉️📆

•NOVEMBER 13th 📣•
•LCP’s Psychiatric Provider Open House from 6:00-8:00 pm•

Meet and mingle with our experienced team of APRN's. Learn about our services and how we can collaborate to support our community's mental health needs.

Open to all providers, therapists, counselors, support staff, and referral coordinators! Enjoy refreshments while you network.

Drop off your business cards for a chance to win some fantastic giveaways!

RSVP to the email listed below:
LCPwellington@gmail.com

10/27/2025

⭐️Provider Spotlight⭐️

Elizabeth is a Licensed Psychological Practitioner and she offers quality, up-to-date therapeutic services and psychological assessments to individuals and families.

It can be difficult to find a therapist you feel you can trust. Elizabeth strives to make every person feel heard, understood, and respected. She believes you are the expert on yourself. Elizabeth will work together with you to develop the therapeutic skills necessary to propel you forward. She typically does this using techniques drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which teaches you how to change your negative thoughts and behaviors to live a more positive and happy life. Elizabeth also loves mindfulness meditation and is happy to incorporate these practices into treatment.

Fun Facts about Elizabeth:
* She loves gardening and baking and sharing these with others
* She loves walking her dog, Daisy, an adorable rat terrier/chihuahua
* She loves music and has sang in choirs since she was 6 years old
* She learned how to juggle in high school and can still do it

Link to website: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/elizabeth-kaster

If you’ve ever worked with Elizabeth Kaster, LPP, and want to share your experience, use this link: https://r.emitrr.com/HMytbEXeB . Leaving a review can help others find the right therapist!

10/18/2025

Thank you for everyone that joined for our 10th Annual Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Symposium this past Thursday! We are grateful for the wonderful presenters, sponsors, great food, and being able to leave with more knowledge we can carry into our daily practice. We hope to see you all next year!

10/11/2025

Understanding your Attachment Style to Improve the Quality of your Relationships with Self and Others

Attachment Theory was developed by John Bowlby and was a theory that has been long studied which focuses on the relationship between a child and caregiver. The research shows that how we emotionally bond, how we interact with the caregiver, as well as the responsiveness of our caregiver to our needs as a child through each developmental stage can have lasting impacts on the foundation of how we develop attachments within our relationships as adults. John Bowlby categorized these into four attachment styles, which include:

-Secure attachment
-Anxious attachment
-Avoidant attachment
-Anxious avoidant (also known as disorganized) attachment

Understanding our attachment style can help us learn about why we may respond, behave, and form certain types of relationships with others. It can also help us recognize changes that may need to occur to form a more secure attachment within our interpersonal relationships. Working with a therapist in counseling can be a great tool to work towards building a more secure attachment style.

To read in more detail about each attachment style, click link to read: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/understanding-your-attachment-style-to-improve-the-quality-of-your-relationships-with-self-and-others

If you are ready to find understanding of your attachment style and improve connectedness within your relationships, call our office at 859.338.0466 to schedule an appointment to work with one of our providers. Our current offices are located in Lexington, Frankfort, and Richmond, KY. We have been trusted mental health professionals in Central Kentucky for nearly 25 years!

Supporting articles:
https://www.attachedthebook.com/wordpress/about-the-book/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/attachment-theory-and-attachment-styles
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10047625/
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-attachment-theory-2795337
https://positivepsychology.com/attachment-theory/

We offer counseling, therapy, psychological, & psychiatry services in Frankfort, Lexington, and Richmond to adult, children, and adolescents. Our therapists help with marriage counseling, child and adolescent therapy, and individual therapy. Our experienced providers offer the best counseling servic...

10/10/2025

Happy World Mental Health Day 🌎

We want to thank all the providers and to each person advocating for mental health awareness around the world.

Mental health is as important as physical health because it is very intertwined to one another. Seeking help navigating your life’s journey is empowering and does not need to be seen as a weakness. Let’s continue to break the stigma and provide opportunity to show compassion and connectedness with one another.

10/07/2025

Chelsea Conner, LPCC-S, LCADC, is a licensed professional clinical counselor at our Wellington office location. Chelsea works with clients 14(+), presenting with various mental health concerns including but not limited to mood, anxiety, substance abuse, and behavioral disorders. She provides individual, marriage, and family therapy.

She utilizes evidence-based practices and therapeutic techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy, client centered therapy, motivational interviewing, and strength based approaches, as well as a Level 1 Gottman trained therapist. Her goal is to empower her clients to achieve their desired goals!

Fun facts about Chelsea:
-Her favorite hobbies include reading and cycling
-She played softball in college - “Go Tigers!”
-She loves spending time with her husband, daughter, and pug during her free time!

Link to website: https://www.counselinglexingtonky.com/about-chelsea-conner

If you’ve ever worked with Chelsea Conner, LPCC-S, LCADC, and want to share your experience, use this link:
https://r.emitrr.com/_MFwCtLxr - Leaving a review can help others find the right therapist!