Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Toronto, ON.

I have a lot of respect for clients who possess the courage to come to therapy to address a longstanding fear or phobia that has been causing significant distress or has been preventing them from living the life they want to live. I like to take a structured CBT approach to what is causing the fear which includes examining unhelpful thoughts and helping the client gradually move towards greater exposure to the feared stimulus. I am always researching what works in the field of anxiety treatment. I am currently exploring exposure therapy through virtual reality which can help the client complete more gradual exposures in a less risky environments before trying the exposure in real life.

Anxiety and stress is not something that you have to just live with. It is a result of past or current life issues or upsets that is causing your thoughts and bodily reactions to work in a certain way. We will work to identify the causes of your anxiety and stress. We will create practical action plans that will help you to take action and control. We will work with your thoughts to uncover what thoughts are helping or hindering you to be relaxed. You will also learn ways to manage the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress.

Anxiety and stress come in many forms, from normal levels to severe. Anxiety can feel debilitating at times; it can feel like it comes out of nowhere. Certain levels of stress and anxiety are completely normal, in fact, we need them both to survive. In counselling with Ellis Nicolson, you will learn how to cope with stress and anxiety in a healthy way. You will learn how to recognize your body warning sign; relaxation techniques; and replace twisted/neagtive thoughts with realistic/healthy thoughts.

People often come to see me for psychotherapy in my downtown Toronto practice when they find that they are struggling with anxiety-related problems, such as panic disorder, social phobia, anxiety disorders, and the tendency to ruminate excessively. Psychotherapy helps individuals cope better with stress through the use of relaxation methods, and techniques to help regulate excessive anxiety.

Integration of talk therapy with holistic body centred modalities: Giving space for the client to explore and express feelings, own awareness’s, transform thoughts, grieve, vent, and neutralize guilt, anger and fear. New understandings and thus new neural pathways begin to form. Somatic focusing: A profound process of accessing the deep subconscious through breathe work And Life Coaching, meditation, visualization, Emotional Freedom Technique, New Decision Therapy, Polarity Therapy, Cranosacral, Reiki, forgiveness and acceptance work, supplements for brain chemistry balancing are very effective as well. Also CBT, EFT . The combination is powerful.

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.

In Anxiety & Stress treatment, I use a combination of evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotional Regulation techniques, and mindfulness practices to help clients manage overwhelming emotions. By identifying the root causes of anxiety and stress, we work together to develop practical coping mechanisms and shift negative thought patterns. My approach is focused on creating a calm and supportive environment where clients can learn to better manage stress, reduce anxiety, and regain control over their thoughts and behaviors, leading to greater emotional balance and well-being.

We use an eclectic approach to anxiety and stress as we understand this can present differently for each and every client. We use evidence based practices and help you uncover insights as to your own thought patterns, emotions and behaviours. We provide supportive reflection and empathy that can help you recognize stresses you may be carrying that are no longer serving you.

The treatment plan for anxiety and stress would lead to help the client manage and reduce symptoms by building coping skills and emotional regulation. Therapy begins with establishing a trusting, supportive relationship and identifying triggers and patterns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is used to challenge unhelpful thoughts and promote more balanced thinking. Mindfulness and grounding techniques are introduced to reduce physiological symptoms and increase present-moment awareness. As therapy progresses, the focus includes developing problem-solving skills, building resilience, and increasing the client’s sense of control and confidence in managing stressors.

While most treatment approaches for anxiety and stress are effective on the surface, they don’t treat the real problem. Mantras, deep breathing, and rational dialogues about your fear being irrational rarely work---for most people don’t believe it or you! Imagine if you can trick the brain into changing without you telling your conscious mind that you are changing it? Problem with anxiety and stress is that the brain in this state knows you want to change it and it resists. Contact Kevin@kevinflemingphd.com for the ultimate stress and anxiety solution that will literally change your brain's autonomic nervous system patterns while you sit on your butt. 877-606-6161.

Everyone experiences stress, and stress can be positive motivation to get things done. But when stress escalates it can be experienced as anxiety. Anxiety can arise when we lose touch with our feelings. In an anxious state, our bodies produce cortisol, leaving us in a fight or flight state. I try to help people understand the nature of their stresses and regulate stress through meditative, mindful or breathing practices. We explore the internal experiences – the feelings and emotions that escalate stress into anxiety. Learning to address these feelings gives us tools to deal effectively with challenging feelings, thereby developing a healthy sense of inner awareness and control.

Anxiety is internalized prolonged internal stress. Often people are afraid because they have never owned up to themselves. It is completely understandable with the world we live in today and all the expectations placed on we can often become overwhelmed. It can be a forever on going pressure from anything such as, ageing; being alone; illness losing a job/family member/possession. Things that require action can also be heavy stress factors; relationships; losing weight; intimacy; career. Our inner state of mind; feeling rejected, like a failure; low self-image. Etc. "This is not true you have handled everything up till now". Reaching out for support is the first step to creating change.

I love working with people who wrestle with anxiety and stress, I love it because of the difference I witness in the lives and experiences of my clients. Employing a blend of mindfulness, somatic experiencing and neuroscience (polyvagal) techniques, the felt experience of anxiety can be managed in an entirely new way for you, and can lead to profound change in your life. I can not make it so that you never feel anxious again, but we can work to help you learn what to do when you experience the familiar sensations of anxiety, so that it doesn't take over your thoughts, body and life.