Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Ballard, WA.

Traumatic pasts, expectations of a scary future, extreme sensitivity to the world around us, and the shoulds we impose on ourselves that breed shame wield seemingly insurmountable power when we are in the grip of anxiety and stress. I work with you on establishing healthy boundaries, building skills that drop the nervous system out of stress response, and emotional intelligence and regulation. From the safe enough place of being grounded in the Now, we dip into and unravel what maintains the power of your fears and shame. We work to compassionately release all that blocks your authentic self, your sense of purpose and to normalize and encourage the growth of your beautiful and buried truth.

Anxiety is rough- you likely know this. You might think "why is this happening to me? Why does this phase me like it does? This isn't anything big." You also may be under intense stress and perhaps even intensely traumatic situations and just now starting to feel the impact. I offer helpful practical tools to deal with anxiety in how you think and how you breath. But I don't stop there as those things are often un-effective, as you may have already found, if not partnered with a deep understanding of how to work with, on an emotional level, messy feelings.

Anxiety can pull us away from the person we are or want to be and stop us from enjoying the people and things that make life worth living. Whether you suffer from general anxiety, postpartum anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or phobias, I can help. My approach is mindfulness based. We will learn how the interaction among your thoughts, feelings, and behavior impact your well-being. With help, you can learn to have a different relationship with your painful thoughts and feelings, one that lets you step back into your life and experience it fully as it takes place.

Lower anxiety and stress with helpful tools for you individually, in relationships, or at work. Sometimes anxiety rises because of specific circumstances and for others it has always been there. Our culture adds to our anxiety levels and learning how to avoid excess stress can make a huge difference. Anxiety can also be a reaction to something that happened in our past. Let me help you lower your reactions to stress.

Does worry interfere with your responsibilities or daily life, disrupting normal activities, causing you to miss social events? Does it seem like you can’t stop your mind from racing as you worry about all kinds of things and often expect the worst? If you answered yes, you may be suffering from generalized anxiety. It may seem like your worries are coming from the outside, people and events that are causing you stress. In fact, your worrying may actually be self-generated from your own internal dialog running in the background. I will help you calm down and learn to override the negative thoughts while teaching you valuable self-soothing techniques, bringing peace back to your life.

Anxiety and stress are so common they seem like an unavoidable part of the modern lifestyle. However excessive anxiety, stress, and worry can start to destroy your peace of mind, lessen your confidence, and impact your physical health. I provide a therapy process where the pattern of how anxiety is created in your life is understood and new tools to stop the physical and emotional patterns of anxiety are made habitual. The end result is having your peace of mind back so you can focus on the things that matter most to you.

Anxiety can run your life, but it doesn't have to. Together, we'll work on ways to tap into the security and strength of your body. We'll understand the anxious stories and find ways to bring supportive, soothing energy to calm those parts down. We'll listen to your body for any signs of unresolved trauma or relational wounding and work gently with the body to heal.

The treatment of anxiety and stress first begins with the management of the symptoms bringing you in for treatment. Without having these symptoms under control, it is difficult for individuals to begin to examine the reasons behind the anxiety without provoking more anxiety. Once these symptoms are addressed, we will start to examine the life situations you are in and the relationships, stories, family roles and events that may be the roots of the stress and subsequent anxiety. With some time, consistency, openness and commitment to the process, individuals will find anxiety more manageable and the enjoyment of every day returned.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point, but for some the anxiety is so frequent or intense that it interferes with their lives or even triggers panic attacks. I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help my clients get a sense of control over their own anxiety. We collaborate to learn skills to reduce the frequency or intensity of the anxious feelings, to tolerate the anxiety when it does occur so they can still function through it, and to practice habits that reduce stress and improve general mental health.

Anxiety and stress take a hold on you and never let go, leaving you trapped and frozen. I help my clients to learn all about the magic of mindfulness practice. It's one of the most effective ways to put you in control of your emotions, rather than them controlling you. Imagine how great it would be to have an internal place of peace and serenity that you can use at any time to relax and become grounded. Mindfulness is an ancient practice that is also supported by scientific empirical studies. It's one of the best ways to change your life.

Some people describe themselves as 'born worriers', 'always anxious or afraid', 'hypersensitive since I can remember.' Others may have gone through something that is creating anxiety and stress at levels they've never experienced before. Either way, with a therapist at Bluestone, you will find ways to interrupt your patterns of thinking and behaving that contribute to your anxiety, worry or stress. Once you can interrupt these patterns, you will have the opportunity to calm your body, shift your thinking and choose courses of action that benefit you, your relationships and your life.

Anxiety and stress are a natural part of life but how do you manage it? Stress is a result of trying to deal with the pressures and changes of life. I provide clear-cut solutions to give you the relief you need from trying situations. I am a strong proponent of dialectic behavioral therapy and mindfulness which incorporates breathing, relaxation, and other physiological exercises to help reduce the anxiety from within.

There are many different types of anxiety and stress. You may be having an adverse reaction to a specific incident or you may be coming to me with a lifelong struggle around generalized anxiety. I work with many clients who have experienced work life stress and trauma and help them make sense of their situations so they can make informed decisions around a course of action. I help many clients uncover lifelong anxiety that has become so normalized that it may not register as anxiety. Ways of coping with anxiety may be also be causing problems. The goal would be to discover better tools to deal with both the underlying issue and the problems that outdated coping skills may be causing.