Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Fergus, ON.

Cognitve Therapy is an effective modality that I use to treat General Anxiety, Specific Anxiety, Phobias, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Facing our fears through exposure therapy (i.e. guided imagery, in-vivo exposure, systematic desensitization) is an empiracally evidenced modality that is supported and successfully used by many psychologists.

As a Somatic (SE) therapist- mental & emotional health follows the state of the nervous system. If it is flowing seamlessly between sympathetic and parasympathetic; arousal and settling, within a “manageable range” there’s a deep, internal sense of well-being, emotional stability, confidence, clear thinking, aliveness, trust in self and others, and mastery. With SE we will focus on: Your experiences... in the body Learn to track, observe, describe what is going on for you Regulate internal arousal states, shift locked patterns into action, increase body awareness. Encourage emotional engagement with attention to: mindfulness, sensations, movements and impulses. Here & Now find YOU!

Is your mind constantly running? Always telling you the worst is going to happen, or questioning why you did something? Do you have a strong inner critic constantly beating you up? Anxiety can be so overwhelming and gets in the way of truly being present and living your life. Sometimes it can feel like there is no escape from that loud voice inside your head, but there is! Working together we will identify your anxious thoughts, and utilize and practice skills to use beyond the therapy room that will help you feel more centred, present and fulfilled.

Anxiety and stress can be, in a word, scary! They can leave us feeling overwhelmed and alone. Therapy can provide a safe and supportive space to explore these concerns and learn new skills that can restore your sense of freedom and control. I offer a free 15-minute consultation for individuals aged 14+ to see if I am a good fit to help you manage your anxiety and stress.

Anxiety, stress and panic attacks can be debilitating and life-limiting. Anxiety is a specialty area for me and I work to get at the root of the problem as well as provide practical and powerful tools to help eliminate or significantly manage these issues. Some anxiety may be trauma-based and I utilize a trauma-informed approach to therapy in general. You don't have to let stress anxiety rule your life - there is effective help here!

I believe we all have moments in our lives when we experience stress and anxiety. Every single one of us could benefit from tools taken from mindfulness exercises as I do in my personal life. I tend to address these issues from a teaching and practicing approach with clients. Its one thing to suggest and explain something, but there has been greater success when we try it out together in session. I have used role play exercises from time to time when the client feels it would be beneficial to decrease the intensity of their anxiety. I love when my clients confidence starts to build because they have implemented what we have practiced in session and learned that it works!

For many of us, our stream of life is interrupted by events that are so stressful and scary that they create lasting change. This can be a single incident such as an assault or accident. Or, it could be recurring incidents that take place in the course of our work. It could also be trauma in our earliest years from our caregivers or in our first relationships. If you feel that something from your past is impacting your current life, trauma and stress focused therapy may be a good fit for you.

People often wrongly assume that anxiety and stress come purely from inside our minds or from our circumstances - both of which are hard to control. In our sessions together we'll draw on multiple disciplines and teach you how to do simple exercises that can rewire your nervous system and help you feel at peace in your- regardless of what is happening around you. We'll also explore how to improve your thinking in ways that can protect you from feeling overwhelmed when anxiety pops up.

Anxiety is our body’s way of getting us ready for action, getting us ready to fight or flee in a given situation which, while helpful in keeping us alive, can be very unhelpful when it negatively impacts our ability to live our daily lives. I work collaboratively with clients to explore how anxiety and stress show up in their lives, and to strengthen and develop strategies to minimize the impact they have on living the life you want to live. Book a free consultation to learn more about my approach and explore if we are a good fit.

Anxiety and stress are main reasons that we lack balance in our lives because they result in heightened focus on one particular area, often to the detriment of others. Taking the time to explore how your anxiety and stress are affecting you and finding strategies for addressing the imbalance can lead to a greater sense of peace and more satisfaction and contentment with life.