Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Anmore, BC.

Trauma, stress, and anxiety are usually caused by specific experiences that we have had, or by the lack of feeling of safety in our family, relationship, or at work. I help clients recover from traumatic events and experiences and develop stronger emotional management skills. Often clients have been put on medications that only mask the problems--please do not stop medications without your doctor's approval, and gradual reduction. There are other ways to calm the nervous system, and I am certified in EMDR (a treatment for post traumatic stress disorder), and other therapeutic techniques to help you with this.

Anxiety and stress are common complaints in our busy world with many demands and little time. How does a person cope? I have found that anxiety and stress occur when we are not living in the NOW. We may be obsessing about the past or worrying about the future. Using mindfulness, I can help you to access the present moment, the only place where peace can be found.

Anxiety is a powerful emotion that can cause a lot of distress when not managed well. Anxiety is a normal human emotion in response to stress or a threat in our environment but can sometimes get out of hand. Therapy at West Coast Counseling can help you to manage your anxiety, identify the stressors in your life and develop coping skills to manage your life better all in a safe, supportive environment.

Anxiety and stress can become overwhelming when left unaddressed, often impacting daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. In therapy, we’ll help you better understand the nature of anxiety and its physical symptoms through psychoeducation and practical tools. We’ll work together to identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts or behaviors that may be contributing to your stress, while also developing strategies to manage it more effectively. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore life circumstances that may be adding to your anxiety, and we’ll collaboratively problem-solve ways to address these challenges—whether that involves making changes, setting boundaries, or building new coping skills.

We provide comprehensive support to clients dealing with anxiety and stress by utilizing various effective techniques. First and foremost, we employ psychoeducation to help clients comprehend the underlying mechanisms behind anxiety and stress. Through this knowledge, they gain a better understanding of their own experiences. Additionally, we integrate mindfulness practices, somatic experiencing, and other approaches aimed at fostering self-awareness of both thoughts and physical sensations. This helps clients develop a greater sense of being present in the here and now, enhancing their ability to manage and cope with anxiety.

As a society we tend fear anxiety and stress and make many efforts to avoid or get rid of it. My approach to anxiety and stress is to show you that it does not have to inhibit your functioning – you CAN do things while also being anxious, and you likely already have. Anxiety and stress were once adaptive traits that helped humans survive, and together we can work towards creating a healthier relationship with them, one that does not interfere with your daily life. We will look at your core values, underlying beliefs, and negative thought patterns that might be getting in the way, and work towards a healthier mind and body.

For every client that I see, I always offer an individualized and tailored approach by draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches in order to enable your mental health healing and functional recovery. Using a collaborative and client centered approach, I will walk alongside you and together, we will explore solutions to overcome life's obstacles.

When working with clients experiencing stress and anxiety, I often draw on both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) approaches. CBT helps us identify and challenge the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that fuel stress and anxiety, replacing them with more balanced and supportive ones. DBT complements this by focusing on building skills like emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness, which can help clients manage the intense feelings and reactions often tied to stress and anxiety. By integrating these approaches, I aim to support clients in developing healthier coping strategies and fostering a greater sense of calm & control in their lives

Anxiety is a feeling of dread at its least, or thoughts that lead you to believe you are unsafe and/or about to die at its worst. I offer interventions to this challenge, all of which engage the brain and body. We can take a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach and examine and challenge faulty thinking. We can also use Neurofeedback (NFB) as an approach to calming the central nervous system so the frontal cortex of the brain can engage in logical thinking and keep the brain from having to go to the place of anxiety unnecessarily. Another approach I use, EMDR, helps the brain to reprocess old hurts and or trauma, taking the charge out of the experience.

We work with a lot of individuals, experiencing anxiety and stress. We use whatever treatment method fits best with the client. We are trained in CBT, DBT, Play Therapy and EMDR. We believe that working collaboratively helps the client feel in control. We focus on shifting mindsets and learning new, and more positive/healthy ways of coping together.

Olivia excels in helping clients navigate anxiety and stress, whether brought on by life’s natural demands, unexpected changes, or anticipated transitions. She understands how these challenges can impact emotional and physical well-being and offers a safe space for clients to process their experiences. Through counseling, Olivia provides practical coping mechanisms and strategies to help clients manage their stress and reduce anxiety effectively. Her approach emphasizes understanding the root causes of anxiety while equipping clients with tools to build resilience. Olivia’s compassionate guidance empowers clients to face life’s uncertainties with confidence and balance.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues. If you are feeling anxious, you are not alone. Anxiety can be crippling and can drain our energy to enjoy life. The good news is that anxiety is also very treatable. When working with anxiety, I use my clinical experience to tailor my approach to your specific situation. We will focus on what tools will be most useful for you to regulate your anxiety and will also discuss the roots of your anxiety. We will get curious about what anxiety is trying to tell you about the emotions that need to be addressed or the changes that need to be made in your life. We will work together to find your inner calm again.

Therapy with me provides a calm, supportive space to help you understand and manage anxiety and stress. Together, we'll explore what's fueling your worry, calm your nervous system, and build practical strategies to regain a sense of control and ease. Whether anxiety shows up as racing thoughts, tension, or overwhelm, you don't have to navigate it alone. Our work will help you feel more grounded, resilient and able to face life's challenges with greater clarity and confidence.

