Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Philadelphia, PA.

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.

To help you manage your stress and anxiety symptoms, we start with understanding the nature and patterns of your symptoms in relation to environmental triggers, traumatic life events, and unhelpful thinking patterns that influence your daily perspective. Using a collaborative alliance, we will look for better ways to manage both your external stressors and internal reactions. A cognitive-behavioral approach offers practical methods to understand how thought patterns influence emotional reactions and behaviors. By redirecting and re-framing your thoughts with alternative thoughts, you can experience a reduction in unpleasant emotions and an increase in personal effectiveness.

Do you worry all the time? Is it hard for you to turn off your thoughts? Do anxious thoughts keep you up at night? Do you experience panic attacks in which you have trouble breathing or feel like you're having a heart attack? Alisa can help you learn how to manage symptoms of anxiety with relaxation tools, other stress management tools, and ways to decrease anxious thoughts and feelings.

Anxiety and stress impact many persons' lives daily. Some people experience stronger levels of anxiety and stress which can meet the criteria for a mental health disorder, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD. Therapy can address this in many different ways. One way is to look at how thoughts and behaviors are linked using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach. Other modalities such as Narrative Therapy or Eco-Systemic Structural Family Therapy may look at how life events and familial patterns impact one's sense of anxiety/stress and the management of these issues. Another approach is mindfulness which helps clients get in touch with their body to work.

When we feel a loss of control, it can be scary and disabling. In my practice, I incorporate traditional talk therapy with mindfulness based therapy and yoga practices. Yoga and meditative exercises can help a person regain a sense of control over their thoughts, emotions, and physical body. Being centered within can help significantly reduce anxiety and symptoms created by stress. Take some time for self care and relaxation. I can help you feel more in control of your daily life, rather than feeling as though anxiety has taken control over you.

Got Stress? Get Creative! My favorite daily practice is to smile when I feel one of those feelings (stressed, upset, overwhelmed, anxious…) I immediately feel better and am able to respond effectively to what is in front of me (like car going too slow when I’m in a hurry or someone being rude/ unthoughtful/difficult). I learned this during my training over the years in performance and improv… learning to creatively respond to what’s coming at me/being offered by the world with acceptance and openness. And, as a therapist I have seen how creatively responding verses automatically reacting out of anger, fear, stress, frustration, etc can help clients as well as me. In the....

When anxiety takes hold, it can be easy to fall into a cycle of avoidance. This means avoiding situations or activities that make us feel anxious, in the hopes of reducing our anxiety levels. While this might provide some temporary relief, in the long run it can actually make things worse. Avoidance can reinforce our anxiety, making us feel even more afraid and uncertain about the things we’re avoiding. Over time, this can lead to a decrease in overall life satisfaction and quality of life, as we limit our experiences and miss out on opportunities for growth and enjoyment. Breaking the cycle of avoidance is an important step in managing anxiety, and therapy for anxiety can be a helpful tool.

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@kevinfleminphd.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.