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Do you feel like you’re in one of those ball pits in a kid’s play place - only the balls are made of cement?
Or maybe a wind tunnel where everything important is blowing past you faster than you can possibly keep up.
There is SO much stress! What to focus on? What could possibly go wrong next?
And will it ever stop?
The relentlessness is exhausting - it’s hard to socialize or do anything enjoyable with this much on your ever-filling plate. How can other people be out there enjoying life when you’re merely trying to survive? Worse, what if others knew the true state of things - and you became a burden to them?
Hope seems like just a word, but it doesn’t have to be. There are ways to step off this treadmill and set off on a better path. Together we can rediscover what’s truly important and shed the clutter. You can live differently - on a different path to a different, and better, life.
Depression & Anxiety
It may feel like your life is an amusement park ride - without a steering wheel and perhaps in the dark for who knows how long? Being a passenger - out of control and along for the ride - is no fun. There’s no telling what’s around the next bend.
Self-medicating one's mood and softening stress through alcohol, adoration or overachievement isn’t predictable and it’s certainly not sustainable. Of course, we’re affected by our lives and the events in them, but we want to drive - to be in control. How do we get there?
Depression can actually be a good teacher. It’s a reminder that we cannot rely on the outside world to make our inner world happy. That’s our responsibility - and it takes tools and techniques to stop being a passenger and move into the driver’s seat.
This doesn’t happen all at once. Taking baby steps toward the responsible role of controlling one’s life is a gradual, acclimating process. We want to grow into the habit of being happy and, through practice, learn to maintain and reinforce that default state.
Baby steps. Each individually doable. Each toward the goal of long-term satisfaction.
These steps can be tending a small patch of garden. Baking a really amazing cake. Or writing a few lines of elegant code.
Baby steps.
It’s difficult to find words to express how wonderful it feels to have worked with each and every one of the hundreds - maybe thousands - of clients I’ve shared this journey with. Although their initial feeling is often one of hopelessness & anxiety, each of these amazing people found their path and accepted the challenge of destiny ownership and … flourished.
It is tremendously rewarding to accompany them long the way and share the return to enjoying the activities that once brought joy.
If these “before” descriptions resonate with you, know that there is hope. And know that joy is not far from where you are today.
How care happens During our Initial Assessment I will ask lots of questions. I want to know you - your daily life. Your unique situation. Most clients prefer to address depression and anxiety without any medication, if possible and are often surprised how reasonable this is. Modern research has repeatedly shown that non-medication approaches can often be just as effective - or more so - than medication. But there are times when medication is the best path forward. It depends on the person, their biology, their situation. And it depends on a clinician taking the time and having the patience to work with someone to truly know what is best for them. Our initial work will be to uncover and assess those needs. You’ll find me very open, straightforward and happy to answer any questions you might have as to why we’re doing what we’re doing. If mediation is deemed advisable, it is prescribed through your primary care physician or psychiatrist and I am available to consult with them to make that happen as quickly and easily as possible.
Our goal ... is to build skills to manage stress, strengthen resilience and strive toward a better state of being. These techniques and approaches include: * Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and developing healthier thoughts. * Behavioral Therapy, addressing specific behavior and encouraging new ones. * Interpersonal Therapy including role play, grief work, and assistance navigating life transitions. * Mindfulness - being in the moment without judgment, and breathing techniques. * Psychodynamic * Existential - exploring meaning, freedom and responsibility, and confronting existential anxiety. * Humanist therapy, Client centered and self actualization. * Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotional regulation, distress tolerance and enhanced communication skills. * Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) * Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) * Exposure Therapy - Gradually facing feared situations to reduce avoidance behaviors. That’s a big list! That’s on me, not you - I’m here to guide and make this as straightforward as possible!
Q: What does therapy for anxiety and depression? A: Therapy provides a safe place to get support, improve self-awareness, gain coping skills, improves relationships and reduce symptoms with long term benefits.
Q: Will therapy help my anxiety? A: Therapy help identify triggers, and coping strategies. Daily life is improved with having a safe space to build confidence, learn relaxation techniques, develop new thinking patterns and skills that help manage anxiety now and for years down the road.