Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Highlands, NJ.

While most treatment approaches for anxiety and stress are effective on the surface, they don’t treat the real problem. Mantras, deep breathing, and rational dialogues about your fear being irrational rarely work---for most people don’t believe it or you! Imagine if you can trick the brain into changing without you telling your conscious mind that you are changing it? Problem with anxiety and stress is that the brain in this state knows you want to change it and it resists. Contact Kevin@kevinflemingphd.com for the ultimate stress and anxiety solution that will literally change your brain's autonomic nervous system patterns while you sit on your butt. 877-606-6161.

Anxiety and stress take a hold on you and never let go, leaving you trapped and frozen. I help my clients to learn all about the magic of mindfulness practice. It's one of the most effective ways to put you in control of your emotions, rather than them controlling you. Imagine how great it would be to have an internal place of peace and serenity that you can use at any time to relax and become grounded. Mindfulness is an ancient practice that is also supported by scientific empirical studies. It's one of the best ways to change your life.

Through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy, clients learn the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors, as well as practice cognitive restructuring, relaxation techniques, and exposure response prevention to overcome fears and phobias. In combination with possible medication management, clients will be more comfortable and calmer when approaching the therapy.Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you understand that your thought patterns, not things outside of your control, influence how you behavior in certain situations. In other words, it is not the actual situation that triggers your anxiety; it is how you view the situation that influences your behavior.

I help my clients learn how to self-soothe the part of them that is anxious. You can all do this by becoming aware of what you are telling yourself about a situation or others. Our thoughts often cause our feelings. I can teach you a process to be able to identify your false beliefs, learn the truth and then know what the loving action(s) you need to take to feel higher self worth and calmer.

Stress is not only an internal problem but is evoked by environmental impingement such as family, business, and political currents. All individuals have varying levels of stress in their lives. One of the focuses of psychotherapy is to help with increasing a capacity to move through it. An enhanced capacity for imagination and creativity can be a result.

Anxiety is excessive worry about negative events that you expect to happen, but are not necessarily in the cards. The worry is enough to bring on dread, panic, obsessions, compulsions, and phobias. Usually, early life experiences – perhaps forgotten or suppressed -- taught you to anticipate the worst. Together, we will bring these memories into consciousness so you can consider if they still apply to you in your current life as an adult. This will help you stay more grounded in the reality of the here and now, which can significantly reduce anxious symptoms. I will also teach you calming techniques, including mindfulness practices and self-compassion to counter anxiety when it arises.

Anxiety and stress are among the most common struggles people face, yet they can feel incredibly isolating. The constant pressure to do it all in a fast-moving world can become overwhelming, leaving you exhausted and unsure how to find relief. You are not alone in this. Whether anxiety shows up in your daily routines, impacts your relationships, or keeps your mind from resting, therapy can provide support and direction. Together, we will work on practical ways to calm your mind, ease the intensity of worry, and create more space for peace and clarity in your life.

We have all had moments of anxiety and we remain anxious due to the beliefs we hold about our reality and the thoughts we have about our situation. An individual becomes anxious when they overestimate the negative aspects of their situation and underestimate their ability to cope and function in problem situations. The anxious individual will imagine and create even more negative consequences than are actually present. I guide my clients to a more rational approach of focusing on the task at hand, not engaging in or imagining negative outcomes, and not engaging in or exaggerating possible negative outcomes. We focus together on ways that enable coping, behavioral change and flourishing in that situation.

We’ll start by getting on the same page: what is bringing you to therapy, what are our goals for incorporating medication, and what would it look like to truly feel “better?” We’ll discuss your past history with both psychotherapy and medication, the current challenges you’re facing, and what you hope to get out of this process. You and I will collaborate on a treatment plan that maps out how we’re going to get there.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is a highly effective treatment for anxiety disorders, particularly OCD. It involves gradually exposing individuals to feared stimuli or situations while preventing the typical compulsive response. Through repeated exposure to these anxiety-provoking triggers, clients learn to tolerate distress without engaging in compulsive behaviors. ERP therapy is based on the principle of habituation, where anxiety decreases over time with repeated exposure. Therapists work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized exposure hierarchies and teach coping skills to manage anxiety. ERP has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms.

Anxiety therapy is the first line of treatment for unhealthy anxiety. Your therapist can support you to put your mind at ease, recognize and address the patterns that may contribute to your symptoms. Anxiety therapy sessions can also help you identify coping mechanisms to manage anxiety and reclaim your life. You may feel uncomfortable or even anxious about going to therapy. You may think, “this will probably pass… maybe I should just push through it, and things will get better.” Rest assured that you are not alone. Many people have been there. But you don’t have to wait for your anxiety symptoms to get worse or to affect other areas of your life to seek help. We are here to help.

Anxiety is the way our minds let us know that something is bothering us. A LOT! When helping you work with your anxiety, I invite anxiety to join us on our journey of discovery; understanding what anxiety is trying to communicate with us and the world. By opening that door, we gain control of the anxiety and can begin lowering symptoms by addressing real life issues that may be causing this uncomfortable feeling within. I have helped anxious clients improve emotional balance, increase feelings of calmness, inner peace, as well as learning how to use anxiety as powerful tool and not a stumbling block.

I will show you how you make yourself anxious about the things you find threatening and challenging. Anxiety and stress are largely self-created by the beliefs we tacitly hold about adversity or potential adversity. I will show you your self-defeating beliefs and teach you how to think so you feel sensible concern and do what you can do to avoid danger and threats. I will show you how to philosophically accept what cannot be avoided and thereby minimize the stress you feel about what cannot be changed or avoided. Using the power of your own ability to think in a self-helping way I will help you to change your feelings of anxiety.

In my approach to anxiety and stress treatment, I focus on helping clients understand the root causes of their anxiety while providing practical tools to manage symptoms. Using evidence-based techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR, and mindfulness, I guide clients in recognizing negative thought patterns, reducing physical symptoms, and developing healthier responses to stress. My goal is to empower individuals to regain control, enhance emotional regulation, and build resilience, ultimately leading to greater peace and balance in their daily lives.

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.

There is normal stress and anxiety and then there are levels which are far beyond what you imagine to be on that range. We live high-stress and fast-paced lives and it is understandable why we sometimes feel overwhelmed and highly stressed out. There is help available to assist you in calming your nerves and finding productive and safe methods for dealing with the many painful stressors around us.