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

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!

I love to work with individuals to empower them to conquer severe anxiety and manage stress responses more confidently. I use a variety of practical and effective techniques designed to foster relaxation, mindfulness, grounding and emotional regulation. I also use a lot of psychoeducation in this process to help individuals understand the mechanisms behind the nervous system's response to fear and stress. I will support you through your work of confronting your fears, building resilience and fostering long-term emotional well-being.

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.

Healthy anxiety is a transient response to stress. It prompts us to use coping skills. Sometimes anxiety becomes persistent, unreasonable and excessive, even to the point of a panic attack. The cause may be overwhelming stress, abuse, separation or loss, or a traumatic event. Unhealthy anxiety can lead to great distress, difficulty with daily life, relationship problems, avoidance of people, places and situations, and time-consuming habits. Treatment can help you: • develop strategies to manage stress and anxiety • conquer worrying • relate to others in healthy ways without fear of rejection or being evaluated negatively • recover from past trauma • get back to living life

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.

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.

We support individuals to examine their anxious thoughts and beliefs and develop strategies that are unique to them. We help individuals challenge anxiety in both a logical and emotional manner. When individuals learn about anxiety and how it manifests, they develop the capacity to recognize it and use individualized coping mechanisms. At Creative Sky Psychology, anxiety is a common concern we address through strength based therapy.

While our bodies are perfectly designed to adapt and react to stress, modern problems mean that we tend to detect life threatening dangers in very ordinary places. Conflicts at work, arguments in our relationships and uncertainties such as the post-Covid world activate old survival mechanisms. We may be stuck in the buzzing, fear states of ‘fight-flight’ or the numb and paralyzed states of ‘freeze and shut down.’ The good news is that I have a long history of safely and successfully helping individuals and couples to reduce and release stress using a variety of CBT and mindfulness techniques, as well as trauma-informed therapy. You have my commitment to compassionate and educated care.

If you often find yourself worried, stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, seeking external support is often an excellent step in creating the change you desire. There are a number of different coping and change strategies available for those struggling with these concerns, and I truly look forward to assisting you in this regard! Please contact me to find out how I can help.

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.

Stress and anxiety often present as somatic distress, physical tension, racing thoughts, and sometimes, they come as a sense of constant pressure and overwhelm that interfere with our daily life in varying degrees of intensity. We can work together to slow down the internal races, identify the sources of distress, work on grounding techniques and integrate mindful, cognitive strategies into your day to day routine to give you more control. The goal is not to eradicate stress because it is natural to experience anxiety and stress, however, we want to keep it within the optimal window of tolerance.

Anxiety and stress can make life feel like you have no control and are in a constant state of fight or flight. These conditions can interrupt decision making, daily activities, sleep, and even your body and physical health. We use talk therapy and EMDR to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms of stress and anxiety. Whether your anxiety is a phobia, situational stress generalized anxiety or even of an OCD nature; emdr is evidenced based to be one of the best treatments for all forms of anxiety.

I approach anxiety differently from many therapists. Instead of struggling to fight against the anxious thoughts and feelings, I encourage people to explore what is feeding and maintaining them. They develop tools and strategies to move forward despite their paralyzing thoughts and feelings. We learn how to change behaviour based on what is most important to us rather than continuing to be held hostage by stress, panic and anxiety. This values-driven approach can guide behaviour change long-term. I believe that it is only through acceptance and thoroughly understanding our feelings that changes can really happen.