Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Puslinch, ON.

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.

Life is hard. It can also be wonderful. Flux and flow. Often anxiety is created by a faulty belief system, and by the way the human brain works...I will explain in session...with what we now know about the brain and how it works, we know that we have a lot more power over our thoughts than we used to think we have. We CAN begin to shift our thinking. Yes, sometimes medication is also needed, especially as we learn how to have more control over our thoughts.

My approach to anxiety and stress focuses mainly on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, as it is an empirically-tested, evidence-based technique. It includes recognizing and addressing distorted thinking, grounding techniques, mindfulness, maintaining a journal, and self-care. Alongside CBT, we can explore the roots and possible causes of the anxiety. I have had great successes with clients who came to me with anxiety. One client in particular had social anxiety so severe, she would become physically sick, experience awful gastrointestinal issues, and eventually faint when in a social situation. As a result of therapy, her coping skills improved, until her anxiety all but disappeared.

Anxiety and stress can impact your health, relationships, and sense of fulfillment in life. In therapy, you can learn more about anxiety and stress and how they impact your daily life. With the support of a therapist, you can develop insights, strategies, and resources to help you thrive amid external stressors and challenges. I work with individuals, couples and families. Book a free consultation to explore if we are a good fit for therapy.

Who hasn't felt anxious or stressed in life?! Anxiety and stress often show up as racing thoughts, sleepless nights, tight chests, and a relentless inner critic. Whether you suffer from gereralized anxiety, social anxiety, panic or crushing self-doubt, my goal is to offer a calm, steady presence and practical tools grounded in CBT, ACT, and mindfulness to help you slow the spin, quiet the noise, and (literally) breathe again. As a psychologist—and as a person shaped by my own life’s pressures, stresses, and challenges —I can meet you with empathy, not judgment. Together, we’ll create space for clarity, courage, calm, and resilience. When our rational minds fail us... therapy saves the day!

When it comes to treating anxiety disorders, research shows that therapy is usually the most effective option. That’s because anxiety therapy, unlike medication, treats more than just the symptoms of the problem. Meristem can help clients uncover the underlying causes of their worries and fears; learn how to relax; look at situations in new, less frightening ways; and develop better coping and problem-solving skills. Our approach gives clients the tools to overcome anxiety and teaches them how to use them. Since anxiety disorders differ considerably, therapy is tailored to our clients' specific symptoms and diagnosis.

In working with individuals who struggle with anxiety, I use both a cognitive behavioural therapeutic (CBT) approach and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. The principal aim of cognitive behavioural therapy is to increase awareness that thoughts and behaviour drive emotion. My aim is to increase consciousness of distorted perceptions, and then assist individuals in rebalancing those perceptions to be more accurate. EMDR focuses specifically on reprocessing traumatic memories that are at the root of the anxiety. Through EMDR individuals can come to terms with traumatic and distressing memories that underlie anxiety.

Anxiety and stress are main reasons that we lack balance in our lives because they result in heightened focus on one particular area, often to the detriment of others. Taking the time to explore how your anxiety and stress are affecting you and finding strategies for addressing the imbalance can lead to a greater sense of peace and more satisfaction and contentment with life.

I provide a compassionate and supportive environment for clients to explore the underlying causes of their distress. Through evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques, and relaxation exercises, I help clients develop effective coping strategies, challenge irrational thoughts, and promote self-care practices. By addressing the root causes and triggers of anxiety, clients can experience reduced symptoms, increased self-awareness, and a greater sense of calm and balance in their lives. Together, we work towards cultivating resilience, empowering clients to navigate challenges, and fostering a renewed sense of well-being.

Anxiety and stress are often treated as isolated problems but, in reality, they are signals from a system that has been running in survival mode for too long. My approach does not focus solely on symptom management but on helping clients understand why their system feels chronically unsafe, overwhelmed, or hypervigilant. Often, anxiety arises from relational injuries, unresolved emotional tension, or existential dislocation that lead to feeling trapped in a life that no longer fits. Together, we work to understand the architecture of your anxiety: what it is trying to tell you, how it was built, what it protects you from, and how to grow from it.

