Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Shawnigan Lake, BC.

Shelley teaches her clients how to cope with stress and anxiety through Mindfulness, Compassion, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Understanding the underlying fears that trigger their anxiety, can help clients become more aware of their negative thought patterns. Reframing those negative thoughts and unhealthy core beliefs can help clients to feel more in charge of their life as they experience their world more realistically. Shelley teaches valuable skills to help clients regulate and calm their anxiety by relaxation and visualisation techniques. Shelley's keen ability to attune to her clients with compassion and empathy as well as teaching skills is her gift that leads to her success.

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.

Dr. Sloat feels we live in a world that overstimulates us, and thus stress and anxiety are sometimes unavoidable, especially for the sensitive among us. She takes a triple approach to treatment in that it is, 1) aimed at teaching strategies and tools for dealing with anxiety and stress as we experience them, 2) geared toward challenging thoughts and beliefs that are anxiety and/or stress producing in themselves, and 3) facilitates management of one's lifestyle such that it becomes balanced.

I work holistically with anxiety and life stressors/transitions, believing in a three pronged approach that includes diet/nutrition, physical exercise and dealing with chronic stress and trauma. Addressing all 3 of these areas as well as learning various strategies and tools to deal with stress and anxiety directly can help alleviate your symptoms relatively quickly. In addition, we will take a personalized look at what isn't working in your life and what is fueling your response. Healing looks different for everyone, and I will work with you to sort out your unique situation, and help bring you back in to alignment with your authentic self.

While our bodies are perfectly designed to adapt and react to stress, modern problems mean that we tend to detect life threatening dangers in very ordinary places. Conflicts at work, arguments in our relationships and uncertainties such as the post-Covid world activate old survival mechanisms. We may be stuck in the buzzing, fear states of ‘fight-flight’ or the numb and paralyzed states of ‘freeze and shut down.’ The good news is that I have a long history of safely and successfully helping individuals and couples to reduce and release stress using a variety of CBT and mindfulness techniques, as well as trauma-informed therapy. You have my commitment to compassionate and educated care.

Anxiety and stress are different for everyone. What is exciting to one may be too much for another. They can show up as bodily symptoms (panic, breathlessness, jitters, poor sleep). Others notice changes in their thoughts and attention– you might have racing thoughts, fears, and a hard time focusing. Too much stress makes us fearful, then we cope by avoiding some parts of our lives. Or we cope by doing a lot of things that don’t help so much (like worrying). We can get overwhelmed, or over-plan to try to manage. Counselling can help you identify what is going on, where it comes from – and explore what can be done about it, including different ways to calm your nervous system

My office is a safe space to express any thoughts and feelings about your life in complete confidence. Sharing painful experiences under the Witness of an empathic human being has incredible healing power. Within this therapeutic relationship, we can use mindfullness practices, progressive muscle-relaxation, and Cognitive Therapy to transform your experience of stress into the present, balanced, and relaxed way of living that you have not had in a very, very long time.

I use therapeutic insights and my own experience to guide you. If stress and anxiety paralyses you and is hurting those you love, and you don't know what to do, professional assistance is called for. Feelings of anxiety result from our reality and how we look at this reality. Our perspective is shaped by our experience and thinking. By understanding emotionally why you are where you are and why you feel about this the way you will be helpful. By keeping judgment at bay, the emotional space for other insights and options that can help you manage your anxiety better and to discover what you need to do to move beyond your anxiety, will develop.

Dealing with anxiety and stress can feel overwhelming. Day-to-day tasks can be overwhelming. In our sessions, we'll employ evidence-based techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help you identify triggers and thought patterns, giving you practical tools to manage your anxiety. The road to a calmer mind may have its ups and downs, but please know that you're not alone on this journey. With consistent effort and support, you can regain a sense of control and peace in your life.

Anxiety is a challenging condition that is characterized by excessive worry, muscle aches/soreness, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating. While depressed thinking is usually focused on the past, anxious thinking is usually focused on the future. Anxiety and depression often occur together. I use a combination of therapies to help you to change your relationship to anxiety, including cognitive therapy, somatic therapy, mindfulness, self-focused therapies, and narrative therapy.

Anxiety and stress can be the first signs that something is off that we need to respond to in our lives. They can snowball until they have power over us: their impulses conflicting with our greater needs. They can also be signs of deeper issues that are unique to each of our lives. Our personalities, senses of self, life histories, and individual understandings of the world all play a role; as do our nervous systems and embodied patterns of how we generate and resolve anxious feelings. Together we’ll collaborate to get every part of you on your team, aligned with the direction you want to take as as a whole.

Anxiety, stress, and depression are common symptoms of relationship distress. Research shows that having close connections calms our nervous systems and promotes emotional balance and well-being. What we do with emotion impacts the quality of our relationships, and our relationships impact our emotions. I help clients access, understand, and order their emotional worlds so that they can be used as a compass and vehicle for connection with important others. What we do with emotion makes sense based on our biology and our life experiences, but at times our strategies become outdated. Contact today to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. 

Everyone feels anxiety at some point in their lives but when it starts to interfere with your life, counseling can help. Although anxiety can feel debilitating, it is treatable. People with anxiety don’t always share the same symptoms, they vary from person to person. Therapy will help you to reclaim your life and function in a chronically stressful world.

