Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Markham, ON.

As a former journalist, I know what it's like to work in a fast-paced world that leaves you feeling stressed, irritable, and not like yourself. Additionally, I'm a published author of a book called "The Anxious Teen," which specifically addresses how teachers, parents, and mentors can help teenagers cope with this diagnosis. That said, I am passionate about helping both teenagers and adults learn to manage symptoms of anxiety so they can live a life that isn't bogged down by endless worry.

Is anxiety or stress overwhelming your life? You don't have to face it alone. I’m Simona Ilieva, a Registered Psychotherapist specializing in anxiety and stress management. Together, we’ll explore the root causes of your stress, learn techniques to reduce anxiety, and create personalized strategies to regain control. Whether you're facing daily pressures or chronic anxiety, I’m here to support you in finding balance and inner calm. With the right tools and guidance, you can break free from the cycle of stress and start living a more peaceful, fulfilling life. Let's take that step together. Book a free consultation today.

Feeling anxious? or stressed? or overwhelmed? The current situation may seem so difficult, there are changes all the time. It maybe the stress at school, or the pressure at work, or the unfairness how others have treated you at work. But, you need the job, and have the anxiety going to work everyday. You can empower yourself by learning coping strategies and use them to handle your feelings and your automatic thoughts. You can also learn how to do self-care, how to do relaxation, so that your sleep quality is better. All the different parts of your life is inter-related and can affect you and your quality in life.

Anxiety and stress can feel overwhelming, affecting your peace of mind and daily life. In our sessions, I provide a calm, supportive space where you can explore your concerns without judgment. Together, we’ll identify triggers, develop practical coping strategies, and build resilience using approaches like CBT, Mindfulness, and Narrative Therapy. My goal is to help you regain control, reduce tension, and restore balance—so you can feel more confident and empowered in managing life’s challenges.

Stress, anxiety, and panic attacks are all too common in our sometimes overwhelming day to day lives: partners, work, children, family and other stressors are constantly pushing us to the breaking point. We also can experience anxiety that seemingly comes out of nowhere, anxiety that seems irrational such as a fear of getting out of the house, shopping, being around people or strange places. I work with my clients to overcome these fears; not only do I help relieve the symptoms with tried and true CBT methods, but I also like to go a bit deeper and look for the causes of anxiety. When these causes are addressed, the anxiety is more likely to go away for good.

We all experience some form of stress in meeting the various challenges of life, but sometimes we can get overwhelmed. In counselling, I work with you to understand your own process of stress and anxiety, and then we can work together on ways of dealing effectively with the people and situations you find particularly challenging at this time in your life.

Anxiety and stress, sometimes they're manageable... sometimes they aren't. If you are having difficulty managing the anxiety and stress, I strive to work with people to navigate and explore their stressors to understand them and gain insight and perspective into those stress patterns so we can collaboratively devise empowering ways to manage them.

Oftentimes people view anxiety as a bad feeling, however, through their work with me clients often find ways to live with their anxiety and turn the situation around. Anxiety is generally a fear of a wide variety of things, by addressing the roots of the anxiety and understanding that it can be faced head on, clients often find relief from the things that make them anxious. My work with anxiety is always gradual and clients are first made comfortable with their anxiety and then learn to cope and at times reduce anxieties where appropriate.

Life is full of stress and anxiety, managing them is key to good health, vibrant relationships, and successful career. Our anxiety and stress are very manageable if you have the right help and tools. Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (which has proven to be effective treatment), not only can I help you manage your stress and anxiety, but I can help you harness them to increase your performance and relationships.

In anxiety and stress counselling, I create a calm, supportive space where you can explore your concerns and feel truly heard. Together, we identify triggers, understand patterns, and develop practical tools to manage overwhelming thoughts and emotions. I draw on evidence-based strategies to help you build resilience, regain a sense of balance, and face challenges with greater confidence. My goal is to empower you to feel more grounded, in control, and able to enjoy life more fully.

My approach to Anxiety and Stress Counseling combines compassionate self-inquiry into the roots of anxiety with somatic practices like breathwork to calm the nervous system. Clients learn healthy ways to express emotions, and build authentic, supportive relationships. Emphasis on setting boundaries helps reduce internal conflict, allowing greater emotional balance, resilience, and a sense of safety and well-being in daily life.

Low levels of anxiety can motivate us to accomplish goals and perform at our best. As the level of experienced anxiety creeps higher, it robs us of our joy and can make us feel overwhelmed resulting in either inactivity or a compulsion to be overactive yet not experiencing any lasting relief. Our sense of internal peace and calm is replaced by perpetual overthinking and fear. Let's work together to gain insight into the root cause of your anxiety so that we are able to empower you to reclaim your experience of joy and a sense of internal calm.

Stress and anxiety are the biggest preventable causes of unhappiness and illness. They poison your relationships, self-esteem, health, and happiness. The goals in helping you manage your stress/anxiety are to understand what your personal reaction to anxiety-provoking situations are, identify what your related concerns are, and learn to "let go" of anxiety. I will help you become more aware of the internal self-talk and how your thoughts affect your feelings. Thoughts affect feelings - feelings affect actions.