Life’s Challenges

DEPRESSION

 Everyone experiences depression from time to time. I consider it to be one of many normal human emotions. But when we can't shake the feeling and it begins to take over, making it difficult to enjoy even the basic pleasures of life, there's a problem that needs to be addressed. In treating depression I like to take a holistic approach looking at a number of factors that may be contributing. These may include one's experiences growing up, current life stressors, physical health and genetic predispositions. In understanding one's life within this larger context I can help my client avoid stepping into the same emotional traps that tend to perpetuate depression.

ANXIETY & STRESS

 In today’s world anxiety and stress cannot be avoided, they are innate signals that danger is ahead and we should mobilize ourselves against it. So anxiety can be very helpful at moderate levels (e.g. getting us to study for an exam). But high levels of anxiety can be paralyzing especially when there is no identifiable danger. In working with clients around these issues I take a multifaceted approach, exploring his or her current circumstances (e.g. family, work, etc.),  and experiences in the past that may have contributed to the current problem. I also focus on helping to alleviate symptoms with practical suggestions like exercise and meditation as well as the use of hypnosis and guided imagery.

 ADDICTION

 I think of addiction as a behavior that is compulsively repeated despite negative consequences that can damage one's health, destroy relationships, ruin finances, and cause legal problems. In my years of experience working with substance abusers I've found that one size of treatment does not fit all. I know that I can't compel a person to do something he or she does not want to do. Rather, my primary focus is to help my client reduce any harm his or her behavior causes. This may mean stopping the behavior completely or cutting down to a level that is safer.

COUPLES ISSUES

Couples seek-out psychotherapy for many reasons ranging from the tensions that arise as relationships evolve to the pain of infidelity. Couples often bring “baggage” from the past into their relationships that in turn, are acted out in the present. I find that one of the most important things I do as a therapist is to create a safe environment where issues can be openly discussed and feelings shared. My role is to help couples avoid knee-jerk emotional reactions and open up lines of communication that can bring couples closer.