My Services
Depression
Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe. For some, depression can be debilitating. The World Health Organization cites depression as a leading cause of disability around the world. Certain life events can serve as precipitating and/or contributing factors. Life is often difficult, but there is no need to suffer alone or in silence. Getting help for depression may be one of the best things you have ever done for yourself and for your family.
Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders do not only effect the individual, but most often family and friends as well. Guilt and shame accompany substance use as there is a misunderstanding of why the individual “can’t just stop”. By the time someone comes to me, they have usually attempted many different ways to cut back or stop their use altogether. They have likely taken numerous online tests and quizzes all in an effort to find out if they really have a problem, and if they do, how bad it really is. Struggling with addiction alone can be confusing or even dangerous. Working with a trained professional can help you alleviate the guilt and shame and find real solutions for long term recovery.
Anxiety
People who are experiencing anxiety will often say that they feel like they are “going crazy”. In addition, the natural reaction to anxiety is often distraction or avoidance. Trying not to think about it does not work. Making changes, one small step at a time, can bring about peace. Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias and Agoraphobia can greatly interfere with the quality of a person’s life.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is not limited to soldiers coming back from war. PTSD is triggered by a terrifying event, either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms include intrusive thoughts, nightmares, feeling detached from family and friends and negative thoughts about yourself, other people and the world. PTSD can negatively affect your ability to maintain jobs, relationships and the enjoyment of life.
Grief
Grief is experiencing a loss. Like so many other issues, people often want to know if what they are experiencing is normal. Grief can become prolonged and impair one’s ability to engage in daily functioning. Whether you are experiencing acute grief (the initial period after a loss), prolonged grief (12 months after the loss), or anything in between, working with a professional can help you process the sadness and loss and move forward.
Empty Nest/Stage of Life
You have spent the vast majority of your life raising your family and now they have gone on to begin their own lives. Now what? Feelings of loss, grief, fear and anxiety are common when a monumental part of your life has reached an end. Erik Erikson organized the lifespan into eight stages that extend from birth to death. In the latter stages, individuals can experience feeling disconnected or regretful. Each individual’s journey has meaning. While aging takes a toll on all of us, finding new meaning and purpose at each stage can alleviate feelings of dissatisfaction.
People don’t always fit neatly into categories. More often, individuals experience symptoms disguised as other ailments. These are a few of the issues I come across most often in my practice.
“Problems do not go away. They must be worked through or else they remain, forever a barrier to the growth and development of the spirit.”
M. Scott Peck - The Road Less Traveled
Recommended Resources:
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
When Bad Things Happen to Good People - Harold S. Kushner
Man’s Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl
The Road Less Traveled - M. Scott Peck
Mean Mothers - Peg Streep
Don’t Let Your Kids Kill You - Charles Rubin
Understanding Your Grief - Alan Wolfelt
Reviving Ophelia - Mary Pipher, Ph. D.
Healing from Infidelity - Michele Weiner-Davis
AA.org