Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Fair Oaks, CA.

So many people today feel stressed. There is so much to do, so many responsibilities to take care of, so little time. When it feels like you are last on your list, when there is little time for fun, when you feel like you are just pleasing everyone else......it's time for help. If you find yourself worrying about many things, dreading certain events or the day ahead, fearful of the unknown or specific things it can be an exhausting and isolating existence. Therapy can make a big difference. You can learn new tools to manage your thoughts and emotions. You will begin to feel like you have more control over your life.

Much of anxiety and stress are related to the negative messages we send ourselves. We worry about what others think of us, what may happen in the future, and how we acted in the past; just to name a few. Because much of anxiety is based in our thoughts; a large portion of the work we do in this therapy is to challenge our thinking. By challenging our negative thoughts, we can experience a more positive shift in emotions and behaviors. We will also discuss and practice mindfulness strategies as a way to work on being more present in the moment and decrease the focus on negative repetitive thinking. Relief from anxiety is possible with effective skills.

Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, anxiety disorders and ongoing chronic stress can appear as repeated episodes of worry & fear, or develop into sudden feelings of intense anxiety with physical sensations, known as panic attacks. Your anxiety may feel related to an event or thought, and other times appear to occur randomly and without cause. Anxiety can develop at any age, when left untreated it may develop into depression. In therapy we will explore how anxiety is affecting your life. You will learn how your physical, emotional and mental health are connected and together create an effective treatment plan specific to your goals to improve your well-being.

We hold our anxiety and stress in our body. We feel tension, gut problems, hot flashes, disrupted sleep and more. I work with anxiety and stress by helping individuals learn and develop tools to re-regulate their nervous system. When we have a coherent and fluid nervous system, we can do difficult things without feeling paralyzed by overwhelming fear.

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.

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.