Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in West Dundee, IL.

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.

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.

Anxiety is what we feel when we worry too much about the future or overthink events from the past in the present moment. It's a physiological experience that can feel overwhelming, even frightening at times, it can prevent us from making good decisions or prevent us from making any decisions at all! Fortunately anxiety is treatable, in many case without medication. I will help you understand anxiety and provide you with tools and strategies you can use to begin to free your mind. Within a few sessions, most clients are able to think more clearly and make better decisions. They feel more at ease and relaxed to do the things they'd like to do to lead a happier life.

Your whole body can be alarmed, and your mind can't stop racing. Anxiety, fueled by stress hormones, is one of the most difficult emotions to manage. Learning how to calm the body take practice and encouragement. It means changing thinking patterns, physiological states, and challenging yourself to face situations that you would actually prefer to avoid if you could. I aim to be a coach and a support through this process.

Today's world brings many stressors into our lives. I would encourage the individual to discuss their stressors, and assist them in learning positive coping strategies. Sometimes it is difficult to make these changes after years of habits, but I would stress the benefits of change. I would encourage the individual not to have such impossible standards for their behavior, which often leads to stress and anxiety. I have found that many individuals who are supportive of their friends often over extend themselves, so I would also encourage healthy boundaries.

At times, we all think negatively; however, we are empowered because we can change the way we think in order to feel less anxiety and stress. In order to pursue optimal psychological health, one way to start is to begin to monitor our thinking regularly. The next step is to examine or question our thoughts and ask ourselves things like: Are our thoughts in proportion to what has happened? Is there any evidence that our beliefs are true? Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective treatment approach for anxiety and stress especially if part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Anxiety is a physiological response that occurs in several body systems. Stress may be one contributing cause. But there are so many others including undiscovered medical issues, unproductive thought processes, the use of stimulants, and co-occurring mental health issues. Once we identify anxiety's origin, we can draft a useful treatment plan and address the problem. And depending upon the anxiety's origin, our approach will vary. It's a cognitive-behavioral, reality based, solution-focused process that takes some time, but the results are worth the process.

Anxiety and stress are a normal part of life, but are problematic when it interferes with your ability to function well. Therapy can provide psycho-education and an understanding of how you experience anxiety and stress in order to best manage it. Physical symptoms, emotional distress, and thought rumination are common aspects of anxiety and stress and we can begin to relieve and treat each of these through therapeutic approaches.

Clients seeking therapy for anxiety and stress can benefit from cognitive treatment which aims at changing thinking patterns to ease symptoms and promote positive insight. With cognitive therapy, you will learn to model healthier behaviors and ways of thinking to help change the perception of issues/situations that cause anxiety and stress. The goal of this therapy is for you to gain the ability to differentiate negative or overwhelming thoughts from healthy thoughts to prevent future self-depreciating feelings. Therapy can also help you to assess your need for any anti-anxiety medication to assist with symptom reduction.

I specialize in the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (Worry), Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia, Health Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I would describe my therapeutic approach to be cognitive behavioral (CBT), with an emphasis on the behavioral. I also like to integrate other third wave mindfulness-based CBT approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy when indicated.

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.

Anxiety can be like a feedback loop that repeatedly criticizes you. It can show up as irritability and feeling like you’re on edge all the time. It can present as panic and you feel like you’ll never stop feeling anxious. Maybe you feel anxious about so many different things and you even feel anxious about feeling anxious. With anxiety, my approach is to first listen and create a safe space to express all this energy. We will also examine the thoughts that can increase our anxiety and practice reframing them. We will build a “coping skills toolkit”, as I like to say, to help you navigate when you feel anxious. You don’t need to be “fixed”. It’s okay to struggle. Let’s work on managing it.

Do you long for relationships with others but are afraid to take risks because of how you might be perceived? Do you avoid people, places or experiences? Is your life feeling more constrained and difficult to enjoy things you once experienced. If so you may be dealing with something commonly known as an Anxiety Disorder. Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. It is a normal feeling that we are born with to keep us safe from danger. The problem is when anxiety levels b/c elevated it can be very debilitating and keep people from a full life. Approximately 25% of the population experiences elevated levels of anxiety and there is help. Contact us to set up a consultation.