Specializing in Anxiety Treatment, Depression and Couples Therapy
Anxiety
When living with anxiety we tend to live in a world of "what ifs" instead of enjoying what is. Anxiety occupies our minds and our bodies causing stress and doubt in our abilities. To overcome anxiety, we must master a new way of thinking. By improving our thought patterns, we can change how we feel and how we function in our lives.
Anxiety takes away the gifts of the present by distracting us with worries. Our thoughts tend to center around imagined negative outcomes and prevent us from enjoying what may be right in front of us. Anxiety typically tells us that we are not good enough, that we are always coming up short. This mindset of negative possibilities and self criticism only serves to hold us back from enjoying our lives and reaching our true potential.
We must bring our lives back into balance by making a habit of more positive and self compassionate thinking. Negative thoughts will always be present and having some anxiety is perfectly healthy. However when anxiety overtakes us, we are not living a fulfilling life. It is important to learn how to root ourselves in the present, how to challenge negative thoughts, and how to be kind to ourselves.
​
Depression
Depression is a lonely place to be. It isolates us from others, especially when we mask our symptoms and to those around us we seem happy and healthy. When suffering from depression, we not only feel sad we also feel a lack of energy, loss of interest, and worthlessness. These symptoms make it difficult to function in all aspects of life.
There are many causes of depression including experiencing loss, trauma, chronic pain, genetic predisposition or a medical condition. No matter the cause, depression is treatable and living a fulfilling life is possible. Getting support through therapy is an important part of treating depression.
It is essential to seek help if you are living with depression because depression keeps you from doing the things that are going to get you well. We get stuck because we have little energy or interest to engage in healthy activities. And we usually feel so poorly about ourselves that we do not feel we deserve to practice good self care.
Getting well is about creating healthy habits for ourselves, improving our self esteem and working through any past trauma. We need to establish routines that include eating well, adequate sleep, daily movement, socializing, understanding and processing our emotions and pursuing our interests. We need to feel better about who we are and stop criticizing ourselves constantly. We may also need to heal past childhood trauma.
If you are feeling depressed and lonely, know that there is hope. I am ready to help you build healthy habits, feel better about yourself and work through past trauma so that you can fully engage in a life you love.
Couples Therapy
Long term relationships can be difficult to sustain especially when we are not sure how to resolve past hurts and perpetual issues. When couples come to me communication has broken down and there is a lack of emotional connection. Partners do not know what to do. They have tried to be better understood by their partner but nothing has worked.
I help couples learn how to communicate effectively. I teach and help them practice positive communication skills. They find that when they communicate in this new way deeper understanding happens. With deeper understanding comes trust and more intimacy.
I also help couples understand the negative patterns they are stuck in. Typically there is one dominant negative pattern or cycle that couples are caught in and it keeps getting reinforced each time they go through it. When couples understand the steps in this cycle they are equipped to change it into a new healthy pattern where they feel understood instead of dismissed or attacked.
Once trust and emotional intimacy are improved, couples can enjoy better physical intimacy too. They can talk about their wants, needs and physical desires. They can reconnect and have a healthy sexual relationship. Couples can also fully enjoy their life together. They are once again a team with shared goals and common interests. They have someone they can rely on. Someone who can support them through life’s ups and downs.
If you find yourself dissatisfied, angry, unable to communicate, and disconnected from your partner, reach out for help. Please know that it is possible to bring your relationship back to a loving connection by improving communication, trust, and appreciation for each other.
Therapy for Caregivers
A caregiver includes many roles. You might be a parent, work as a caregiver in the medical field, be a caregiver to your parents, be a therapist or social worker. Or maybe you find yourself giving to everyone around you and not yourself. Whatever your role is as a caregiver, you need support. So much of your energy is focused on others that there is very little left for you. And it is difficult to see any opportunity for your own self care. Even when you do, you feel so guilty for taking time for yourself that you decide against it.
Caregivers usually have a difficult time saying no and setting healthy boundaries. This can be a result of family relationships that taught us to prioritize others. Many women feel the need to put others first due to cultural conditioning. Living in a culture of productivity does not help either. Whatever the reason, being a caregiver often leads to feeling overwhelmed, tired, and burned out. These feelings reduce your quality of life and the quality of the care you provide.
It is essential for us as caregivers to create a balance between our own self care and the care we give to others. It’s time to learn how to prioritize yourself so that you can enjoy life and show up in the best way for the ones you care for most. Let me help you find ways to slow down, take things off your plate and get back to taking care of you.
Trauma
Trauma includes many different experiences. What matters is how these experiences have impacted us and how they cause challenges in our present life. I see clients struggling in their careers, in their relationships, feeling depressed and anxious because of traumatic experiences they had earlier in life. Sometimes we know exactly what trauma impacts us today and sometimes we are not sure the cause of our present struggles. I help clients work through their traumatic experiences and discover what they are when it is unclear.
It is scary to revisit traumatic memories. This fear often discourages us from healing. I understand that there has to be a balance between challenging and protecting ourselves. To help clients prepare for trauma work, I make sure they have effective coping strategies and they are meeting basic self care needs the best they can. I also have learned ways to help clients take trauma work one step at a time so that they are not overwhelmed by the challenge.
When clients begin making progress and finally overcome the hurts of the past they are excited about life. I often hear clients say they wish they had begun the healing journey sooner. They feel more confident in themselves and their relationships improve. If you feel held back by traumatic experiences, I would be honored to help you on your journey to healing.
Coaching/Brief Therapy
We all have challenges in our life we want to overcome, a new skill we want to develop or an old habit to break. We are determined to make a change but not exactly sure how to go about it. Brief therapy sometimes called coaching or solution focused therapy is all about making changes in the present. It is not focused on the past. Because this modality is so present focused, I find it helpful for specific issues like life transitions, career changes, anger management, and learning to set boundaries.
People need someone to help them formulate goals, suggestions for things to try and some one to hold them accountable to their goals. If you are looking to address a specific issue rooted in your present life, short term therapy might be for you. Contact me today to discuss whether this option is the right fit for your goals and the issues you want to address.