Specialties
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and anxiety are two distinct mental health issues, however, for many people, they may often occur at the same time. Approximately 18% of the population suffer from an anxiety disorder and approximately 7% are diagnosed with major depression each year. Symptoms of anxiety may include excessive worry, feeling tense, racing thoughts, and difficulty with sleep. Depression consists of feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, worthlessness, guilt, and difficulties with sleep and appetite. In some cases, people experiencing depression may have thoughts of suicide.
Studies have shown that specific types of therapy, especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can significantly reduce symptoms of both depression and anxiety. Therapy works to help the client identify the types of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that perpetuate depressive and anxious symptoms. Then, with the support of a trained therapist, the client works to disrupt patterns that reinforce symptoms. You know yourself and your experiences better than anyone else, but therapy can help you to recognize and track your symptoms in a way that will help you to regain control. Even if you’ve been struggling with these types of symptoms for years, it’s never too late to begin changing the way that you think about the world and your place in it.
self-esteem and relationships
How we view ourselves and our value is often intertwined with our perception of our social worth. Even from a young age, we are constantly seeking feedback and input from others regarding how well we are doing, if we need to make changes, and if we are being accepted. As we grow into adults, our social circle begins to expand to include family, friends, significant others, teachers, professors, employers, co-workers, and others. It can be difficult not to define our worth based on praise and positive feedback from others, however, this can lead to excessive people pleasing and never feeling good enough in our relationships with others or with ourselves. Therapy can be a space to support you in building healthy boundaries in your relationships, which can lead to reduced feelings of anger and resentment, more time and energy, increased healthy communication, and increased feelings of self-confidence. When we are able to know our limits and express those limits to others, we feel an increased sense of well-being and inner peace and can devote more energy to relationships that fuel us and less energy to those that drain us.
College Students
Choosing to pursue higher education can be exciting, stressful, interesting, and boring all at the same time. For many, this is a time in life when you are working toward more independence. This might mean you’ve moved out of the home you’ve grown up in or it might mean that you are trying to move without the support of your family. Many are learning for the first time how to take care of themselves, while potentially balancing work, school, a social life, and doing everyday things like remembering to brush your teeth or eat breakfast. It’s no wonder that over 80% of college students report feeling overwhelmed and 50% report having feelings of anxiety or other mental health symptoms. Young adulthood is a time of figuring out who you are, what you want, and where you want to go in life. These are big questions and often we feel like everyone else around us already has it “figured out.” In the majority of cases, this isn’t true and your peers may be struggling quietly while projecting an image of confidence and success. The advent of social media makes it even more difficult not to sit and compare ourselves to others and question why we aren’t doing as well as they are. Therapy is a place where you can talk to someone who won’t judge you, won’t compare you to others, and certainly won’t break your confidences. A therapist can help you learn tools to stay organized, take care of your mental well-being, and support you in developing attainable goals for personal growth. Learning how to be on your own is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone.