Whispers Behavioral Center offers mental health services

By Paul de la Peña-Franceschi

For over five years the South Texas community has enjoyed the professional counseling services of Whispers Behavioral Health Center . Housed in Tower B at the Laredo Medical Center , Whispers Behavioral Center has expanded its service ability by doubling its staff over the years and is celebrating two years as an independent health provider this September.

To meet the mental health needs of South Texas, staff members often travel to patients in Zapata, Dilley , Del Rio, and Eagle Pass. The center has on its staff a clinical psychologist who is board-certified in psychopharmacology. Its facility at the LMC includes services for stress management; anxiety, depression, and anger management; couples and group therapy; ADHD therapy; bereavement counseling; and children's services.

Other services include psychological assessments used increasingly in the job market to ensure the competence of new hires.

Another feature includes EEG neuro-feedback, which modulates levels of arousal in the brain to alleviate the symptoms of a wide range of disorders.

The center also offers services in the area of advanced psychopharmacology to assist patients in understanding the medications that are prescribed to them and the choices they have in using them.

Dr. Marie-Elise DuBuisson, the center's director, is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and has worked with the United States Agency for International Development in several countries as a consultant. She was formerly the Chief Psychologist at Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital in Ontario , Canada , and previously at the National Institute of Mental Health. She moved to Laredo to address the growing psychological needs of patients of South Texas . DuBuisson, who is fluent in four languages including Spanish, realizes the importance of proper diagnosis and will consult with a patient's prescribing physician to help the patient understand the role of a particular medication.

In addition to counseling services at the center, Whispers' bilingual staff members also serve in local nursing homes and medical facilities.

The staff at Whispers is seeking to expand its services to as many areas of mental health care as possible and will again be expanding its offices in Laredo this year.

DuBuisson envisions the development of a non-profit therapeutic ranch that will incorporate the use of farm and ranch animals for therapy with children, adolescents, adults, and senior citizens.

For more information, call (956) 795-8325. Whispers Behavioral Center is located at the Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, Suite B 460, at 1710 E. Saunders.