Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Cranbrook, BC.

Anxiety causes worry that is hard to control. You feel irritable, and makes it hard for you to sleep, relax or be present. Anxiety can make you feel alone so talking about it with someone who cares and doesn't judge is important because you can learn to manage and reduce anxiety. I can help you understand what anxiety is and identify early warning signs before you become overwhelmed or panicked so you can use skills to calm your nervous system. We can create a practical and effective toolkit for managing stresses in everyday life which can make you feel more in control, capable and hopeful.

My office is a safe space to express any thoughts and feelings about your life in complete confidence. Sharing painful experiences under the Witness of an empathic human being has incredible healing power. Within this therapeutic relationship, we can use mindfullness practices, progressive muscle-relaxation, and Cognitive Therapy to transform your experience of stress into the present, balanced, and relaxed way of living that you have not had in a very, very long time.

Anxiety can severely impact the quality of a person's life. It can impact their sleep, work, relationships, school, and their physical health. Sometimes, anxiety can become so intense that people experience physical symptoms like sweating, heart racing, dizziness, nausea, etc. The good news is that there are effective psychological treatments for anxiety. CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy), which is the type of therapy I practice, is an evidence-based approach that provides individuals with skills to help manage their anxiety and get control over their lives back.

Do you feel anxious, worried or on edge? Are you unable to stop worrying at times? Do you worry about many different things? Do you worry about something awful happening? Do you lay awake at night worrying? Anxiety and stress is very hard to cope with at times. It can cause fatigue, muscle tension, and an overall feeling of being unwell. Bettina uses a number of different approaches to help alleviate anxiety and stress. EMDR and CBT are empirically validated therapies to help you with both anxiety and stress. Sometimes trauma or emotional childhood experiences can cause the anxiety that we feel as adults. EMDR can help heal the wounds of trauma and lessen the anxiety we feel in our lives.

If you're up against anxiety, I offer an empowering and collaborative approach. There is an opportunity to explore your experience and to begin to see yourself as separate from anxiety. Through conversations, you may begin to identify alternative stories that challenge anxious thoughts and beliefs. We'd attend to your capacity and establish coping strategies to foster a sense of possibility. Together the we would co-create a new narrative that emphasizes the your resiliency, self-compassion and a greater sense of calm.

One helpful approach to dealing with stress and anxiety is to calm the sympathetic nervous system, and one of the most effective techniques for doing this is to learning to breath slowly and deeply, while cultivating mindful, present awareness. In treating anxiety we learn to face our emotions and to develop active ways to manage unhelpful thoughts and unpleasant and distressing emotions. Discerning what we can influence and what lies beyond our control is also important. In addition, it is critically important to maintain social connections, to deliberately regulate our intake of information through social media, and seek out stories of hope and compassion.

Anxiety and panic are often driven by negative experiences or traumas that are stored in the brain and can trigger overwhelming emotional responses. EMDR helps to desensitize and reprocess these memories, reducing the intensity of the emotional response and decreasing symptoms of anxiety and panic. Through the use of bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or tapping, EMDR can help the brain reprocess the negative experiences, leading to increased emotional regulation and a greater sense of calm and well-being.

Living with fear and anxiety is hard. To learn to let go of our fears and have a more peaceful, loving and healthy mind is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. With less fear we will have a less stressed out perspective on on those challenges that previously stressed us out. When we let go of our worried anxious approach to life we can then energize ourselves with fulfilling experiences.

I offer an integrative blend of somatic awareness, mindfulness practices, relational attunement, and trauma-informed presencing to help my clients address anxiety and stress in their lives. Using your natural healing process as our guide, we can help the nervous system learn what a peaceful state of health and vitality is again. I am currently offering sessions online and in person.

Counselling plays a crucial role in addressing anxiety, providing a safe and supportive environment where individuals can confront the intricate psychological and emotional factors contributing to their anxious feelings and behaviours. Therapists specialized in anxiety disorders utilize various therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy, to assist individuals in uncovering the root causes of their anxiety, challenging irrational thought patterns, acquiring effective coping strategies, and promoting emotional resilience. Through counselling, individuals can develop a deeper understanding/management of their anxiety.