Services and Focus Areas.
My focus areas include:
Depression · Anxiety & Stress · Women’s issues
Communication problems · Couples & Infidelity · Teens · Trauma
Depression
If you feel unmotivated, isolated, helpless, hopeless, and tired all the time, you could be struggling with depression. The onset of depression often creeps in slowly, until one day you realize you are just not feeling like yourself. Maybe you’ve even been putting on a facade of happiness when you’re with other people or to convince yourself you’re okay; but deep down you feel isolated and alone. Some people don’t realize a common symptoms of depression is apathy, an inability to feel or general numbness and disinterest in things you previously enjoyed.
Anxiety & Stress
Anxiety symptoms vary greatly and often mirror stress. Stress and anxiety are similar, however, under extreme stress and anxiety, functioning in a healthy way can be very difficult. Our human brains are actually wired to be anxious. It is a survival instinct that kept our ancestors alive by noticing threats and avoiding or fighting them off. Unfortunately, the ‘anxious part’ of our brains can often over-ride rational thoughts leading to difficult functioning on a day to day basis. People who struggle with anxiety often having fight, flight, or freeze responses to situations that are not necessarily threatening enough to warrant this response; but it feels real! Your brain is literally telling you that the present threat/trigger will kill you (even if it is as ‘simple’ as going to a dinner with friends and family).
Women’s issues
Women are inspiring, strong, and resilient, but sometimes the constant balancing act of being ‘as good as men’ in our careers, being a ‘good wife,’ and the ‘perfect mother’ can overwhelm us. Being a woman sometimes feels like walking on a tight rope and no matter how well you are balancing, it can feel like something always slips through the cracks. Women, by nature, are more agreeable than men, and as such, we tend to take on a lot..sometimes even more than we can handle. Therapy for women can range from learning to balance more effectively, setting boundaries, asking for help, and coping with life transitions such as marriage and dating, postpartum depression, losing yourself in your kids or your job, and struggling to transition into having an empty nest.
Communication problems
Communication is difficult and sometimes no matter how loud we are screaming or how well we try to listen, there are breakdowns. Fortunately, most people we are close to actually want to understand us; and on a good day, we want to understand them too. My own struggles communicating in my past have given me the skills to actively listen to people I love, as well as others that I interact with on a regular basis, as well as given me words and ways to actually say what I mean when I am expressing myself. Whether your have communication breakdowns with your significant other, at work, with your kids or parents, I can help you say what you mean, and really hear the perspectives of those around you.
Couples & Infidelity
Relationships can get to the point they seem absolutely chaotic and damaging; but they can also be incredibly rewarding. I believe most, if not all relationships eventually get to a point where counseling will help. Whether it is a communication problem, negotiating everyday chores and responsibilities, getting along and raising kids together, unresolved conflict, or struggling with the impact of infidelity, I truly believe that counseling can help couples come back together and develop a relationships that is even healthier and more authentic than it has been in the past.
Teens
Being a teen is hard. Okay, okay…being the parent of a teen is also very hard. I collaborate with teenagers (14+) and their parents to work through conflict, communication barriers, and negotiating rules and expectations so that teens can gain freedom through taking responsibility and ownership of their actions, understanding consequences, and developing a sense of self that will allow them to become successful young adults. I specialize in working with teens who struggle with developing their personal identity, depression, anxiety, feeling like they don’t fit in, and addiction.
Trauma
Trauma is a strong, emotional response to a distressing event or experience. It can happen when something overwhelming, like an accident, or a loss, affects a person deeply. It might lead to feelings of fear, sadness, or even physical reactions, and can deeply impact how someone feels and behaves. Treatment such as cognitive processing therapy and Brainspotting can be helpful when healing from traumatic experiences.