Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Mount Vernon, VA.

We all go through seasons of life where things going on around us feel out of control and un-manageable. For some of us, this stress and anxiety can feel debilitating and get in the way of us experiencing life to the fullest. Regardless of how severely you experience this, I am here to help. Through our journey together, you will come to realize your ability to thrive no matter what the circumstances are.

When fear is working properly inside us it serves as a helpful warning (e.g., don't touch the hot stove!). But when our insides are overwhelmed fear can get out of control and start to shape our life in all sorts of big and little ways. This makes it increasingly difficult to feel at peace (with oneself, others or our circumstances). The good news is that we are capable of change! I would be honored to help you learn how to work through your fear (and the underlying struggles that fuel it) so that you can experience more freedom, peace and joy in your life and your relationships.

Anxiety and stress go hand in hand. Anxiety is a customary reaction to a stressful situation. But, in some cases it becomes excessive and can cause sufferers to dread everyday situations. Stress is a reality for all of us. But, it does not have to overwhelm us. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to anxiety. Early traumatic experiences can also reset the body's normal fear-processing system so that it is hyper-reactive to stress. The goal would be to; rid the exaggerated worries and negative outcomes in unknown situations. I will counsel you on the many ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life, along with techniques to adjust your reaction to those factors.

Everyone talks about stress and anxiety, but for many of us, it gets to be too much — interfering with work, sleep, relationships, health, or just being able to enjoy life. There are many options to help reduce the ways anxiety and stress "hijack" you, and to better manage and reduce your stressors. As a psychologist and a neuropsychologist, I'll work with you using the best strategies and practical ways for you to get past the obstacles that stress and anxiety can cause, making excellent use of the ways your brain and mind can shift your response to stress, and helping you move forward in your life with greater freedom and ease.

Anxiety comes when the situations of life create negative ideas about people or things. Once these negative thoughts become frequent, they can prevent you from finding joy in life. In therapy, we work through the negativity, exploring its causes, and then find coping strategies to get around them. Once you know where the negative ideas come from, you can face the situations with a fresh outlook. And we act as a team to create it.

There are at least four components to reducing anxiety. The first is to learn self-soothing techniques. the second is to become aware of the thoughts and images which are making you anxious and replace then with other thoughts and images. The third is to face what you are most afraid of. Sometimes, when there has been trauma, this fear is something that has already happened.. Often it is something out of your control, a fact of life, like death! We need to make peace with these, accept their reality and make the best of what we have. I have some excellent tools for transforming anxiety, Including Accelerated Resolution Therapy, A.R.T, see acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com.

For those who suffer from anxiety and stress it can be difficult to get through a day! I work with my clients to organize the challenges that need to be conquered as well as find ways to manage overwhelming emotions in order to not only survive, but to succeed. Learning how to manage stress, practice self care, and find balance will be key. It's important to not only understand but to also actively practice.

All of us have times when worries pile up, we face situations that seem impossible, and life feels out of control. There are proven ways of coping with stress and anxiety and you don’t have to deal with it alone. Together, we will explore your fears and understand the stressors in your life. We will use evidence-based techniques to help you quiet the anxious thoughts and cope with the stress. By confronting your anxiety in a supportive environment, you can tap into your strengths and overcome the challenges in your life.