The source of our stresses may be numerous but a clear and unbiased awareness of the self-talk that contributes to each experience is a powerful source of change and empowerment. As I listen to each account and draw out further details that make the experience more understandable, I also map out the potential changes and outline the new self-talk that will reduce the stresses and anxiety.

Prolonged stress and anxiety can result in impairment to our mental and physical health. We may experience high blood pressure, significant weight loss or gain, inability to concentrate or sleep, panic attacks, agitation and irritability. Overtime, these ailments can not only decrease our life satisfaction, but reduced our overall health. Don’t ignore the symptoms. Get help. Counselling can help you learn ways to cope, identify the underlying causes of your stress and explore ways to reduce stress and anxiety in your life.

You are not alone. Whether you are anxious in social situations, suffering from PTSD, OCD, or panic disorders, or experiencing a generalized and on-going anxiety, you are not the only one! And you don't have to face it by yourself. At your own pace we will work at alleviating the physical symptoms like nausea, dizziness, chest pain, muscle tension, trembling and sweating. We will manage the manifestations of your anxiety, like isolation, irrational fears, or heart racing panic attacks. Discover helpful anxiety and stress, and why it is essential to our survival. Find peace in our carefully created therapeutic relationship, and recreate it in all parts of your life.

At Seasons Family Centre, we provide compassionate support for anxiety and stress across the lifespan, from young children to adults, including transitional moments such as pregnancy and parenthood. Understanding that these experiences are unique to each individual, we offer a variety of approaches to treatment and collaborate with our clients to determine the best path forward, ensuring they feel empowered as active agents in their own growth and well-being. Our culturally mindful approach prioritizes safety and trust, creating a supportive environment where individuals can explore, process, and develop strategies to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and resilience.

Anxiety and stress are common challenges that many face. These two challenges can leave great impacts on our minds, bodies as well as our relationships. I like to use empathy to create a safe space for my clients to share. I also teach my clients what is happening in their bodies when they have large amounts of stress and anxiety. As well as tools they can use to cope during their everyday life.

Stress is a fact of life. Work, school, finances, relationships, raising children, concerns about the future, and countless other issues can be overwhelming. We simply cannot handle long-term, chronic stress without health consequences. Anxiety goes hand-in-glove with stress. Stress can lead to feelings of anxiety, and anxiety often heightens stress levels. This feedback loop can feel crazy-making, overwhelming, and get in the way of everything. In my practice, I help people to better understand stress and anxiety, and learn ways to deepen their ability to cope, and move toward enjoying increased peace of mind and sense of stability. Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation to discuss how we can work together toward getting you feeling like you are more in control of your life.

It’s impossible to be human without a little anxiety and stress. The problem arises when anxiety sticks around even when we’re not under threat. I believe it’s important to understand anxiety and stress in the context of your personal, family and cultural history, as well as any external stressors you may be experiencing. Secondly, anxiety and stress live in the body—locating them and applying practical tools like mindfulness, muscle relaxation and breathing techniques to help calm the nervous system can also be very helpful. It all depends on where you’re at and what you need. Ready to feel calmer and sturdier in the face of life’s challenges? Let’s get started.

If you're struggling with anxious thoughts, you may find it hard to focus. The fight or flight alarm is going off in your brain, constantly sending you messages starting with "what if...." If worrying is keeping you trapped in a hamster wheel, tired, but unable to rest, you may find yourself turning to addictive substances or behaviours to cope. As an addiction counsellor, I help clients cope with the anxious thoughts keeping them trapped in addictive behaviours. By uncovering these underlying thoughts, I help you develop coping skills so you can gain a sense of focus, clarity, confidence, and freedom from constantly overthinking. Send me a message and I'll guide you through the next steps.

I am honoured that you are interested in my services and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I have been described as slightly non-conventional in the counselling world, which suits me perfectly, and also tends to suit youth who are trying to stand up to the force of the problems in their life. I am very comfortable working with this population, and I feel fortunate that I can connect with teens the way I do, conventionally or in a way that makes sense to them.

Anxiety comes in many forms. From generalized anxiety to phobias to panic, I use a blended CBT and Jungian approach to understand your symptoms, why they are happening in your current life, and help you manage symptoms. Anxiety counselling is my specialization and I have worked in the area for over 10 years. You can find a video about Understanding Anxiety on my website scottkouri.com

Anxiety and Stress have become a ubiquitous part of our modern world. For many of us, they are an all too pervasive daily experience and sap the life out of our vital energies. Our work on anxiety and stress will include practical skills and tools to work with and deal with the anxiety and stress. It may involve changing ways of thinking that create more anxiety than necessary in certain situations. We will work toward finding ways of being that allow for more freedom, more ease and more enjoyment in being alive.

Some amount of anxiety and stress is a normal and necessary reaction to life events and situations. Yet, too much or too little can create obstacles to living your life fully and peacefully. I can help you to learn and practice skills needed to manage anxiety and to improve interactions with people in your life. We can also work together to reduce, and in some cases, take the "charge" out of the intensity of the triggers that cause unhelpful anxious reactions. Different therapies we can use include to talk therapy, CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and/or EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).