Anxiety & Fears

Anxiety is a normal emotion, but when it begins to turn to persistent worry or extreme fear. The symptoms that are typically associated with anxiety is an overwhelming sense of impending doom or danger, it can lead to exhaustion or weakness. Anxiety can often cause us to avoid the place or thing that causes anxiety to start with. This could be anything from crowds to airplanes creating a painful, and perpetuating cycle of avoidance. Short term relief from avoidance gives a reward to that behavior short term, while long term their life becomes smaller as they avoid more and fear increases.  

Research has shown that exposure-based treatments, in conjunction with slowly decreasing avoidance, can offer relief using these treatments: 

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Depression & Mood

Depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and can be incredibly debilitating. Often those with depression feel as if life is flat, monochrome, and drudgery. Common symptoms may be more than just tearfulness and sad feelings. Depression can cause lack of concentration, irritability, feelings of guilt, and thoughts of death. These symptoms can interfere with relationships, work, health. Loss of interest in activities and isolation can occur. Doing even the smallest chore or activity becomes exhausting and dreadful.

Research shows that individuals with mood disorders including Major Depression have the best results when  treatment involves empirically supported psychotherapies such as:

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Trauma & PTSD

Trauma and Post-Tramatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) may have a variety of symptoms, and some may not appear until months or years after the event happened. Trauma, as defined by the  International Society for Trauma Stress Studies as a reaction to, “shocking and emotionally overwhelming situations that may involve actual or threatened death, serious injury, or threat to physical integrity.” These symptoms may range from mild to severe depending on a number of other factors, such as treatment immediately after the event, social support and coping skills.

PTSD symptoms may include intrusive memories (for example: nightmares, or unwanted distressing memories0, avoidance (for example: Trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event), negative changes in thinking and mood(for example Hopelessness about the future, feeling emotionally numb) and changes in physical and emotional reactions (such as: Being easily startled or frightened, Self-destructive behavior,). 

Individuals with trauma histories, including PTSD, my respond well to treatment with:   

Prolonged Exposure (PE)
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)