Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Closter, NJ.

Anxiety is excessive worry about negative events that you expect to happen, but are not necessarily in the cards. The worry is enough to bring on dread, panic, obsessions, compulsions, and phobias. Usually, early life experiences – perhaps forgotten or suppressed -- taught you to anticipate the worst. Together, we will bring these memories into consciousness so you can consider if they still apply to you in your current life as an adult. This will help you stay more grounded in the reality of the here and now, which can significantly reduce anxious symptoms. I will also teach you calming techniques, including mindfulness practices and self-compassion to counter anxiety when it arises.

I help couples identify the triggers to their anxiety and develop a system to deal with stress before it deals with them! What would your life be like as a couple if you weren't continually activated in negative ways by stress? We will work together to make small steps toward change. Clients report less chronic pain when they are managing anxiety in healthy ways. It is possible to reduce anxiety and live life in a more vivid way, even if you situation is not optimal. I can teach you both to acknowledge and release these negative thoughts, thus releasing the "trauma" that has built up in your body (stored stress and anxiety)

Anxiety and stress are interrelated. Generally people with anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, tend to internalize conflicts that cause them to always be stressed out, which affects their thinking and behavior. Through an eclectic psychotherapy approach that includes psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral work, I help them release the fears and angers that underlie the build-up of stress. In time they learn to moderate their feelings, cope better with stressful situations and live a calmer life.

Most people who suffer from excessive anxiety are suffering from a form of stage-fright. Some anxiety is genetically based. Some is culturally based. Hal encourages his clients to verbalize their anxieties so they understand it genesis. Which in turn eventually leads to confidence that they can learn to calm themselves down. Hal gives each client exercises to use to lower levels of anxiety and to find creative ways to modulate areas in their life that foment stress.

If you suffer from anxiety or stress then you know how it impacts upon your life. This is such a large topic. It could include ocd, panic attacks, low self esteem, ...poor relationships to numerous other issues. My approach depends upon who you are and what your issues are. I like to think of myself as being non-judgmental, creating an atmosphere where you are comfortable telling me your story. When that happens we can then identify the issue and choose strategic approaches that will fit with your views and personality so in the end you can have a life without the anxiety and stress that you are feeling presently.

The world is a demanding place these days and we get pulled in so many different directions—add to that the stress of having, keeping, or finding a job, family and/or relationship pressures—and anxiety and stress can so easily gain the upper hand. My goal as a therapist is to help you talk though your issues and concerns so that I can give you the tools to help you overcome your sources of anxiety and stress.

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.

We have all had moments of anxiety and we remain anxious due to the beliefs we hold about our reality and the thoughts we have about our situation. An individual becomes anxious when they overestimate the negative aspects of their situation and underestimate their ability to cope and function in problem situations. The anxious individual will imagine and create even more negative consequences than are actually present. I guide my clients to a more rational approach of focusing on the task at hand, not engaging in or imagining negative outcomes, and not engaging in or exaggerating possible negative outcomes. We focus together on ways that enable coping, behavioral change and flourishing in that situation.

While we all live with some degree of anxiety and stress in our lives, there are times when the anxiety and stress levels overwhelm us and our usual ways of coping no longer work. When overwhelmed by stress an anxiety, it is not uncommon to shut down, engage in poor decision making or partake in destructive escape routes. I help clients gain perspective, problem-solve, and find ways to increase support during times of extreme stress, anxiety, loss and disappointment. Clients with whom I work with on issues of anxiety and stress report feeling more hopeful, more capable, reassured and better able to tackle life's challenges and disappointments.

Every human being faces some degree of anxiety and stress but there are times when their magnitude can become overwhelming and can rob you of your ability to function and enjoy life. Together we will explore the roots of your stress and anxiety, be they relational, job related, or from some other source. I will give you concrete strategies for dealing with them in the moment as well as helping you understand what changes you can make long term whicht will decrease your levels of stress and anxiety.

We’ll start by getting on the same page: what is bringing you to therapy, what are our goals for incorporating medication, and what would it look like to truly feel “better?” We’ll discuss your past history with both psychotherapy and medication, the current challenges you’re facing, and what you hope to get out of this process. You and I will collaborate on a treatment plan that maps out how we’re going to get there.

Anxiety therapy is the first line of treatment for unhealthy anxiety. Your therapist can support you to put your mind at ease, recognize and address the patterns that may contribute to your symptoms. Anxiety therapy sessions can also help you identify coping mechanisms to manage anxiety and reclaim your life. You may feel uncomfortable or even anxious about going to therapy. You may think, “this will probably pass… maybe I should just push through it, and things will get better.” Rest assured that you are not alone. Many people have been there. But you don’t have to wait for your anxiety symptoms to get worse or to affect other areas of your life to seek help. We are here to help.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) If you feel uncontrollable or excessive anxiety and worry more days than not during any six month period, you may be experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). You may feel constantly on-edge, irritable, tired, unable to concentrate, complain of muscle tenseness or have other physical complaints, or your sleep pattern may be disturbed. If anxiety or worry is creating emotional distress, hindering your life, or causing you a lack of achievement or satisfaction in your life, even if you are not experiencing panic attacks, a psychotherapy consultation for General Anxiety Disorder is recommended and I would welcome your inquiry.

