Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in De Winton, AB.

Anxiety and stress feel like your brain is stuck in overdrive. There is no word in the english language that accurately describes how truly uncomfortable and awful it is to sit in anxiety. With your brain in overdrive and your body holding all the stress, you need a safe, grounded space of calm, connection and trust. Compassion is a game changer, we slow down and respond from a place of calm and curiosity. You're not too much, You are carrying to much. Let's set some down.

Dealing with your stress and anxiety involves the capacity to stay centered and calm while observing what is causing and activating your feelings of stress and anxiety. Through mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive therapy you will develop the capacity to: pause and regulate your emotions, take perspective on your thoughts, and choose to respond to your stress/anxiety instead of react to it. Together we will create the attitudes and life practices that enable you to transform stress/anxiety into energy and motivation.

Identifying that there are aspects of the 'self' that require attention is the first step in reducing stress and anxiety. The ability to self-reflect and acknowledge that shifts need to be made are the building blocks of change . Making sense of meaning and purpose in one's life is linked to resiliency as is understanding the difference between internal versus external locus of control. These are all things I explore with my clients suffering from stress and anxiety.

I help clients manage anxiety and stress with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a research-based approach in which I am certified. I help clients with managing stress, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, health anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Anxiety and stress are sometimes helpful responses and can carry important information for us about our current lives. However, they can also be overwhelming and come with sensations that are difficult to tolerate. I can help you learn techniques to soothe your body, regain balance, and address the mind chatter that may be perpetuating your anxiety.

Anxiety as a result of stress is one of, if not the major contributing factor to poor health in most areas of people lives. If you have ever been tense before an exam or a visit to the dentist, you have a felt anxiety. Increased heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing, dry mouth, & a sense of dread are common. Changing this involves cognitive & behavioural approaches. Cognitive change is understanding how thoughts contribute to symptoms and how to change thought patterns to reduce the intensity of your anxiety. And behavioral changes involve using techniques to reduce or stop any undesired behaviors that are a result of the anxiety you have been experiencing.

Fear, doubt, worry? Butterflies in the stomach? Anxiety affects 5% of the population, and is one of the oldest and most common mental health challenges around. 60% of the physical issues that take people to a doctor's office are related to stress. Many people want symptom relief, which I do, but how it shows up in your life is individual to you. I explore your life and work with you to unearth 'holistic' roots that may be keeping it in place.

Anxiety is, simply, put, unrelenting worry that continues after the thing or circumstance you are worrying about is removed or it is the exaggerated worry about something. In anxiety, the sheer size of the worry in relation to the concern, the realistic vs. non-realistic nature of the concern, and the frequency or level of control related to concern matter. OCD relates to obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours. Social Anxiety is an intrusive, disruptive fear of people or certain social situations. Often, we see fears of judgement, body image, looking awkward or stupid, as being thematic in social anxiety thoughts. Just to name a few example of how anxiety can present itself.

Stress is the body’s natural reaction to danger. It’s meant to help identify a problem that needs your attention to fix. However, when the stress lasts too long, it can start to impact our physical and mental health. In my practice we look at understanding the root of all stress or anxiety and together we create practical, meaningful coping strategies.

Our world can be a stressful and frightening place -- and it's even more difficult to walk through alone. You don't have to feel alone in an unsafe world. Our specialized Christian counselling for women struggling with anxiety, panic and stress can empower you with the tools to deal with life, relationships and your faith in a way that doesn't just mask the problem - it lets you walk free from it.

Gerard has diverse experience as a psychologist and leader in social services, schools, university, workplaces, and his private practice. Using a theoretical foundation of social learning and cognitive-behavioural training, he is well-versed in various kinds of formal and informal assessment and solution-focussed approaches. He listens carefully to understand your needs and relies on his extensive experience to help you find solutions.

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.

Having served as a chaplain in an active war zone, Dr Mervin (Paraklesis Counselling) has first-hand insight into PTSD and anxiety disorders. As a psychopharmacologist he is uniquely equipped to assist you in knowing when medication is required, and when the stress can be managed without medication. Some anxiety disorders (like OCD) needs to be pharmacologically treated first before therapy will be helpful; others (like general anxiety and/or phobias) can often be effectively treated with therapy, avoiding the side-effects of the medication. Your anxiety disorders can be effectively treated!