Psychotherapy for Individuals
Walk a new path.
Before coming to see me, clients feel so anxious that it keeps them up at night. Their heart sinks when their partner is not home on time with racing thoughts about car accidents. Not knowing where they are going is enough to keep them from leaving the house. They are often filled with a sense of dread. They have a pit in their stomach and tightness in their chest. They worry that they are not doing enough or that they are failing at work or school. They feel overwhelmed and even panicked. They worry about the mistakes they will make. They feel like there is a spotlight on them and worry that people are judging them. They wonder what they will have to talk about at the upcoming party, what if there are people they don’t know there? They avoid spending time with friends because they worry about saying or doing the wrong thing.
If this sounds familiar to you, I can help.
Like the clients I have worked with, I want you to be able to :
not have your mind go to the worse case scenario all the time
spend time with friends and family without worrying you’ve said the wrong thing
leave the house without having a panic attack
sleep well
have confidence that you can handle it (the gathering, the work call, the exam, the grocery shopping…)
not worry that your anxiety will get in the way
and ultimately, be able to do the things that you want to do and that are important to you!
Reasons clients come to see me.
Worry and Generalized Anxiety
You often feel nervous and on edge. You worry about finances, not doing well enough at work or in school. Your racing thoughts, to-do lists, worst case scenarios about friends and family keep you up at night. You anticipate all that is to come. You feel exhausted.
Social Anxiety
You worry people are judging you. You feel uncomfortable and awkward. You keep quiet so as not to say the wrong thing. You replay social interactions over and over again in your mind, reviewing what you could have done differently. You feel insecure, incapable of interacting with others. It takes so much energy to engage with friends that you decide to stay home.
Panic Attacks
Your heart races, you sweat, you cry, you feel like you are having a heart attack, you feel numb or disconnected, you wonder what is wrong with you or if you are going crazy. This can be terrifying and debilitating.
Mood
Not being able to engage in the things we love because of worries and anxious thoughts means that our mood is often impacted. We can become less motivated, down on ourselves, and even depressed.
We will start by getting a clear understanding of what you are struggling with, how these struggles relate to each other and how they impact you. From there, we will set goals and develop a plan for therapy.
I work primarily from a Cognitive Behaviour Therapy approach, which means we will focus on understanding how your thoughts, feelings and actions relate.
You can expect to
Get clear on your values and what is important to you.
Discover the underlying beliefs which may be impacting how you navigate your life.
Discover new ways of relating to yourself, others, and your life.
Learn to develop a positive relationship with your thoughts and feelings.
Experiment with new ways of doing things.
Learn the theory behind the techniques being suggested to you.