Anxiety and Depression affect a great many people and can benefit from Individual Psychotherapy. These conditions can be frightening, disappointing and often originate in early childhood experiences. Working on these areas can improve the quality of our lives.
Whether you are anxious or depressed because of the stress of a romantic relationship, the aftermath of a breakup, loss of a job or friendship, or you have social anxiety, “imposter syndrome” or an omni-present concern about your future, you may be struggling with anxiety and/or depression. Through our work together, you can develop practical tools to manage worry, reduce anxiety, process difficult emotions, rebuild your confidence and strengthen your relationships.
Often, clients self-medicate to reduce the impacts of their anxiety or depression. Weed, alcohol or party drugs are the most common approaches but sometime cutting, sex or risky behavior can be used to try to reduce the symptoms of anxiety or depression. The replacement of self-medicating drugs with a psychiatrist or medical doctor’s prescription offers controlled relief along with the expectation that Individual Psychotherapy will help the client find a better way to deal with their underlying issues.
For many with Anxiety or Depression, there is usually an underlying experience or trauma that occurred in the client’s life at an early age or, occasionally, later, such as a frightening automobile accident, a dangerous physical encounter that was life-threatening or sexual abuse. Unresolved traumas, triggered by a current, frightening event, can lead to night terrors and panic attacks. Exposure Therapy is a tool I use to gently (at the client’s pace) reduce the power of these frightening experiences and help, along with talk therapy, to reduce and usually eliminate the unwanted symptoms.
For many dealing with Anxiety or Depression, there is usually an underlying experience or trauma that occurred in the client’s life at an early age or, occasionally, in later years. Talk therapy in a safe, supportive environment to explore those experiences and can reduce the level of anxiety and depression to more manageable levels so that they no longer are an issue for the client but just another experience that they have learned how to manage and feel better about themselves.