Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Pembroke, ON.

Depending on the source (if it can be identified) most anxiety can be effectively treated with various forms of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Behavioural experiments and exposures, combined with thought analysis and restructuring can bring about swift positive improvements. However, CBT for anxiety is hard work and involves willingness to experience discomfort as one learns to tolerate their fears and then experiences the powerful safety feedback which counters them. With practice, anxiety can be nearly completely extinguished. If panic is related to trauma, a longer and involved process may be needed using EMDR, imagery re-scripting or dialectical behavioural interventions.

Anxiety can leave you feeling overwhelmed, stuck in your head, or constantly on edge. You might notice racing thoughts, tension in your body, or trouble relaxing. Together, we take time to understand where your anxiety comes from and what keeps it going. With support, understanding, and self-awareness, you can feel calmer, more grounded, and better able to face situations that once felt overwhelming. Clients often notice improved confidence, reduced stress, and the ability to manage their thoughts and emotions more effectively.

Anxiety is a normal response to stress, but can become debilitating when the stress is ongoing, overwhelming and inescapable. Learning how to manage anxiety is a critical life skill because it affects both the mind and the body. Dwelling on the future prevents us from living in the moment, and psychotherapy can offer tools and coping skills to help re-regulate our body and find relief from overthinking and relentless mental chatter.

Stress and anxiety when present within healthy limits can stimulate, motivate, challenge, warn and activate our bodies to react accordingly to the situation. When it's too much, too intense and for too long, stress and anxiety lead to poor functioning, impairment and exhaustion resulting in stress and anxiety overload, contributing heavily to triggering anxiety disorders. In my therapy, I use therapeutic approaches and techniques that help reduce stress and anxiety and enhance the quality of your life and build your emotional resilience. You develop skills to minimize distress and maximize efficacy in many areas of your living and live life in a happier and healthier manner

As a Somatic (SE) therapist- mental & emotional health follows the state of the nervous system. If it is flowing seamlessly between sympathetic and parasympathetic; arousal and settling, within a “manageable range” there’s a deep, internal sense of well-being, emotional stability, confidence, clear thinking, aliveness, trust in self and others, and mastery. With SE we will focus on: Your experiences... in the body Learn to track, observe, describe what is going on for you Regulate internal arousal states, shift locked patterns into action, increase body awareness. Encourage emotional engagement with attention to: mindfulness, sensations, movements and impulses. Here & Now find YOU!

While anxiety and stress in small amounts can be a helpful source of information, too much can become overwhelming and even interfere with our daily lives. Therapy can be a space to explore the impacts of anxiety and how it may have become engrained into your self-narrative. You and I can work together to co-create coping strategies that are unique to your specific situation. Contact me to book a free consultation so we can decide together if we would be a good fit.