Anxiety and Depression

Identifying the underlying cause is the first step.

It is essential to look at the causes and factors that lead to anxiety and depression to provide the most comprehensive treatment.

We take into account biological, psychological, and social aspects of your life to identify primary causes of distress and inform our approach.

Anxiety becomes problematic when it persists.

Anxiety commonly arises from a stressful lifestyle and a lack of work/life balance. It is common in our fast-paced and demanding world.

Anxiety is often “future-focused” and rooted in preoccupation with potential outcomes and situations that have not yet arisen.

It is helpful to recognize the presence of adaptive anxiety vs. maladaptive anxiety. Adaptive anxiety is like what an athlete feels before a race. It is a natural response and often helps an individual meet the demands of their tasks.

Maladaptive anxiety is not a response to an external need. It is a habituated reaction that may have been appropriate to past events or relational patterns, but remains when it is no longer needed or helpful.

Depression makes moving forward challenging.

Depression often arises from suppressed and unexpressed emotions.

Experiences of disconnection from one’s internal dynamics and relationships with others accumulate, resulting in symptoms such as lack of motivation, low energy, hopelessness, and inability to engage in daily tasks.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression often coincide, creating significant distress. Co-occurrence can result from unresolved incidents, relational trauma, or anticipated future difficulties.

Therapy can help process anxiety and depression.

Engaging in verbal processing to increase insight and express emotions is a relieving first step with treatment. Here, we utilize cognitive- and emotion-based methods to provide initial alleviation of symptoms.

This approach will help us determine if there is trauma at the root of symptoms to process and resolve with modalities such as EMDR.

Developing coping skills, including mindfulness/meditation practice, has proven to be highly effective in reducing the impact of symptoms and creating positive and lasting change.

If you are dealing with anxiety and depression, please reach out so we can discuss your symptoms and the changes you want to experience in your life. Through therapy, you can move forward without anxiety and depression holding you back. Contact me today for more information on how I can help.