Our therapists are trained to assist you with a wide scope of problems. Here are just a few areas we help with regularly.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention. Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives. But anxiety disorders are treatable and a number of effective treatments are available. Psychotherapy has been considered to be one of the most popular and efficient methods since the early 20th century. Treatment helps most people lead normal productive lives.
Symptoms include stress that's out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, and restlessness. You may experience hypervigilance, irritability, restlessness, lack of concentration, racing thoughts, unwanted thoughts, fatigue or sweating, excessive worry, fear, feeling of impending doom, insomnia, nausea, palpitations, or trembling.
Symptoms include stress that's out of proportion to the impact of the event, inability to set aside a worry, and restlessness. You may experience hypervigilance, irritability, restlessness, lack of concentration, racing thoughts, unwanted thoughts, fatigue or sweating, excessive worry, fear, feeling of impending doom, insomnia, nausea, palpitations, or trembling.
Relationship Conflict
Relationships, whether with family, friends, or partners, have a significant impact on our sense of self and how we relate to others. Relationships can provide us with security, affection, excitement and hope.
Distressing relationships are often characterized by issues around money, trust and communication and stem from difficulties with friends and family, new parenthood, mid-life, adulting, transition to retirement, changing values, beliefs and opinions and living with someone who has an addiction.
Distressing relationships are often characterized by issues around money, trust and communication and stem from difficulties with friends and family, new parenthood, mid-life, adulting, transition to retirement, changing values, beliefs and opinions and living with someone who has an addiction.
Anger
Everyone gets mad at times. The target of your anger might be a stranger, a loved one or even yourself. Or, you might find yourself furious over external events, such as a traffic, a long line or a political incident.
While anger is a normal human emotion, misplaced or uncontrolled anger can quickly become problematic. Uncontrolled anger looks different from person to person. Some people are quietly seething at the world most of the time. Some can’t help but dwell on events that made them mad. Others have quick tempers and may even exhibit aggressive or violent behavior.
Nevertheless, anger can be dysfunctional, and people who experience it often don’t realize how big a problem it is. That’s because in the short term, anger can be effective. Blowing up at your kids might seem like a good strategy if it results in them doing their chores. Losing your temper at work might feel productive if it gets your coworkers to do things your way.
Unfortunately, people often fail to see the long-term consequences of uncontrolled anger. Those can include health effects such as high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease, as well as social disharmony among family members, friends and coworkers.
Hundreds of research studies have published research suggesting that overall, approximately 75 percent of people receiving anger management therapy improved as a result.
While anger is a normal human emotion, misplaced or uncontrolled anger can quickly become problematic. Uncontrolled anger looks different from person to person. Some people are quietly seething at the world most of the time. Some can’t help but dwell on events that made them mad. Others have quick tempers and may even exhibit aggressive or violent behavior.
Nevertheless, anger can be dysfunctional, and people who experience it often don’t realize how big a problem it is. That’s because in the short term, anger can be effective. Blowing up at your kids might seem like a good strategy if it results in them doing their chores. Losing your temper at work might feel productive if it gets your coworkers to do things your way.
Unfortunately, people often fail to see the long-term consequences of uncontrolled anger. Those can include health effects such as high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease, as well as social disharmony among family members, friends and coworkers.
Hundreds of research studies have published research suggesting that overall, approximately 75 percent of people receiving anger management therapy improved as a result.
Depression
Depression, otherwise known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common and serious mood disorder. Those who suffer from depression experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness and lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. Aside from the emotional problems caused by depression, individuals can also present with physical symptoms such as chronic pain or digestive issues.
Psychotherapy can help people with depression talk about their experiences and make senses of events and/or gain a different perspective. Therapy can help offer some measure of control over the thinking processes that lead to depressed moods.
Therapists can explore past experiences and current stress and teach coping skills that can help reduce the chance of developing future depressive episodes.
Psychotherapy can help people with depression talk about their experiences and make senses of events and/or gain a different perspective. Therapy can help offer some measure of control over the thinking processes that lead to depressed moods.
Therapists can explore past experiences and current stress and teach coping skills that can help reduce the chance of developing future depressive episodes.
Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. While these feelings are normal, some people have difficulty moving on with their lives.
Research shows that trauma – particularly adverse childhood events (trauma that occurs before ages 5 or 6) – is very predictive of developing all mental illnesses. However, even for those who did not experience trauma as a child, a traumatic event in adulthood – for example an assault, car crash, or combat situation – can exacerbate mood and anxiety disorders or lead to the development of PTSD
Trauma can influence or worsen all mental illnesses, not just PTSD. A survivor of trauma may be diagnosed with mood disorders like depression or bipolar illness, anxiety disorders, thought disorders like schizophrenia, personality disorders, and others. You may also experience trauma and not develop PTSD.
Trauma work is more effective when survivors have the internal capacity and external support needed to fully engage and complete the treatment. So therapy for trauma is a process. Processing trauma can be difficult and painful. A trusting relationship with your therapist is crucial.
Research shows that trauma – particularly adverse childhood events (trauma that occurs before ages 5 or 6) – is very predictive of developing all mental illnesses. However, even for those who did not experience trauma as a child, a traumatic event in adulthood – for example an assault, car crash, or combat situation – can exacerbate mood and anxiety disorders or lead to the development of PTSD
Trauma can influence or worsen all mental illnesses, not just PTSD. A survivor of trauma may be diagnosed with mood disorders like depression or bipolar illness, anxiety disorders, thought disorders like schizophrenia, personality disorders, and others. You may also experience trauma and not develop PTSD.
Trauma work is more effective when survivors have the internal capacity and external support needed to fully engage and complete the treatment. So therapy for trauma is a process. Processing trauma can be difficult and painful. A trusting relationship with your therapist is crucial.
Life Transitions
We can all count on life changing. Families change, jobs change, opinions change, friends change, living arrangements change, responsibilities change, personal health changes, perspective on life changes. Sometimes we want the change and sometimes we don't. Either way, change can be uncomfortable and a struggle for a lot of us.
Life changes impact our mental health by activating the conflict sensors in the brain, creating mental chaos and making us feel stressed. Even if it's a good change, our brains register an uncertainty about what's to come which leads us to feel distressed. We prefer familiarity and when in an uncertain situation, we will usually default to a negative bias to ensure our safety.
In therapy, we will talk about what uncertainties you have in your life and review strategies to manage change.
Life changes impact our mental health by activating the conflict sensors in the brain, creating mental chaos and making us feel stressed. Even if it's a good change, our brains register an uncertainty about what's to come which leads us to feel distressed. We prefer familiarity and when in an uncertain situation, we will usually default to a negative bias to ensure our safety.
In therapy, we will talk about what uncertainties you have in your life and review strategies to manage change.