Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in El Cajon, CA.

Stress and anxiety, believe it or not, are a normal part of everyday life. However, for some people, they can become bigger issues. If stress and anxiety begin disrupting your daily life, it may indicate a more serious problem. For example, if you are avoiding situations due to unexplainable fears, constantly anxious, or deeply disturbed about a traumatic event weeks, months or years after it happened, it may be time to seek help. You do not have to suffer alone.

Anxiety and stress can be cooled and calmed down, if you know how. As a results-oriented, practical psychologist with 30 years of experience, I can help you more clearly understand the sources your stress and anxiety, know what to do about them, and gain greater control over them. My multi-faceted approach works with your mind, body, actions and relationships. It's possible to be calmer and have greater control. Let's work together to help you have greater control, comfort and calmness.

Dr. Peck is trained in evidence-based models of treatment for anxiety and stress disorders. The good news about anxiety and stress is that there are treatments that have been rigorously studied and are proven to be effective! Unfortunately, not all providers treating these common issues are using the most effective treatments. Dr. Peck can provide education on how anxiety develops, and equip you with a toolbox of coping strategies that are proven to reduce anxiety and stress disorders. Treatments include: Biofeedback, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Exposure and response prevention (a component of cognitive-behavioral therapy), and Coping Cat (children and teens).

Anxiety and stress sometimes seem like they are impossible to escape in today’s world. But when they are your constant companions, therapy can help you find ways to put them back in perspective and restore a sense of peace and calm. I work with you not only to manage the symptoms but also to identify underlying reasons for the anxiety. By employing a “top down and bottom up” approach, you can experience long-lasting relief from your anxiety.

Anxiety and stress are part of living in our busy world. When your anxious thoughts and fears seem overwhelming and are impacting your life in negative ways, therapy can help. I create a warm, engaged, and supportive atmosphere where your experiences can be understood and accepted. Using a holistic approach that includes body-based mindfulness and stress reduction strategies, we can work together to help you get back to living a life that brings joy and meaning.

I have special expertise in working with anxiety and stress. With anxiety, it is important to find ways to calm and soothe the nervous system. I offer a wide variety of tools to help train your body to relax. Finding activities to decompress, have fun and nurture yourself are important in order to cope with a stressful environment. There is usually a good reason that the anxiety, nervousness, fear, or worry is there. Anxiety can be a result of PTSD, and I use special trauma therapies such as EMDR, EFT, and AIT that process and release the negative events and associated feelings and beliefs. It is possible to be free of your anxiety and cope better with your stress.

Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Acute Stress, and/or Post Traumatic Stress make it difficult to carry on your life. From relationships, to work, to the daily tasks of living, anxiety can be devastating. Family, friends, and coworkers may have difficulty understanding your situation. If fears, intrusive thoughts, worries, or stress are disrupting your life, come find the compassionate support you need. I utilize multiple treatment methods which can be tailored to your situation. Don’t let anxiety, stress, and trauma continue to have power over you. Contact me today.

When circumstances and demands pile up to the point where you feel overwhelmed, your mind can become flooded with anxious and stressful thoughts and emotions making it even more challenging to manage your life. Learning to manage these thoughts and feelings as well as those stressful circumstances can bring relief and enhance your ability to be peaceful and productive. Of course this is easier said than done. My role is to provide guidance in equipping you with the skills to acquire the perspective and insight to regain control over your mind and emotions so you can focus your attention and energy back on managing the challenges of life.

Anxiety is a very common and devastating condition. As a licensed clinical psychologist, I have successfully treated anxiety for over 20 years. Most people who come to my office report feeling excessive worry and that they can not stop the worry. I educate my clients so they understand their own anxiety and how to manage their stress. I teach various coping skills, using a variety of treatment modalities tailored to my client's unique needs. Feeling anxious and stressed is very difficult. My goal is to have my client's feel more calm and enjoying their life as soon as possible.

While mild anxiety is a normal part of our everyday lives, it can sometimes be paralyzing, and undermine your work, your relationships, and your ability to interact in the world. That's when you need help. Psychotherapy for anxiety can take a variety of forms: Psychodynamic Therapy - to vent, release, and understand the highly charged emotions that cause your suffering. Cognitive Therapy - to change irrational thoughts to calming ones. Mindful Awareness - to train you to hold calm while observing uncomfortable feelings. Physiological Interventions - to release stress by increasing serotonin levels in your body. Working together, we will choose the best approach for your situation.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point, but for some the anxiety is so frequent or intense that it interferes with their lives or even triggers panic attacks. I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help my clients get a sense of control over their own anxiety. We collaborate to learn skills to reduce the frequency or intensity of the anxious feelings, to tolerate the anxiety when it does occur so they can still function through it, and to practice habits that reduce stress and improve general mental health.

Anxiety as often been referred to as worry gone out of control. When anxiety gets to high levels it can be very debilitating making it very difficult to function at home, work and interpersonal relationships. Anxiety can also result in panic attacks in which a person may feel like they are going to shut down. I assist clients in identifying triggers to their anxiety and developing strategies to successfully cope. I help the client understand how their thought patterns directly influcence their feelings of anxiety. I than assist the client in learning how to better manage thought patterns and adopt thought patterns that lead to increased feelings of calmness and self-control.

I see anxiety conditions as unproductive responses to stress. While there are predisposing factors, the catalyst for triggering anxiety, fears, even phobias is stress. I focus on 4 basic and proven factors: 1) Psychoeducation - understanding what's happening in your mind and body that causes anxiety and stress; 2) Relaxation training - providing you with a wide range of ways to relax and de-stress, not just deep breathing, but many; 3) Cognitive (thought) changes - learning how to change unproductive thinking to productive - Stopping the What ifs and a dozen others; 4) Lifestyle/behavioral changes - balancing life is vital - sleep, nutrition (stop caffeine), exercise, and assertiveness.