Anxiety and Stress are prevalent and challenging issues that may seem insurmountable and hopeless at times. Stress is an individual experience and often means different things to different people. Some may describe it as tension or worry, or some may describe the feeling of anxiety as being overwhelmed or out of control. My professional training and experience has shown that simple changes can make a big impact on a persons quality of life and their experience of anxiety. At the core of every persons experience is the bodies natural reaction to stress, fight or flight. Learning more about how your own personal reaction can initiate recovery through awareness.

In my work with anxiety and stress, I offer a calm and supportive space to explore what lies beneath the surface of worry and tension. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety, I help clients understand it as a natural—often protective—response that can be worked with compassionately. Together, we use mindfulness, grounding, and gentle self-inquiry to regulate the nervous system and develop new ways of responding to stress. My goal is to help clients build resilience, self-trust, and a greater sense of ease and balance in their daily lives.

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.

People often wrongly assume that anxiety and stress come purely from inside our minds or from our circumstances - both of which are hard to control. In our sessions together we'll draw on multiple disciplines and teach you how to do simple exercises that can rewire your nervous system and help you feel at peace in your- regardless of what is happening around you. We'll also explore how to improve your thinking in ways that can protect you from feeling overwhelmed when anxiety pops up.

In life, we face various stressors and there are times when we may feel anxious, overwhelmed, or helpless. Finding a way to calm the body and mind can be difficult, regardless of whether this is a new struggle or one you have been dealing with for years. I believe that therapy can be a safe container in which stress and anxiety can be explored and worked through. Should you reach out for help, I will work with you to help you better understand how stress and anxiety impact you and I will also help you to develop coping strategies that may invite more calmness and that may support you in feeling empowered. Contact me or book a free consultation if you wish to learn more.

The experience of stress and anxiety can be a challenging one to navigate alone. Throughout sessions, we will work to understand activators of stress and anxiety, develop management tools that serve you best, and explore the various meanings and purposes that stress and anxiety serve in your life. Contact me for a free consultation to learn more about my approach and to see if we would be a good fit.

Anxiety is rampant in our time. The pace of life and how much we are expected to produce, the old metaphors of our bodies as machines are no longer working for us. I use meditations, grounding activities with nature items indoors, as well as going outdoors for sessions. Particularly the outdoor time really invites clients to reconnect with their bodies, minds and spirts and brings calm, peace and perspective back into those moments.

My approach to treating anxiety and stress often involves integrating cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness techniques and relaxation strategies into the work that I do with clients. By helping clients identify negative thought patterns, I am able to guide them in developing more helpful coping mechanisms. Mindfulness practices such as meditation and breathing exercises foster a sense of calm and present-moment awareness. Additionally, relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation reduce physical tension. Clients benefit from these methods by experiencing reduced symptoms, improved emotional regulation and enhanced overall well-being.

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.

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.

We are living in a high pace, stressful world and it is easy for this to take a toll on our well being. We work with adults, children and teens in need of a place to work through anxiety and stress. Children also deal with stress and anxiety. We use developmentally appropriate approaches in our work with children. We integrate a cognitive behavioural approach into play and music therapy interventions to help children cope better.

I understand that anxiety and stress can feel consuming resulting in emotionally shutting down, experiencing outbursts or avoiding situations all together. I work with clients to create a healthier relationship with anxiety and stress that is founded in the belief “I can handle this”. I help clients learn the tools to handle any situation that triggers anxiety or stress including changing how they think about the triggering situation. When clients shift their thinking, they open up the ability to achieve things that they normally thought were impossible. This new self-confidence allows clients to choose the type of relationship they want to have with themselves, with others and with the world around them giving them endless possibilities.

More than ever today, anxiety and stress are on the increase. And anxiety and stress can take on many different symptoms, such as sleepless, racing thoughts, negative self beliefs, physical discomfort and what feels like irrational fear, to name a few. Working with people who are dealing with anxiety and stress is something I find rewarding, as we explore coping strategies and identify new boundaries to live a healthy life.

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.

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.