Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.

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.

Do you feel stressed out most of the time? Do you worry constantly? Do you struggle with panic attacks? I help people to identify the underlying causes of their anxiety and to reduce stress in their lives. I provide a supportive, accepting environment where people can explore their deepest fears and develop true peace of mind. It would be a privilege to talk with you and see what I can do to help. Feel free to call me at 760 566-5513.

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 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.

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).

Are you dealing with anxiety and stress? Are these feelings harming your ability to function at work, at home, or do they keep you from fully enjoying your life? I can help you to process and understand what is causing you this anxiety and stress and equip you with skills to learn to manage and overcome these powerful emotions. It's not an easy battle, but I will walk with you through every step of the process in a gentle and skilled manner to bring you to freedom.

This has been labeled the age of anxiety. It is easy to see why - we live in a constant state of stress-inducing issues. Money, employment, children, marriage, health, aging, can all lead to feelings of stress and sometimes overwhelming anxiety. But we do not have to live with the stress. We can learn how to respond in a healthy way to the stress in our lives. I can help you address these issues, as well as make a plan to live as stress-free as you possibly can.

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.

You don't have to be anxious anymore! The biggest secret to being anxiety free, lies in understanding what anxiety really is. It is a generalized "fear" with no object. This means that the anxious person honestly answers the question, "What are you afraid of?" with "I don't know." When you come to therapy with me, I will teach how to answer the most important question that you can ask yourself, "What is behind the anxiety?" When you pay attention to the bodily sensations that exist "behind" your anxiety, the change process begins. In time, with successful treatment, you will experience a sense of peace. Calm confidence can become your usual or normal experience as the anxiety fades.

It might be helpful to have behavioral tools to manage anxiety and stress, but those tools might not be instantly available when a person is under extreme duress. I have begun to use hypnosis to help clients access a felt sense of calm and inner peace even while upset occurs in daily life. Hypnosis can help clients identify and access their own strengths and resources, to apply to stress management in new ways.

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.

Fear can be debilitating. It can prevent us from doing what we love. All fear is future based; fears about what may happen. Often times we fear the worst. Through identifying the fearful thoughts and learning to replace the scary thoughts with joyful truths, we can see that what may come may just be something worth living for. As we live with fear and anxiety, we tend to activate the sympathetic nervous system which is our fight or flight. I utilize therapeutic relaxation, meditation and mindfulness to help activate the parasympathetic nervous system to produces feelings of peace and rest.

A little anxiety or stress can be good for us. It motivates us to get to our work done, to study for an exam, or to help us recognize we are overwhelmed and need to slow down. When anxiety is problematic, it creates an unhealthy sense of well-being and it interferes with daily living. Because there are different forms of anxiety, and because often anxiety can occur with depression, I work with individuals to assess what kind of anxiety they may be experiencing, and then focus holistically on not only managing the symptoms of anxiety, but also gaining a better awareness of the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of anxiety.