Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Hamilton, ON.

y approach includes using techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing and psycho-education. Mindfulness and relaxation are approaches that are extremely helpful in supporting those who are struggling with issues of anxiety and stress. Clients will benefit from anxiety and stress counselling as they will be able to manage day-to-day stress and be able to utilize basic tools provided to them during sessions.

Anxiety and stress are normal emotional and bodily responses to real or potential danger. In moderation they are adaptive allowing us the ability to mobilize resources and act in ways to keep us safe. In excess however, they can create emotional and physical suffering. Fortunately, a willingness to allow distressing thoughts and feelings, or alternatively, altering them into ones that are more productive, can result in individuals gaining relief from such discomfort. As a practitioner who strives to teach clients how to do both through acceptance- commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT), requisite skills will be learned in accomplishing this very goal.

For many clients it is difficult to make the call to seek counselling for anxiety, but I encourage you to do it as an investment in yourself. In a warm and empathetic environment, together we look at how your thoughts affect your feelings which lead to anxiety as well as your life story to consider areas of healing from the past as well as solutions for the future. My specialty is in understanding how significant relationships or the loss of these relationships contribute to one’s anxiety and stress.

Anxiety is a pervasive mental health issue that can also be associated with a variety of factors including depression, low self-esteem, trauma, exposure to accumulative stressors, or acute situational stress. The experience of anxiety can exist in the absence of obvious triggers. Given the variables, it is essential to hear a client’s story fully to define a clearer map of psycho-educational needs. By exploring alternative ways of thinking and employing CBT-based, anxiolytic strategies (imagery, relaxation and breathing exercises), clients are better equipped to gain control–i.e., unlearn bad habits contributing to patterns of negative thinking, fears, and unwanted physiological responses.

I use a variety of counselling techniques including therapeutic art making combined with talking therapy to aid my clients in identifying their triggers for stress and anxiety. The art making process can be used along with meditative techniques to help clients to calm the stress and anxiety that they are feeling. It can provide a safe and effective outlet for the excess energy and/or tension that anxiety and stress can create. I help my clients learn coping techniques to help them manage their stress and anxiety.

It is normal to worry and feel stressed about life's problems and pressures. But when compounded symptoms begin to overwhelm us to the point where we are getting headaches, heart palpitations, a churning stomach, cold sweats, sleepless nights, weight loss, obsessive thoughts, a distressed GI tract - then we need help to break the adrenaline-fear cycle. Anxiety feeds on fear and needs to be confronted, appropriately and safely, with relaxation techniques, new perceptions and constructive thinking patterns. A counsellor can help you do this.

Anxiety is a gift… it’s not the kind of gift a typical person would ask for, but it’s still a gift. It is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong and we need to fix it. Anxiety is not evil like many people think, but it can hold us back from being the person we were meant to be. Together, we will find ways to reduce this while addressing the source of the problem in order to bring healing into your life. It’s time to regain control of your life.

Anxiety is our body’s way of getting us ready for action, getting us ready to fight or flee in a given situation which, while helpful in keeping us alive, can be very unhelpful when it negatively impacts our ability to live our daily lives. I work collaboratively with clients to explore how anxiety and stress show up in their lives, and to strengthen and develop strategies to minimize the impact they have on living the life you want to live. Book a free consultation to learn more about my approach and explore if we are a good fit.

Are you experiencing anxiety and stress, often from living in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing social environment? Do you struggle to multi-task and stay focused as you move through the day? Let us work together to lower your stress through various tools that can fit into your busy life. I can help you to incorporate these tools into your life.

It is normal to worry and feel stressed about life's problems and pressures. But when compounded symptoms begin to overwhelm us to the point where we are getting headaches, heart palpitations, a churning stomach, cold sweats, sleepless nights, weight loss, obsessive thoughts, a distressed GI tract - then we need help to break the adrenaline-fear cycle. Anxiety feeds on fear and needs to be confronted, appropriately and safely, with relaxation techniques, new perceptions and constructive thinking patterns. A counsellor can help you do this.

Anxiety can be overwhelming and seeks to limit us in our day to day functioning. Anxiety has complex origins: whether it be genetics, or due to trauma or just living in a continued stressful environment, anxiety will keep us in a constant state of alert and even panic. Cognitive behaviour therapy and interpersonal therapy can help one learn techniques to control anxiety and to change your way of coping so that anxiety no longer rules your life.

Back in our distant past, anxiety and stress came from physical concerns such as lack of food, or shelter, to help us survive the winter, or danger of being killed by an animal (or neighbour!). While we now have few physical dangers to cause us anxiety or stress, we have many psychological ones – work, traffic, neighbours, money and lack of time to name a few. It is not these “events” themselves that create the anxiety and stress, but how we perceive them. Through exploring the irrationality of our thoughts, life’s events can be put into a more balanced perspective, with the resulting positive impact on our health and sense of wellbeing.

Anxiety and stress affect us all to varying degrees. There are numerous physical and emotional symptoms that are associated with anxiety and stress such as an increased heart rate, sweating, rumination and worry, to name a few. Anxiety can feel consuming and can keep us from engaging fully in our everyday life. Therapy can help you work with your feelings of anxiety and stress so that you feel empowered. Please contact me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if we are a good fit.

While anxiety and stress in small amounts can be a helpful source of information, too much can become overwhelming and even interfere with our daily lives. Therapy can be a space to explore the impacts of anxiety and how it may have become engrained into your self-narrative. You and I can work together to co-create coping strategies that are unique to your specific situation. Contact me to book a free consultation so we can decide together if we would be a good fit.

Stress and anxiety when present within healthy limits can stimulate, motivate, challenge, warn and activate our bodies to react accordingly to the situation. When it's too much, too intense and for too long, stress and anxiety lead to poor functioning, impairment and exhaustion resulting in stress and anxiety overload, contributing heavily to triggering anxiety disorders. In my therapy, I use therapeutic approaches and techniques that help reduce stress and anxiety and enhance the quality of your life and build your emotional resilience. You develop skills to minimize distress and maximize efficacy in many areas of your living and live life in a happier and healthier manner

For the past 10 years, I have enjoyed helping clients work through their struggles related to anxiety and stress, especially when it comes to career and workplace related stresses. I have found success using client-centred, Cognitive Behavioural Theoretical and Dialectical Behavioural theories in associated sessions. As well, I also tend to rely on Solution-Focused Theory to help client find and implement coping strategies.

Stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on an individual and their health. Without proper support and understanding, an individual can struggle with their daily functioning or even get physically ill. Fortunately, talking it out and exploring the anxiety and the stress through counselling can also help individuals who battle stress on a regular basis. Counselling can help you gain perspective on your current thought patterns and coping skills, while also working to give you the advantage over the stress and anxiety.

Living with anxiety or having a high stress can have an impact on every area of our lives. Emotional health, physical health, relationships and careers can all suffer as a result. I use a poly-vagal informed approach to help my clients cope with and reduce their anxiety and stress while learning to gain control over their nervous systems. This approach is both educational and practical. If you would like to improve your quality of life by reducing anxiety and stress contact me for a free consult.