Common Areas of Concern

Living with anxiety can be a daily struggle. You may find it difficult to focus on the present moment as you are flooded with anxious thoughts related to the past or future. It’s common to feel on edge, tired, irritable, and tense. You may even experience sleep disturbances, panic attacks, or difficulty following through with school, work, or social commitments. Through therapy, you can identify the root cause of your anxiety and you can learn tools to reduce anxious thoughts with the goal of ultimately feeling much more confident and centered.

You may be struggling with depression if you notice that you frequently feel down, empty, lonely, and fatigued. You might find that you are struggling to complete tasks and activities that once felt easy and enjoyable. Perhaps you are having difficulty concentrating, feeling fully present, or making decisions. Your depression may feel mild - maybe you are getting by each day, but have a looming sense of sadness or emptiness. Or, perhaps your depression is causing you to have difficulty getting out of bed, going to school or work, or seeing friends. It can be helpful to gain an understanding of why you may be struggling with symptoms of depression in therapy. Then, you can learn tools to manage depressive symptoms with the goal of lifting your mood, increasing your energy levels, and allowing you to get back to a social and active lifestyle.

Navigating romantic relationships is not nearly as straightforward as it may have been for past generations. There are a variety of unique factors related to dating in today’s age that may be contributing to your feelings of anxiety, disappointment, and overwhelm. You may find that you are fed up with the process of meeting potential partners through dating apps/social media and are yearning for deep, authentic connections. Maybe you’re struggling to voice what you want and need to romantic partners due to concerns about appearing too “needy” or “difficult.” Or perhaps you’ve been in a long term relationship and are confused about your next steps. Through therapy, you can examine if the way you are approaching relationships is consistent with your values, expectations, and needs from others. You can also gain awareness of why you are experiencing difficulties in the context of relationships and learn tools to improve assertiveness, boundary setting, and effective communication.

One of the most common challenges young adults face is deciding on a career path. Perhaps you are feeling completely lost when others ask you what you want to do for a living. Maybe you’ve received ideas from your family, culture, and community on what a “good” job is and you are struggling to manage these expectations while staying true to your own desires. Or maybe you’ve been in the workforce for some time and are finding that you are feeling overworked, under appreciated, and burnt out. In therapy, you can gain a clear idea of how you want to approach your education and/or career and if your current path is aligned with what you truly want and need. You can also learn skills to manage difficult conversations with bosses and coworkers, advocate for your needs to be met, and reduce feelings of burnout.

As you transition into adulthood, you may be feeling confused about how your family of origin fits into your life now. Maybe you are interested in setting boundaries, gaining autonomy, and redefining your relationships with your family members as you create your identity as an adult. You may be interested in gaining insight into family dynamics that occurred throughout your upbringing that impact the way you manage relationships with others now. Perhaps you are in the process of starting your own family and are interested in identifying which values you’d like to keep from your family and culture and which values you may want to modify to better fit your lifestyle.

Growing up, you may have experienced specific events or relationships with others that felt painful, unfair, and traumatizing. These experiences can range from not having your feelings validated as a child or feeling disconnected from your family system, to undergoing abuse or neglect. As a Trauma-Informed provider, I focus on providing sessions for trauma survivors aimed at creating safety and trust. Our sessions will move at a pace that feels comfortable for you and you won’t be pressured to disclose anything outside of your level of comfort, until you feel ready. The goal of working through past trauma is to help you heal from the pain, understand that your feelings and reactions make sense given what you experienced, and gain a sense of empowerment as you move through your adult life.