Few problems are more pervasive in modern life than anxiety. Like depression, anxiety takes many forms and must be treated with a highly individualized approach. There are some excellent tools for anxiety, and with good use of these tools, it is reasonable to expect marked improvement. I most commonly treat general anxiety, excessive worry, social anxiety, panic and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Among the kinds of approaches I might use in counseling you for anxiety are cognitive techniques for working with anxious thoughts and a kind of exposure therapy called progressive desensitization. I also use emotion-focused therapy to expand emotional awareness beyond the fear to other emotions. When appropriate, we might do some assertiveness training or work on organization and time management. I encourage practices for stress management and self-awareness like meditation, yoga, and journaling. (to top of page)
It can be difficult to seek help when you are suffering the lethargy and hopelessness that often characterize depression, but treatment really can help. Depression is a painful and serious disorder that takes many forms. Often people who are depressed are also experiencing some troubling anxiety as well. My approach to depression is highly tailored to the individual. I tend to emphasize education and skills-building. One of my first tasks is to understand your experience and history. I look for a potential interaction of depression and grief–for the two are easily confused and call for different approaches. I also look for mid-life changes that might be interwoven with the depression. For dysthymia, a kind of chronic mild depression, and for chronic major depression, I may suggest we focus on relationship skills and on expanding your emotional range of awareness. Whatever the particular features of your depression, in counseling you will likely come to understand your experience better, and you will develop a more sophisticated set of strategies and tools for overcoming the depressed mood when it moves in on you. (to top of page)
ANGER
Anger is a healthy emotion, but it can cause no end of trouble! We all get angry, and it can empower us to take things on and protect ourselves. It can also generate stupid ideas and lead us to act on them quickly, without thinking. Simmering low-level forms of anger, like irritation and resentment, also cause a lot of problems for people. In treating anger, I work with people in two primary ways: (1) figuring out how to understand the healthy message their anger is telling them more quickly and clearly, and (2) learning how to stop before acting on an angry impulse and getting in a mess. You may discover that you are addicted to the rush of power that goes with anger, or that you have become habituated to using angry behavior to get your way, or that you are tangled in a sticky web of resentful thoughts and feelings. All of these situations can be significantly improved with counseling. (to top of page)
PTSD
If you have experienced trauma as an adult or as a child, you may find that the symptoms of “PTSD” sound familiar. Adults who have experienced violence, extreme emotional stress, an accident, an emergency, or combat can find themselves troubled or even overwhelmed by previously unknown levels of anxiety and distress. People who have experienced childhood trauma from physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect may find themselves struggling with a variety of distressing symptoms in adulthood. As with other disorders, my approach to PTSD is highly tailored to the individual. Although I will ask about your history, I will not ask you to share more than you are comfortable with at any one time. Bit by bit, working with the here-and-now of your life today and building a safe relationship, we will develop a strategy for addressing your symptoms and strengthening your secure foundation. A common part of PTSD treatment involves recognizing patterns and triggers and then developing conscious alternatives to problem behaviors. I am also likely to emphasize optimal self-care and relationship building as these contribute to the eventual goal of the healthy integration of painful past experiences and the development of, or return to, a full, satisfying life in the present. (to top of page)
BIPOLAR DISORDER
If you are experiencing the kinds of uncontrollable mood swings, irritability and explosiveness, and persistent depression that can signal bipolar disorder, you are smart to seek counseling. Untreated bipolar disorder gets worse with time and becomes more difficult to treat. Treatment through counseling and medication can help significantly with the difficult problems this disorder can cause. Particular things counseling can help with include: adjusting to the diagnosis and to taking medications, developing a support system and improving important relationships, learning to anticipate and compensate for mood instability, and building skills for handling the particular moods that affect you the most. Even though bipolar disorder never goes away, it doesn’t have to run your life. It is my aim to help you understand yourself as far more than this disorder, and to help you realize your vision for a rewarding and meaningful life. (to top of page)
