Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Sackville, NS.

You feel breathless. On edge. Like your stomach is tied in knots. You struggle hard to quiet your mind. Which is tough because it often feels like it is going in a million different directions all at once. You’ve tried everything you can think of to get free from the grip of the anxiety that seems to be running your life, but nothing has worked. Counselling for anxiety can help you get back to doing the things that are important to you by giving you the practical strategies you need to cope with anxiety and panic when you feel overwhelmed. You will increase your ability to tolerate uncertainty so you can continue to enjoy your life even in the moments that feel less under your control.

If depression is the common cold of mental health then anxiety and stress must be the flue. Most of my clients have some level of anxiety or stress. Often debilitating anxiety has its roots in trauma or abuse. I teach a wide range of meditation and relaxation techniques developed over my 30+ years of counselling experience that I use myself on a daily basis - with variations that my clients over the years have come up with on their own. Even if you have tried to relax or meditate before this and found it difficult or impossible, there are techniques that can help you learn to be still and have peace even in the face of danger, anxiety, or fear.

Stress and anxiety is a common mental health concern and something that every person will experience from time to time to varing degrees. In therapy, I will help you decrease anxious distress and find better functioning. I use cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques aimed at identifying the underlying thought, beliefs, and feelings that lead to distress. I will also help you establish coping skills to help you manage anxiety such as challenging unhelpful thought patterns, grounding, mindfulness, deep breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, positive imagery, and much more.

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.

I am trained in a narrative therapy approach. This will allow you to explore the anxiety and stress you experience daily in your life as an external element in your life. As this process unfolds we will explore various coping strategies that would benefit you greatly in your day to day life. My non-judgemental, confidential, client centred and narrative approach might be what you need to help you through the anxiety and stress you encounter.

Are anxiety and stress controlling your life, limiting your daily activities, and causing you to have persistent anxious thoughts? Are you experiencing stress and anxiety as a result of moving to a new country, starting a new job/career or a new relationship? Through counselling, I can help you can gain tools to identify your triggers and to develop coping skills to manage overwhelming emotions and challenges.

Anxiety is a response to stress. Counselling provides a safe space to identify, manage and overcome stress and anxiety. Part of this self-discovery process involves supporting individuals as they come to recognize their unique manifestations (physically, mentally and emotionally). Clients benefit by exploring their personal thoughts, feelings, behaviors that contribute to their anxiety and applying healthy interventions to alleviate negative responses. A solution-focused approach encourages the exploration of individual strengths and assets, development of healthy coping strategies, and identification of goals and habits to enhance mental health and well-being.

Is anxiety preventing you from enjoying aspects of your life? Does stress have you missing out on things you used to enjoy? Through counselling, I can help equip you with skills and tools to manage your anxiety and stress and put you back in the driver's seat of your life. Learn to modify your thoughts and behaviours and take back control of your day to day experiences.