Appointments for in person and remote
Anxiety and depression often sweep over us like weather patterns sweep over the earth. We will learn about your internal weather patterns and gain tools to use until the weather passes. We can’t control the unwanted thoughts that pop up in our heads… but we can control our response to the unwanted thoughts. We can be powerful instead of powerless.
Anxiety equals:
Anxiety is usually experienced when someone time travels to the future to worry about things that have not happened yet. Our ruminations and negative mind movies prompt our sympathetic nervous system response: fight, flight, freeze. When our mind movies ruminate unchecked a cascade of stress chemicals flood our system. You will learn to shut off the mind movies and restore calm to your body by activating your parasympathetic nervous system. I use cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge negative thought patterns to reframe the less than accurate negative thoughts with more accurate positive thoughts. I also use a program called HeartMath that is based on Biofeedback to help clients manage stress and anxiety under controlled situations in order to be better prepared to handle stress and anxiety in uncontrolled situations. Throughout our sessions we will learn that you can in fact have control of your body's physiological responses to stress and anxiety. We will learn how to achieve coherence among our body’s internal systems.
The symptoms of depression include:
Depression can be "recurrent" or "situational.” Depression can make us time travel to the past and overly ruminate about things that have already happened. Depression steals your vitality and your focus. It makes you do the opposite of what you know you need to do. Depression often gives us a negative narrative about ourselves and our lives. I address depression with a cognitive-behavioral/solution-focused approach. I feel that medications alone are not the answer. Medications generally cover up the symptoms and are meant to be a bridge to the behaviors that will ultimately help you overcome the cycle. We will learn how our thoughts influence our feelings and ultimately our actions. The goal is to isolate your inaccurate negative thoughts and replace them with more accurate positive thoughts resulting in better feeling and healthier actions. Learning to practice mindfulness and gratitude can also be powerful defenses against depression.
Stages of grief and loss:
Greif and loss can be some of the most difficult things in life to overcome. We will understand the 6 stages of grief and loss in order to learn what to expect and navigate the process with clarity. Everyone has their own unique way of navigating the grief process. As with many other life changing events the process to acceptance and transcendence could be expected to take about 18 months. The goal is to acquire healthy coping skills that will allow you to lead a productive and satisfying life after loss.
Periodically we just need a consultant; someone to bounce ideas off of in order to come out with the best decision. I can often view the situation from 360 degrees and offer a non-bias opinion about each pathway forward.