When working with people who struggle with anxiety I teach skills that enable people to manage the daily stresses of life. This includes those struggling with generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, post traumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder. By learning how to cope more effectively with these symptoms people learn how to live more functional and satisfying lives.

Helping clients get out of their head and into their body is a specialty of mine. Often times Clients are working very hard to avoid negative outcomes and I help them shift their approach to a preparedness for undesirable outcomes so that they don't have to expand so much energy trying to keep bad things from happening. The goal is increase one's capacity so that can develop the confidence that keeps them from leaning into anxious thoughts.

In my approach to anxiety and stress treatment, I focus on helping clients understand the root causes of their anxiety while providing practical tools to manage symptoms. Using evidence-based techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR, and mindfulness, I guide clients in recognizing negative thought patterns, reducing physical symptoms, and developing healthier responses to stress. My goal is to empower individuals to regain control, enhance emotional regulation, and build resilience, ultimately leading to greater peace and balance in their daily lives.

Everyone feels anxiety at some point in their lives but when it starts to interfere with your life, counseling can help. Although anxiety can feel debilitating, it is treatable. People with anxiety don’t always share the same symptoms, they vary from person to person. Therapy will help you to reclaim your life and function in a chronically stressful world.

Anxiety is a signal your mind is sending to alert you of a real or perceived threat. For example, you are stressed about work: perhaps anxiety is a sign that your fear you are not good enough. There are situations in life when you need a signal so that you make the right decision at the right moment; but when anxiety is too intense, you feel paralyzed and cannot make decisions because all options seem to lead to the worst case scenario. I will help you learn from your anxiety so that you can look beyond the discomfort and understand what is the concern or fear underneath it; then we will work directly with that fear or concern.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is a highly effective treatment for anxiety disorders, particularly OCD. It involves gradually exposing individuals to feared stimuli or situations while preventing the typical compulsive response. Through repeated exposure to these anxiety-provoking triggers, clients learn to tolerate distress without engaging in compulsive behaviors. ERP therapy is based on the principle of habituation, where anxiety decreases over time with repeated exposure. Therapists work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized exposure hierarchies and teach coping skills to manage anxiety. ERP has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms.

Anxiety arises due to one's own natural energies being turned back on oneself. That is caused by lack of clarity on how to advance in life's many often complex situations. In therapy I help you uncover the root causes of anxiety, and to find the way to transcend specific current issues. This relieves the underlying anxieties that seem to arise from nowhere. I will help you see that the anxiety and circular, repeated thinking are due to deeply-held messages. These restrictive messages make it difficult to see the path forward, and can cause you to feel that authentic self-expression is dangerous, not wanted, and unhealthy.

Anxiety and Stress Treatment and Counseling will incorporate using CBT and DBT as well as other therapies in order lower anxiety and stress. Learning to make SMART goals and bring new changes to the day to day routine will take place. Building on strengths and taking an active part in an individualized treatment plan to achieve healthy goals. Mindfulness practices will be added to the therapy sessions.

I will show you how you make yourself anxious about the things you find threatening and challenging. Anxiety and stress are largely self-created by the beliefs we tacitly hold about adversity or potential adversity. I will show you your self-defeating beliefs and teach you how to think so you feel sensible concern and do what you can do to avoid danger and threats. I will show you how to philosophically accept what cannot be avoided and thereby minimize the stress you feel about what cannot be changed or avoided. Using the power of your own ability to think in a self-helping way I will help you to change your feelings of anxiety.

Anxiety and stress are signals that something is going wrong and you need to make changes. If you feel anxious or stressed ask yourself, " Who or what are you angry at? Or, what are you doing that is painful, without limits and leaves you in a state of Dis-Ease/ Anxious and Stressed? Many times your anxiety can be expressed in panic attacks which are overwhelmed emotions unable to be contained. Psychotherapy will help you to express these pent up emotions and burdens. It will teach you to: be assertive with yourself and others, learn to say "No", relax, set limits, take better care of yourself and learn to use anxiety as your friend and a warning signal that you need to make changes,

Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara work supportively and educatively to help you gain a sense of mastery with respect to your anxiety and stress. For over 40 years, we have helped the victims of abusive relationships, work stress, emotional burnout, identity concerns, & perfectionsitic personalities who partake in unhealthy habits. Clients have often reported a sense of relief and appreciation over being well-understood and accepted by Dr. Joel and Dr. Sara. Our practical and reasonable therapeutic approaches build your healthy self-esteem and provide you with the tools for enhanced growth and effectiveness while facing life's challenges. Often within a few sessions, clients feel better.

If you're feeling anxious or stressed, struggling with social phobia or need help managing and reducing panic attacks, can help you. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be very effective in helping you reduce and manage your anxiety and fears. If you are looking for a therapist to help to manage and reduce your anxiety, please contact me at call 973-902-8700 or by email if that's easier for you. I encourage to take the first step and contact me for a free phone consultation.