I help clients through cognitive behavioral therapy. The premise of this therapy is that thoughts create feelings, which create behaviours. The problem is most of our thoughts are fear based and are not based in truth. I help clients to identify the irrational, untrue thoughts that they are having that are causing them stress and anxiety and learn to replace them with more realistic thoughts that do not creat feelings of anxiety.

Anxiety is a perpetual worry or fear that feels uncontrollable. While a healthy level of anxiety helps us to function well in life, an unhealthy level can be debilitating. It can interfere with our ability to work, engage in relationships, and enjoy life. Dr. Rochefort can help you to reduce worry, stress, and panic, and to take back control of your thoughts, behaviours, and body.

Everyone has anxiety and stress in their life! It is important to evaluate where the majority of it comes from and discover ways to cope at times that are difficult and challenging. It is also critical to recognize when anxiety and stress is past a point that is manageable. Some treatment methods I would use would be grounding techniques, meditation, and Socratic questioning. These techniques would be used to figure out the root cause of the anxiety and stress and also to help determine the cause. Other strategies that may be applied include journalling, incorporating exercise, and other activities to help manage both the anxiety and stress.

Anxiety has a purpose - once you understand it you can benefit from it. The feeling of anxiety is giving you information about who you are and what you need to do to be yourself. In counselling, you can learn how to process anxiety instead of fearing it. You can learn concrete skills to work through anxiety; You can learn from the emotions and in the process find a more colourful and rich, positive experience of life.

In my practice, I use a variety of evidence-based approaches to help my clients manage their anxiety and stress, including EMDR, Compassionate Inquiry, CBT, and mindfulness techniques. Whether you are struggling with generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or stress related to work or relationships, I am here to help. My goal is to create a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts and feelings, gain insight into your patterns of thinking and behavior, and develop the skills necessary to manage your anxiety and stress in a healthy way.

Anxiety is more common in our daily lives than ever before. Anxiety functions in a way that is unexpected and sometimes debilitating. I use a holistic and informed approach to treat clients who are experiencing anxiety as I believe that it is a mind and body problem. I can help you recognize your triggers, get control of your body's responses to stress and change the outcome of even the most stressful and scary moments. Together we can help you get control of your anxiety and manage the stressors in your life. Contact me to start making changes today.

Anxiety is a natural response to stress but can become a constant state for some. It serves as a signal that something needs attention, often pointing to unmet needs or deeper emotions like fear, anger, or grief. Anxiety distracts from these core emotions, especially if expressing them feels unsafe. It also has energy, pushing us to work harder and stay functional, unlike depression, which tends to lead to helplessness. By slowing down and exploring anxiety’s roots, we can uncover what it’s trying to teach us, offering insight into deeper emotional truths.

Real Solutions to Real Challenges. Stress is necessary for survival and provides opportunity for growth. However, it can aslo result in anxiety and even panic with accompaning physical symptoms. Unproductive coping mechanisms may kick in that have become entrenched and difficult to break. In more severe cases Obsessive-Complusive Behaviors may surface to distract us from the anxieties. These obsessive-compulsive behaviors may become debilitating and incredibly frustrating. Martin helps clients deminish their anieties by cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and overcoming avoidance. Avoidance only provides short-term relief, at the cost significantly damaging our self-esteem

The world keeps pushing harder and faster. Are you having a hard time keeping up? Are you exhausted at the end of the day? And does your mind just keep on racing? Chronic stress can deplete your natural defenses, which may lead to long term physical and mental health problems. Stop trying to just survive. Phone 604-468-7300 now and let me help you thrive again. I help individuals with stress, anxiety, panic attacks, trauma, and so much more.

If you're up against anxiety, I offer an empowering and collaborative approach. There is an opportunity to explore your experience and to begin to see yourself as separate from anxiety. Through conversations, you may begin to identify alternative stories that challenge anxious thoughts and beliefs. We'd attend to your capacity and establish coping strategies to foster a sense of possibility. Together the we would co-create a new narrative that emphasizes the your resiliency, self-compassion and a greater sense of calm.

Every day , we are exposed to different distresses. How we perceive the external distresses could result in how we feel. When we feel anxious and stressed out, we feel scared and vulnerable , because of the activation of emotional memories of harmful and painful experiences in the absence of protection and support. In the process of therapy , while I help my clients process the past harmful experiences in to helpful ones , I assist the clients in: Enhancing self-efficacy or sense of agency , Resolving discrepancies between self-beliefs and self-standards, Increasing tolerance for—and ownership of negative affects and perhaps affective experience in general.

Anxiety and stress is part of normal life. The problem arises on how we deal with it. Life situations can often cause us stress that is beyond our normal coping skill. Therapy can help in developing new coping skills to deal with these specific situations ( ex. a difficult divorce). Generalized anxiety though is not based so much on a situation but is more a lack of confidence in one's ability to cope or/and perceiving the world around us as dangerous. My approach combines cognitive therapy with relaxation techniques to help you gain better coping skills as well as deal with the underlying issues of your anxiety (ex. lack of confidence, fear of rejection).