Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Abbotsford, BC.

We all have anxiety and stress! It is a matter of how we manage this challenge in our daily lives. Often the anxiety and stress overwhelm us to the point of feeling hopeless! But there certainly is hope and with some consistent therapy and support one can be feeling significantly better after only a few sessions. Once we dissect the overwhelming feelings we begin to understand the underlying issues at the root cause. While medication is an option, quite often it is not necessary as psychotherapy is effective.

Anxiety falls along a continuum from acceptable to crippling, debilitating anxiety requiring professional intervention. The major forms that anxiety takes are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Phobic Disorders, Social Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD). A variety of proven therapeutic interventions are well established now, eg., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Yoga, Tai Chi, Breathwork. By diving into therapy clients regain a sense of optimism, courage and confidence in relationships, workplace and career, driving, aging, life transitions and more.

If you're struggling with anxious thoughts, you may find it hard to focus. The fight or flight alarm is going off in your brain, constantly sending you messages starting with "what if...." If worrying is keeping you trapped in a hamster wheel, tired, but unable to rest, you may find yourself turning to addictive substances or behaviours to cope. As an addiction counsellor, I help clients cope with the anxious thoughts keeping them trapped in addictive behaviours. By uncovering these underlying thoughts, I help you develop coping skills so you can gain a sense of focus, clarity, confidence, and freedom from constantly overthinking. Send me a message and I'll guide you through the next steps.

Feelings of anxiety can become so intense that it becomes overwhelming. Often individuals struggling with anxiety express constant intruding thoughts that focus on fears of events of the future. Anxiety can create physical feelings of distress like a tight chest that makes it difficult to breath, an upset or tight feeling in the stomach, and general fatigue from constantly trying to control their thoughts and actions. Some people have battled anxiety for so long that they begin to believe it is just who they are and accept the restrictions it causes in their life. Through counselling we will work to break the cycle of anxiety controlling your inner world. Bringing a sense of relief, control and freedom that has been absent for so long.

While most treatment approaches for anxiety and stress are effective on the surface, they don’t treat the real problem. Mantras, deep breathing, and rational dialogues about your fear being irrational rarely work---for most people don’t believe it or you! Imagine if you can trick the brain into changing without you telling your conscious mind that you are changing it? Problem with anxiety and stress is that the brain in this state knows you want to change it and it resists. Contact Kevin@kevinfleminphd.com for the ultimate stress and anxiety solution that will literally change your brain's autonomic nervous system patterns while you sit on your butt. 877-606-6161.

Anxiety comes in many forms - constant worrying, a sense of loss of control, or the overwhelming feeling that something is going to go wrong. As humans, we all experience some level of anxiety, it's a part of our normal stress response to help motivate us and even keep us safe by thinking ahead to danger. However, when we get stuck in this experience and feel held back, it can be helpful to talk to a therapist. My approach to anxiety starts by helping clients understand their body's unique response to anxiety. This awareness will be the key into understanding triggers, which helps us work together on regulating and coping with anxiety in a way to push you forward.

Experiencing stress and anxiety, especially over long periods, can become overwhelming. Building an understanding of ourselves and the best ways to manage these concerns can be a significant first step toward healing. I approach anxiety through the lens of the nervous system and work towards building compassion for its work to keep us safe while exploring ways to let it know that its defences are not always needed. I integrate modalities that work best for each individual; these often include concepts from Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), a Strength-Based approach, Attachment Theory and more.

n my approach to anxiety and stress treatment and counseling, I prioritize fostering a collaborative and empathetic therapeutic relationship. I aim to create a safe space where clients feel understood and supported as they navigate their anxiety and stressors. Through evidence-based techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness practices, and relaxation techniques, clients learn to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns, develop effective coping strategies, and cultivate resilience in the face of stressors. By providing tailored interventions and ongoing support, clients can expect to gain a deeper understanding of their anxiety and stress.

Often people do not understand what triggers an anxious moment. It is essential to work with clients on historical events. Everyday life brings about different levels of stress. There are global events, professional upheavals, and personal challenges. I work with clients to create strategies and plans that will help them deal in the now with difficulties in their lives.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is often the modality of choice with issues of anxiety or depression. When the roots of either are found in thought distortions, CBT will be used. At times anxiety and depression might mask deeper concerns such as unmet needs, unspoken pain, frozen anger or other trauma wounds. Family systems, Compassionate Inquiry and CBT are used in these more complex situations.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an effective way to help us examine the building blocks of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. We are not irrational beings who behave in random ways; we just operate on belief systems that may not be serving us very well. Understanding why we are how we are offers us the choice to be different. This same approach can help us to understand the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of other important people in our lives as well.

The circumstances and issues that you are dealing with are unique to you, but you don't have to face them alone. Every individual has different experiences, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, values, attitudes, cultural backgrounds and "upbringings". Counselling sessions are private and confidential, and can provide a way for you to explore your problems and really tune in to your feelings. This is an opportunity to speak freely about your circumstances and release pent up feelings, without having to worry about what others think or feel, and without receiving unwanted advise from family, friends or coworkers. At the root of the problem, there are very real, legitimate and understandable reasons for feeling the way you feel, thinking the way...(view profile to read more)