Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in St Catharines, ON.

Some degree of anxiety and stress is normal. However, persistent and chronic anxiety and stress can interfere with the ability to cope with adverse situations. It can damage an individual’s health, mood, productivity, relationships, and quality of life. Mastora works with individual to find a more effective ways to deal with anxiety and stress through various therapeutic techniques and take back control of your life.

Disappointments in life, conflict in relationships, challenges in the workplace, debt or health issues or any combination of things can contribute to stress and anxiety. When you feel overwhelmed, life becomes confusing and solutions are hard to see. Many day to day problems are easier to resolve, manage and avoid when you have the tools and support you need. Through counselling I help you understand your fears, frustrations, disappointments and experiences, while equipping you with effective skills and tools to cope with challenges from a position of inner peace and strength.

It's critical to understand that, even if you suffer from panic attacks, compulsive thoughts, ongoing worry, or a phobia, you don't have to live in fear and anxiety. In many cases, therapy is the most effective strategy to handle anxiety-related problems. Therapy gives you the skills and teaches you how to use them to overcome anxiety. If stress is not managed, it can become chronic stress and ultimately lead to burnout. While burnout leaves people feeling completely exhausted and unmotivated to keep going, stress often results in people feeling overwhelmed. Therapy provides coping mechanisms for stress symptoms, which may help to avoid burnout.

In my approach to anxiety and stress treatment and counseling, I prioritize creating a safe and supportive environment where clients feel empowered to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By employing evidence-based techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and relaxation techniques, I work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized strategies for managing their symptoms. By addressing the underlying causes of anxiety and stress, clients can gain insight, build resilience, and develop coping skills to navigate life's challenges more effectively. Through therapy, clients not only learn to alleviate distressing symptoms but also cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves, leading to enhanced well-being and improved quality of life.

Anxiety and stress are common elements in most people's life. It is a necessary element to keeping us alive and safe; however there are points in our life's journey where stress can increase and change how we choose to move through our life's journey. Connect with Nicole to explore how stress and anxiety could be impacting you; why it maybe happening and how you can use various strategies, body based methods (Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga, somatic methods) and/or therapy methods such as CBT, mindfulness and meditation to move continue on your life's journey.

Anxiety and stress can be overwhelming, but you don't have to face them alone. I offer a supportive and personalized approach to help you regain control and develop a deeper understanding of your concerns. Together, we'll explore effective strategies tailored to your unique needs. You deserve relief from the weight of anxiety. Reach out for a free consultation, and let's start your journey towards calmness and resilience.

Anxiety can come in many forms, such as: panic and anxiety attacks; extreme fear; worrying thoughts from which one rarely gets a break; sleeplessness either due to going over and over how one behaved during the day, and judging oneself, or, from dreading what the following day might bring; fear and avoidance of one's own intense emotions; fear of rejection of others, leading to intense social anxiety or avoidance of close relationships; performance anxiety, such as worries about exams, job interviews, or performance appraisals at one's place of work. I like to get a sense of the frequency, intensity, and duration of somebody's anxiety, and then to help them to reduce all 3.

In my work with people with anxiety, I take a two-fold approach. First, we work on developing set of strategies that help manage anxiety, including mindfulness techniques, distraction and self-soothing. At the same time, I work on acceptance of anxiety with a focus on moving towards valued goals in spite of the discomfort of anxiety. In my experience, the struggle that often accompanies anxiety can be as debilitating as the anxiety itself.

For many of us, our stream of life is interrupted by events that are so stressful and scary that they create lasting change. This can be a single incident such as an assault or accident. Or, it could be recurring incidents that take place in the course of our work. It could also be trauma in our earliest years from our caregivers or in our first relationships. If you feel that something from your past is impacting your current life, trauma and stress focused therapy may be a good fit for you.

Stress and anxiety is a part of everyone's day to day lives. However, when it becomes difficult to function due to loss of sleep, change in appetite, panic attacks, upset stomach, aches & pains, etc. therapy can be most beneficial. I use various relaxation techniques, deep breathing, mindfulness meditation, as well as talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques (addressing self defeating automatic thinking patterns which effect our mood and behavior). I can teach you how to manage unpleasant symptoms related to stress and anxiety.

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!

I’ve been helping people lead more intentional lives for over 20 years. Anxiety can cause thoughts to be out of proportion to reality, stop you from doing what you want to do, and make you feel out of control. I’m trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, developmental models,and anxiety and depression management. I will support you in creating a set of tools to help you manage your anxiety. Most importantly, you're a distinctive person, with distinctive needs. My goal is to work with you as a unique individual, and focus on YOUR goals.