Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Metuchen, NJ.

Do you worry about work constantly when you’re at home, or feel anxious and tense even about small events? Is your mind riddled with a powerless sense of imminent danger, a place where rising panic can be difficult to quell? Does your apprehension make it difficult to get on with regular life and enjoy each day? Do you struggle with recurrent thoughts that bring about fear, doubt and anxiety and compel you to engage in safety and sometimes nonsensical behaviors? These signs and symptoms are common in those suffering from anxiety disorders. Anxiety and fear can have even paralyzing effects in many aspects of your life; however, there is hope for a calm and serene existence.

Anxiety and stress is very common among adults today. It’s normal to feel anxious from time to time but how we cope with it makes all the difference. I provide a safe space for the client to explore what triggers their anxiety. We explore the client’s possible trauma, negative thinking patterns and past experiences to help understand the anxiety better so we can induce self soothing coping skills.

Clients can navigate stressful and distressing events in the present by healing from past painful or traumatic life experiences. Processing the events can decrease emotional response and increase cognitive flexibility. Clients struggling from feeling emotionally hurt, isolated, selfish, helpless, or hopeless can gain insight into symptoms and treatment of depression. Clients can learn emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal relationship skills and heal from past painful experiences that may influence current thoughts and belief systems in an unhealthy way.

While we all live with some degree of anxiety and stress in our lives, there are times when the anxiety and stress levels overwhelm us and our usual ways of coping no longer work. When overwhelmed by stress an anxiety, it is not uncommon to shut down, engage in poor decision making or partake in destructive escape routes. I help clients gain perspective, problem-solve, and find ways to increase support during times of extreme stress, anxiety, loss and disappointment. Clients with whom I work with on issues of anxiety and stress report feeling more hopeful, more capable, reassured and better able to tackle life's challenges and disappointments.

Everyone experiences anxiety at some point, but for some the anxiety is so frequent or intense that it interferes with their lives or even triggers panic attacks. I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help my clients get a sense of control over their own anxiety. We collaborate to learn skills to reduce the frequency or intensity of the anxious feelings, to tolerate the anxiety when it does occur so they can still function through it, and to practice habits that reduce stress and improve general mental health.

Constant worry, recurrent thoughts that bring about fear, doubt and dread or even moments of overwhelming panic can have a powerful negative impact in your life. These experiences can compel you to engage in safety behaviors, ask others for constant reassurance, and progressively limit your life. Despite your best effort to try to cope, symptoms recur and your mind is never at ease. However, while enlisting the support of and knowledgeable therapist, you will be able to learn strategies that will allow you to regain control and experience joy. My approach uses cognitive behavioral strategies, insight oriented psychotherapy and mindfulness to help you regain the life you deserve.

My goal with my clients is to help them navigate through their anxiety and stress, while developing the coping skills needed for longterm success and relief. I utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and other clinical frameworks to assist with filling the clients "toolbox". This may include meditation practices, CBT handouts, and other techniques.

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.

In our daily lives, stress, worries and anxieties are silent killers. They contribute to major morbidity and mortality in common medical diseases worsening the outcomes. Our approach not only gives you the tools to conquer stress, but provides the “how” of applying these tools to each new challenge. Benefits include a happier and more optimistic life, a peaceful and tranquil approach to problems and a way of breaking the recurring disastrous cycle of stress.

Anxiety can take many forms, including excessive stress, low self-esteem, panic attacks, phobias and compulsions. When fear or anxiety is experienced on a daily basis it can become so familiar that it goes un-noticed until problems arise that grab our attention. These can include health problems, insomnia or feeling stuck in bad relationships. Addressing anxiety can free up your energy and enjoyment, and give you back your life.

I provide talk therapy and a safe place to explore, understand and get a handle on anxiety and stress. I will help you to sees the connections between your past and your present, and where your anxiety stems from. We will work through unresolved past issues. If medication is needed, I will work with a prescriber. Life is inevitably stressful, but more so for some than for others. Whether you are stressed by major life issues or you find yourself stressed by everyday snafus, I can help you find solutions as well as resolve long ago issues that may unconsciously be affecting you.