Depression
Depression is a state that affects all aspects of the way we function and feel, and can be experienced very differently from person to person. For these reasons, many individuals who struggle with it on a daily basis may not immediately recognize it.
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Common features include: Sadness, anger, irritability, loss of motivation, social withdrawal, disengagement from hobbies, lack of energy, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and changes in sleep, appetite, and sex drive.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy provides an outlet for emotional expression, a space in which to explore the underlying causes of depression, strategies and tools for lifting mood, and increased awareness of what actually makes us happy.
Anxiety
There is a difference between the occasional "nervous butterflies" and living in near-constant distress over "what might happen." Much like depression, anxiety can also show up differently from person to person.
If you find yourself feeling disproportionately nervous, worried, or fearful, often jump straight to worst case scenarios, or feel jumpy and on edge more often than not, the problem may go a bit deeper than everyday stress.
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Common manifestations include: Anxiety and/or panic attacks, various phobias, PTSD, fear of social situations, a general sense of paranoia or dread, and the belief that catastrophic events are imminent or inevitable.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Psychotherapy is a great way to get to the root cause of the anxiety and explore different techniques to help you cope, manage, and overcome.
Self-Esteem
Our life experiences can greatly shape the way we view ourselves, and we often underestimate the impact that factors such as relationships, various forms of trauma or abuse, social expectations, and media influence can have on our sense of self-worth.
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Some signs that your "self-deprecation" may actually be low self-esteem in disguise include feelings of worthlessness, negatively comparing yourself to others, harsh self-criticism, lack of confidence, and a tendency to dismiss or invalidate positive feedback.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy provides a means of re-evaluating any existing negative self-perceptions, reconnecting us to our genuine selves, and promoting self-compassion and self-care.
Stress
Excessive stress can have a profound impact on the mind and body alike, and we sometimes become so good at overlooking the stressors in our lives that we don't even recognize the signs of stress until they begin to impede our ability to function or thrive.
Common stressors include: Pressure from work and relationships, perfectionist tendencies, high-paced living, and always feeling as though you're playing catch up.
Symptoms of stress include but are not limited to: Anxiety, agitation and irritability, muscle tension, indigestion, heart palpitations, insomnia, and headaches.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy can help you recognize the early signs of stress, identify common stressors in your life, explore various stress-relieving outlets, and actively promote relaxation.
Relationships
Social connection and quality relationships play a major role in supporting both our mental and physical health, but navigating our relationships with family, friends, and romantic partners can sometimes be a challenge.
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Common relationship concerns include difficulties establishing trust, intimacy, and security; codependency, family conflict, unhealthy boundaries, coping after a breakup, and rebuilding self-esteem and self-trust following an abusive relationship.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy can guide you in setting healthy boundaries, help you to recognize the impact of past experiences on current relationship patterns, and empower you to assert your needs to build stronger bonds with your partner, friends, or family.
Life Transitions
Life transitions aren't always desired, planned, or easy. Whether we seek them or not, adjusting to the changes that come with them can often feel like an uphill battle.
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Difficult transitions can include the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, changes in employment, relocating, adapting to physical limitations, or accepting that the path we always believed we'd pursue may not be the one we ultimately find ourselves on.
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How Can Therapy Help?
Life transitions can result in feeling overwhelmed, hopeless or powerless. Therapy can help you to process the feelings that accompany unwanted changes, come to terms with new circumstances, and empower you to take control and regain a sense of direction.
Motivation & Goals
Whether it pertains to our career, lifestyle, health, or relationships, deciding that it's time for a change can be difficult. Taking those first steps towards making that change happen? Even more so.
Motivation and goal-setting are areas we all struggle with from time to time, as we can be pretty good at holding ourselves back and talking ourselves out of taking action. So where do we find that push to get started, create momentum, and stay the course?
How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy provides an outlet to explore your aspirations, identify desired changes, set tangible goals, identify key obstacles and challenges, and create an action plan. It can help bridge the gap between knowing what you want and getting what you want.
