Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Signal Hill, CA.

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.

Stress is a part of our everyday life, so much that living a life without stress seems surreal. Anxiety can be a result of the day to day stresses that are related to personal life, work life, and school life to name a few. A minimal amount of anxiety and stress in specific situations can be the motivation needed to complete tasks, power through exams and overcome the impossible. Learn how to calm and relax your mind by using visual techniques such as creating a safe place you can visit during times of intense stress and discover healthy and effective ways in which you can help relieve your mind and body of undesired anxiety and stress.

Anxiety and Stress are both rampant in our modern society. It is my belief that relationships are both the root cause as well as the solution to struggles with anxiety. I take a family systems approach to address these issues by raising the functioning of the relationships in my clients' lives and allowing them to regulate and feel more peace day to day.

Many individuals are surprised when I tell them that not all anxiety is necessarily negative, in fact, it was crucial to our survival for hundreds of year. We still can experience this with our fight, flight, or freeze responses when we preceive danger; however, these are often used to extreme when they are not necessary as they may have been back in the cave man days. Anxious behaviors may stem from inherited characteristics, environmental or learned behaviors, or a combination of these. The result may lead to a significant decrease in functioning for individuals and in many domains in their lives, i.e., work, school, social life; psychotherapy can make a significant positive impact.

In this fast-paced world of many challenges and pressure to keep up, stay involved and be successful, we often find ourselves worried that our "best" is simply not good enough. Stress and axiety are common reasons many seek counseling and I believe this is the beginning of the solution. Many do not realize they are contributors to their own distress by setting unreasonably high standards and expectations for themselves. Still, others contend with life's pressures and demands which are placed on them by other circumstanes. PTSD is a devastating disorder many face in the wake of war, poverty and the breakdown of their support systems. I am passionate about finding solutions together.

I help people overcome their fears and anxieties about taking action in their life. You can feel stuck when you have an unwanted feeling of anxiety that keeps you from your goals. The good news is that you can change how you feel by using emotion regulation skills. I can help you overcome your anxiety by using Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and help you build the strength you need to move forward with your life.

Anxiety, panic, and phobia treatment are OCAC's sweet spot. This is where we do 95% of our work. The other 5% is in related disorders. If you find your thoughts controlling you or find yourself unable to step away from what you know are irrational thoughts, there are solutions. Many patients hear “Just relax" from friends and family, and while momentary exercises like breathing or meditation may help some, they really only subside surface symptoms of underlying cognitions that really need to be addressed. The inability to “just relax” will often exacerbate anxiety further, and there is a reason. If your needs are beyond common stress management, our average treatment is 14 weeks.

Anxiety can be debilitating, especially if you have panic attacks. It can feel like and assault on your senses and makes you want to flee to safety. I liken it to feeling as if a lion had walked into the room. Your brain tells you there is danger and you must fight or flee. For those who suffer from anxiety medication can help but there are also ways that you can learn to manage and control it. I try to help my patients to understand the universalized thoughts and feelings that feed the anxious beats and to learn techniques that will improve the quality of their lives.

Life's challenges can often shape our personalities and behavior and get in the way of letting us experience a fulfilling life. I am committed to helping you restore parts of your life that has been shaken by anxiety and stress. Together, we will work through overcoming painful events, establishing healthy connections with others, and building trust and security that is essential to having meaningful relationships.