Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Itasca, IL.

In anxiety and stress treatment, the first goal is to reduce your discomfort. Anxiety and Stress cause real physiological symptoms; a day of anxiety can result in feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. By addressing the events that trigger you, negative thoughts and reactive behaviors that are intertwined anxiety and stress, you can expect a quick reduction of symptoms while making pathways to new positive behaviors and reactions. Longer term, you'll learn to be aware of your triggers and stop anxiety before it starts; you'll work to achieve inner peace and reduce your stress with new self-care actions.

I work with anxiety and stress using a cognitive behavioral approach. The goal is to help the client learn that they can manage their anxiety and stress. This is done through gaining insight into their perception and thinking around the circumstances causing them stress. We also work to help them reduce the anxiety through physical activity including exercise and relaxation. Combining the thought process with the physical component work well in reducing anxiety and stress.

Similar in approach to the treatment of depression, I take a holistic approach to the treatment of anxiety and stress disorders. I seek to restore function and break the momentum cause by ineffective habits that were created as a knee-jerk way of responding to anxiety symptoms. The instinct to try to control our emotional experience is strong and understandable, but often creates difficulties that make anxiety symptoms more entrenched and difficult to treat. Learning techniques of relaxation and mindfulness are instrumental in the effective treatment of anxiety symptoms and regaining the kind of balance lost in the unrestrained experience of anxiety symptoms.

Like some caffeine, some anxiety can motivate people to meet deadlines or complete tasks. Also, as stress seems to be an integral part of our lives, people often say some stress is vital to keep us stimulated or successful. But what if the anxiety and stress you feel seems to be hurting not helping you? Maybe you can't fall asleep or you bite your nails? Perhaps you often interrupt others or get overwhelmed when starting a project? Certainly, medication is a possibility. However, talking with a psychologist is a necessity.

I personally have suffered from anxiety and come from a family where anxiety was a pervasive undertow. I know how anxiety can dominate a life and stress the lives of others. Medications may have been tried and and medical services utilized and proven not enough. In counseling I work with my clients individually, sometimes together with a spouse, in a conversational manner to get at the thought patterns contributing to stress and anxiety. Helping the client to get to the base of their anxiety, how they are stressing themselves out in their given life situation and how specifically to change these entrenched patterns is my goal. Referrals are made for other forms of help as necessary,