Areas of Expertise

Anxiety and Depression

“It takes more than a sudden leap to change a life. It takes a
conscious act, a decision to take our life into our hands.”
Mildred Newman and Bernard Berkowitz

Depression and Anxiety can appear in many ways:

Maybe you have difficulty sleeping, and it seems like you cannot stop thinking about the events of this day, or slow down the worry about what will happen tomorrow; perhaps ongoing feelings of uneasiness or undefinable sadness prevents you from enjoying life; you may be fighting battles with irritation and anger and notice that it is difficult for you to turn off the thoughts feeding your discontentment; perhaps your self-esteem is low, and you find yourself pleasing others out of fear not to otherwise be liked; maybe a health condition, job loss, divorce, or loss of a loved one is affecting your mood in a disabling manner; possibly, you feel stuck in a vicious cycle of negative, self-defeating thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, not being able to change your thought patterns.

With professional help, you can explore and learn how your unique experiences have influenced your self-talk and self-image, feelings, beliefs, choices, and relationship with others. Counseling may give you the support, skills, and guidance needed to make more sense of your life and dreams, and to view yourself and others in a more satisfying manner. Your present or past problems do not have to control you for the rest of your life!

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Trauma
“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but,
if  faced with courage, need not to be lived again.”  
Maya Angelou

Psychological trauma is characterized by the internal psychological war between the will to deny horrifying events and the will to talk about them. Far too often, survivors of trauma keep their thoughts, feelings, and images of the terrifying event a secret, which leads to more psychological suffering and distress symptoms, emotional isolation and alienation from self and others.

Serving our country during times of war; having been subjected to childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or to neglect, betrayal, or abandonment; experiencing or witnessing violence, rape, or major injuries and illnesses, are all obvious causes of trauma. Less obvious, but nevertheless common sources of traumatic stress are: invasive medical procedures, injuries, natural disasters, exposure to extreme hot and cold, and minor car accidents.

If you have had experiences like the ones exemplified above, and in their aftermath noticed that your sense of safety, trust, self-esteem, self-confidence, well-being, and connections gradually have been undermined, counseling can help you to regain balance, vitality, and confidence in your ability to reach your goals and dreams.
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Emotional, Verbal, Physical and Sexual Abuse

“. . .There is a cry deeper than all sound whose
serrated edges cut the heart as we break open to
the place inside which is unbreakable and whole,
while learning to sing.”
Rashani

The more traumatic or out-of-the-normal context of living an event is, the greater the urge usually is to deny its impact. Our attempts to numb the physical, emotional and intellectual responses to whatever horrifying experience we have had are natural to our very being. 

When we witness or are exposed to emotional, physical or sexual abuse, we activate all of our internal defenses to protect the wounds inflicted upon us as a means for survival. The degree of self-protection is equal to the severity of the wound itself. However, the protective shield we use are likely to create destructive coping skills, and to keeping us trapped in behavioral patterns that may severely disable us instead of helping us to heal our wounds.

Psychotherapy can be very helpful in deepening your understanding of how and why experiences stored in your biological, emotional, behavioral, and spiritual memory have continued to cause existential difficulties. In a therapeutic relationship, you can learn how to heal from the damage done by past or recent trauma/s, increase your mindfulness, and thus move out of the shadow and into the light of achieving your goals and dreams.

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Life Transitions - Grief and Loss

“When one door closes, another open, but we often look
so long and regretfully upon the closed door,
we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell

Throughout life we experience a whole range of transitions, which occasionally affect us deeply and profoundly. Eventually we move on to another page in our life’s history, but memories of the past remain and often leave scars.

Divorce, children leaving home, change of location, accidents, sudden deaths, loss of employment, loss of a loved one, medical procedures and illness, aging, and the journey into retirement, are but a few examples of human life transitions and changes which can severely impact our daily existence and enjoyment of life itself. The losses we encountered affect us irrevocably. However, the grief we experience can also transform and lead to exceptional levels of spiritual and emotional growth.
In times of grief, with all its pain and struggles, counseling can provide an opportunity to become stronger at the places where you feel weakest and guide you on your journey toward healing.

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Substance Abuse & Addictions

“From the very beginning to the very end, pointing to our own hearts to discover what is true isn’t just a matter of honesty, but also compassion and respect for what we see.”
Pema Chödrön

Alcohol, in all its different forms, is a substance used all over the globe for a variety of reasons: to optimize the experience of a gourmet meal and as a tool for entertainment and socializing; as a means to reduce stress; to relax; to increase intimacy; to have fun; to belong; to reduce shyness; to feel more approachable; to forget about painful experiences; to feel less fearful; to feel more confident; to enhance sexual experience. Drugs, whether legally prescribed or illegally obtained, provide the same desired emotional and behavioral changes as alcohol. The list of the miraculous changes provided by mood altering substances is endless.

Endless is also the social, emotional, and physical pain and destruction that follow in the footsteps of substance abuse: violation of personal values; diminished self worth and self esteem; shattered dreams; defensive and irresponsible behavior; neglect of self and others; personality changes; mental health problems; damaged relationships with significant others, children, or other family members; work-related problems or loss of employment; spiritual meltdown and symbolic death.

Gambling, Compulsive Buying, Internet Addiction and Sexual Compulsivity, are other sources of entertainment and pleasure which, when obsessively and compulsively used, have the power to cause irreparable damage.

If you have become aware that alcohol, drugs and addictive/compulsive behaviors keep you hostage and provide more pain than pleasure, more anxiety than relaxation, more isolation than connection; or if you have been exposed to emotional, verbal or sexual abuse, I may be the right therapist for you. A safe and trusting alliance with a therapist who understands the dynamics of substance abuse and addictions can be the difference between continued self-destruction and the restoration of dignity and important relationships.

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January 20, 2008