Overview
Examples for Treatment
Anxiety
Worry and fear are natural emotions that serve as the body's personal alarm system to alert when danger may be present. However, just as with a house or car, the body's alarm system may sometimes prove to be more reactive than is helpful. Anxiety symptoms may involve racing or intrusive thoughts, restlessness and muscle tension, increased irritability, and racing heart or shortness of breath. Treatment for anxiety typically begins with a combination of relaxation and thought changing skills, followed by gradual exposure to known stressors, with the goal of tolerance and reduction of presenting symptoms.
Depression
Depression can be impacted by several different factors. If other people in your family have experienced depression, this may increase your chance of developing a depressive episode. Environment can also play a role, including unhealthy or stressful living situations. Many other situational changes can also influence depression, such as ending of relationships, job loss, or passing away of a loved one. All of these factors have the potential to contribute to low energy, sleep or appetite changes, and an increase of negative thoughts, or hopelessness. Therapy can assist in reducing depression by rebuilding healthy behavior habits, and positive patterns of thinking.
Trauma
Events from the past can have a significant impact on current emotions, behavior, and thought process. This is particularly true of past events that may have been perceived as possibly harmful or life threatening. These events can be so disruptive they may even change or reshape a person’s views or beliefs of themselves, others, or the world around them. The feelings from that moment may also become paired with outside stimuli, and become triggers for reminders of the event. Trauma treatment works in being able to express and process the emotions associated with the event, and challenge and adapt related thinking patterns, to be as healthy and helpful as possible.
Children & Families
I have spent many years working with both children and adolescents, providing an adaptable style for any household. Treatment for youth ages 13 or below is best completed with parent involvement, so that all parties involved can develop healthy skills for communication, and emotional development. For children that typically involves ways to reduce anger, recognize feelings, and verbalize needs. Parental strategies may include positive praise, and using rewards and consequences effectively. Therapy for teenagers may look similar, with a greater emphasis on one on one time in sessions, although parental involvement is still encouraged.