Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Barnwell, AB.

I have extensive experience in previous careers prior to becoming a psychologist that were high-stress producers. As a result, I am keenly aware of those factors that lead to burnout. In addition, I understand intense anxiety can lead to panic attacks which are debilitating. Using a variety of treatment strategies, I can help you manage stress and anxiety and change your approach to anxiety-producing situations.

Feeling overwhelmed by the stress and pressures in your life? Would you like to lower your levels of anxiety related to emotional disturbances you are experiencing? Would you like a therapeutic approach that doesn't require you to share every little detail of disturbing events? If so, you may benefit from EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as your therapeutic approach of choice. EMDR is evidence based and was created to help clients work through deep traumas such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), however it can be used to treat any situation that causes individuals an emotional disturbance.

Everyone feels anxiety at some point in their lives but when it starts to interfere with your life, counseling can help. Although anxiety can feel debilitating, it is treatable. People with anxiety don’t always share the same symptoms, they vary from person to person. Therapy will help you to reclaim your life and function in a chronically stressful world.

Worry and stress are part of our busy lives today. This stress can become an anxiety disorder when the symptoms continue for a long period of time and interfere with our ability to function on a daily bases. Symptoms of chronic anxiety can include: concentration issues, stomach aches and tightness, troubles swallowing, quickened heartbeat, tight chest, shortness of breath, irrational fears, worry, confusion, tension in muscles, headaches, loss of sleep, not getting to sleep, weakness in body, poor memory and other symptoms. Symptoms that are severe enough can cause feelings of discomfort and loss of control leading to feeling helpless.

Anxiety and stress therapy is approached using symptom management tools, mindfulness, and education. Clients benefit from this approach by learning how their brains and bodies react to stressful situations and how they can use anxiety management skills to moderate their symptoms. Counsellors also emphasize overall well-being and self-care as part of anxiety and stress management.

Learning to manage anxiety and stress involves learning a little about the connection between mind and body. As a registered yoga teacher with a strong background in mindful interventions, clients can learn to alleviate stress and anxiety by grounding themselves in the present and using breath, and sometimes movement, to regulate their physical and emotional states. My clients can elect to try private yoga and/or meditation in session, or join one of my specialized classes for trauma survivors, couples, or families. Depending on the source of stress, clients may access help in problem solving, generating realistic solutions, and putting their plan into action.

Anxiety and stress can manifest in different ways for different people. While some people experience a heavy feeling in their chest, shortness of breath, muscle tension, an inability to concentrate, or panic attacks, other people may notice increased drug/alcohol use, irritability, sleep disturbances, and a lack of joy in life. First, it is important to distinguish the sources of anxiety/stress and decide which ones are coming from external vs. internal sources. Then, one must decide whether change is within or not within one’s control. Next, varying methods of coping with the stress and managing the symptoms of stress can be learned in therapy.

Many therapists teach clients techniques to manage anxiety and panic in order to limit their impact on life, goals, relationships. I think these symptoms have a deep meaning, and they want to tell us something about ourselves. Maybe something we fail to see or feel, something important about who we are. That's why I work with my clients to understand these symptoms until we can look them in the face and get some critical insight from them. Stress is not only a physiological reaction. It usually comes from our desires and models of success. Stress has a SOCIAL dimension that cannot be neglected, as it is an essential part of how we conceive of joy, pain, failure and enjoyment.

[NOTE: MY OFFICE IS IN CALGARY -- I DO VIDEO SESSIONS ELSEWHERE IN ALBERTA]. Anxiety and stress are two conditions that have treatments that work. Cognitive behaviour therapy, desensitization therapy, and hypnotherapy (all of which I practice) are often tremendously helpful. I have been a psychologist for 31 years, and I can help. Set up a time to see me by visiting https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=14249112

Anxiety is actually our "friend", that is alerting us to something we need to pay attention to. So, anxiety first needs to be listened to before "managing" it. We could be feeling anxious because of medical reasons or past traumas are being triggered. Stress, on the other hand, is something we do need to "manage". If we don't manage stress, it will manage us. It is important to occasionally consider how much stress we actually are carrying and figure out what can be reduced or eliminated. We have only so much energy available to us to spend on our own unique load of stresses. So stress management is really about energy management.

Anxiety and Stress are the norm in today's world. Our fast-paced society pulls our attention in many directions and often away from ourselves. Being disconnected from our feelings, needs and wants is often a cause of anxiety. Mindfulness-based counselling is a powerful way to have us create an island of sanity for ourselves amidst the speed of our lives. By learning to reconnect with ourselves amidst the busyness of life, we are put back into relationship with our hearts and what is truly meaningful to us.

My person-centered approach will benefit clients as they increase self-awareness and personal empowerment to cope with their experiences of anxiety and stress. Clients will be invited to increase communication and expression about their experience, explore and understand personal beliefs underlying their experience, learn to recognize and manage their symptoms of distress, and develop mindfulness practices and self-care strategies as coping skills.

When anxiety is a normal part of life it warns us of impending danger and takes action to be safe. When stress is a normal part of life it helps to balance activity and rest. When the stresses in life increase it may affect ones level of anxiety to the extent that the future looks hopeless. Counselling can help individuals address the underlying issues and stresses, restoring balance to their life.