Adult therapy
Life can be hard. Therapy can help.
Deciding on therapy
It can be hard to decide when to seek out therapy. Is my stress bad enough? Is my mood low enough? Will things get better on their own, or do I need therapy to get through this? These are all normal questions to ask when times get tough.
There is never a wrong time
The truth is that there is never a wrong time for therapy. And, the question isn’t “Am I bad enough?” The question is, “Do I know that I need help to get through this?” If the answer is yes to this question, individual therapy can help.
What therapy is like
Therapy starts with gaining an understanding of your difficulties. We will try to make sense of where they came from, and what is maintaining them. If a diagnosis of anxiety or depression is apparent, I can provide this for you. We will then work on strategies for your symptoms or difficulties.
Anxiety
Believe it or not, most of our worries are false and do not come true. Research has shown that over 90% of worries do not materialize. The worries that do come true are often much less catastrophic than anticipated.
We are inundated with thoughts about the weather, jobs, families, studies, and so on. Worries can become repetitive and intrusive. They can cloud perspective into seeing only the negatives. The metaphorical sun becomes hidden behind clouds. We may ask, “Is the sun still there?” “Is there hope?”
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help to restore hope for the future, by:
challenging negative thoughts that are distorted or untrue.
changing behaviours that are keeping anxiety going, such as avoidance or reassurance seeking.
With Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, the following types of anxiety can be treated and managed:
General Anxiety
Social Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Phobias
Body image anxiety
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is effective, often requiring only a few sessions before seeing results. Worries don’t have to stay with you for life. There is hope for the future.
Depression
Depression can sneak into one’s life slowly, over time, or it can appear suddenly, without warning. It can follow a significant event, or for no apparent reason at all.
In any case, it can leave one feeling detached, isolated, lonely - a feeling of not being oneself. Sleep difficulties can lead to fatigue and lethargy. Appetite can change, and concentration can suffer. Self worth and desire to live can become in question.
If you are struggling with any or all of these issues, know that they aren’t your fault. Biological, hormonal, genetic, and environmental factors are often all at play. And, know that, whatever the cause, depression is highly treatable.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help you to:
set manageable goals to reduce isolation and increase supports.
challenge negative thoughts that are impacting hope and positivity.
restore a sense of direction and purpose.
Therapy doesn’t have to be long term - results can occur in a short time. Hope is on the horizon.
Anger
Anger is healthy. It prompts action when we are in danger. It allows empowerment when we are subjugated.
It fuels us to fight against wrong doings and to stand up for what is right. Anger is energy - a vital life force within us.
However, anger can easily lead to chaos and loss of control - we might say or do things we regret. When the anger subsides, we might think, “Why did I say that? I don’t really feel that way.”
Anger requires regulation. Like a firefighter wielding a heavy hose full of water, we, too, need to learn to wield the flow of anger.
You may never have been taught the skills to regulate anger - to notice it and control it, and to allow it to subside. Or, you may feel things so deeply that regulation is difficult to achieve.
If you are struggling with anger, therapy can provide you with the following skills to gain control.
Identifying anger and the emotions underneath
Validating one’s own emotional experience
Regulating and calming the body with tangible skills
Communicating emotions to others to arrive at solutions and to improve relationships
