Specialities
ANXIETY
It is so much more than just feeling nervous or unsettled. Anxiety can be experienced in so many different ways - runaway thoughts or super sensitivity or even having your heart pound so hard you are sure you are having a cardiac event.
National prevalence data indicate that nearly 40 million people in the United States (18%) experience an anxiety disorder in any given year.
I can help you to learn how to regulate your emotions, manage stress, and understand patterns in behavior that keep you from living the life you want. Together we can forge new and healthier skills to manage and perhaps even conquer anxiety.
Depression
We all have times of feeling down or having a case of the blues, yet depression is different. Depression takes the vibrancy out of your days and these feelings become pervasive. You may be able to hide the effects of the these feelings and go about your routine like going to work, getting the kids to their activities and even attending parties. Other times you can barely get out of bed and face another day.
You don’t have to go through this alone. I work with you to understand what you are experiencing and to develop unique strategies and interventions to help you overcome these difficult times.
Life Transitions
Finding our way through change can be overwhelming. Even the wonderful and happy changes we have looked forward to disrupt our equilibrium and throw us for a loop. Unexpected transitions and losses are often hard to navigate and leave us feeling vulnerable and confused. Grief comes in all shapes and forms and can (will) show up in unexpected ways. Parents, pets, partners, jobs, kids . . . heck the world around us, is changing so quickly. We know there is value in moving on, letting go, even in getting lost yet we just don’t know what to do next.
You can find your way through life’s journey and I will help you discover the path that right for you.
‘Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.'
Harriet Tubman
Loss and Grief
“It hurts because it mattered to you.”
You are Forever Changed
And you will be OK
We use the words grief and loss together because they are intertwined stages. The intensity of your suffering, how you express it and the places within you that are changed are your grief in action. This is usually the time that is the hardest to bear as we often feel we are being overwhelmed. Those around you may be suffering too or you isolate yourself so not be be a burden to others. I can help you through these painful times and be with you as you find your way again.
The harder work sometimes comes after the initial flood of grief and the mourning rituals are completed. This is when the deeper understanding of loss settles in. This period of learning to live with the space within your heart can be a time of colliding emotions, Working together, I can help you find small moments of peace that you can build on until you create your new normal.
Loss takes many forms in our lifetime. These past few years have taught all of us a bit about that. We mourn not only our loved ones, but so many lost pieces of our lives, our routines . . . ourselves. The struggle to repeatedly re-create our world is taking a toll on each of us. If you are finding you simply can’t.do.one.more.thing it may be time for you to reach out for help. Sometimes taking even the smallest step in a fresh direction has the power to change everything.
TRAUMA
Something happened to you and it rocked your world. You feel lost, confused, scared even. You may not be able to identify what happened or perhaps you can’t escape even the smallest detail. It doesn’t matter where you fall between the two extremes; what does matter is that you know something has to change for you to begin to feel.
I work with people who have struggled with trauma to regain their footing, and regain their life. My clients learn to address the life changing things that have happened and to move on to claim their own place in the world. Learning to accept yourself, the pain that may have driven poor decisions and creating new ways of seeing the world take time. You will learn at your own pace, how to face the struggles, memories and fear that holds you back. I will never force you to ‘face your fear"‘ or any other scary idea. I will support you and educate you and model healthier tools so you can begin to live your life, your way.