Anxiety & Depression
MENTAL HEALTH
Somatic and Cognitive Techniques
What if life’s ups and downs are happening on a deeper level. Are you persistently feeling down without hope of feeling better? Has worry turned into constant anxiety, like a constant, low-grade rumbling? Depression and anxiety are common experiences that require specific tools. As a Registered Social Worker, I’ve been helping people with these issues for more than a decade. Weirdly enough, I love helping people with these issues. I can help you understand what’s happening in your brain and body and teach you skills to help you move into happier ways.
Dealing with Anxiety
Did you know that Anxiety can be defined as Fear of the Future? Fear of the Unknown? It is exactly that: when occasional worry gives way to an ongoing concern for something that has not happened yet. Maybe something happened in the past that was very unpleasant, and you want to avoid it in the future. Even though the event occurred in the past, the event you fear has not taken place – you fear it will happen again. Or perhaps the thing you want to avoid has never happened and you never want it to – that’s a great goal, but if the concern has taken over your thoughts in a way that is disproportionate to the concern, or in a way that is preventing you from living your life happily, that sounds like Anxiety.
Your Progress
To address Anxiety, we will pinpoint the ways your Anxiety expresses itself. Based on that, I will teach you specific skills to help you address the Anxiety in the moment so you can function. We will also look a bit deeper to understand why this Anxiety formed so that you will be able to mitigate it, or even prevent it, from recurring.
The official modalities I use to address Anxiety include the somatic and cognitive techniques taught by Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy D., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Narrative Therapy, all in a Psychodynamic Framework. I also use my training in somatic modalities (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and EMDR) in all my sessions. I am Attachment-based and Strength-focused. I am Client-centred and have a Feminist perspective.
Dealing with Depression
Depression is such a drag. Everything drags: your body, your emotions, your thoughts. Everything feels heavy, hopeless, endless. Depression attacks your self-esteem and feeds on your misery. You feel stuck and sometimes, you may even want to disappear. It is a terrible pit to be in.
Transforming Depression
When someone is depressed, we will explore the history of the problem and look for the things that perpetuate it. Some of the solutions we’ll find may include logistical things like changing jobs. Other solutions will address your core beliefs about yourself and how you fit into the world.
The official modalities I use to address Depression include the CBT techniques taught by Lawrence E. Shapiro, PhD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Positive Psychology and Narrative Therapy, all in a Psychodynamic Framework. I also use my training in somatic modalities (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and EMDR) in all my sessions. I am Attachment-based and Strength-focused. I am Client-centred and have a Feminist perspective.
