Anxiety and depression are a part of everyone's life. When they become persistent or prevent us from moving forward in life it is time for professional help. I will work directly with you on relieving your symptoms as well as with a psycho-pharmacologist if medication is necessary.

I use a mindful approach to anxiety reduction and relapse prevention for major depression. I assist you in learning how to work with mood shifts in a mindful way. You will learn how to notice thoughts and their impact on physical and emotional experiences, accept these thoughts and experiences, and use this information to develop a different relationship to thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. The core skill that you learn is the ability to recognize and disengage from anxious mind states.

Sometimes you may feel like no one understands your problems and you have to deal with them on your own. When the problem is depression, you may feel like you’re fighting a losing battle. 

Depression can shame you and make you feel afraid of seeking help. You may think that having depression makes you a weak person or that everyone will reject you. Because of this, many people who need treatment for depression never get it. But stepping out to ask for help is the best thing you can do for yourself.

As your depression counselor, I’ll help you find hope for the future. We’ll work through your depression journey together. You’ll be doing the important work of recovery, but you won’t be alone. You’ll have my encouragement and guidance all the way through.

More than any special technique or training, the relationship with your therapist will make the most difference in your recovery from major depression. I’ll join you where you are in your depression. We'll work on coping skills to address the problems related to your depression. Good coping skills can help you manage stress and strong emotions. This is important both during therapy and after your symptoms have improved. When you feel like you have many options for dealing with stress, you’ll learn how to manage your depression with confidence.

• butterflies in the stomach
• ruminations in the mind
• panic attacks
• agoraphobia
• paranoia

Anxiety can have many negative impacts but its actually trying to protect us. Its original function is survival, serving as an alarm system, warning us of danger and potential threat. In today's world, anxiety is often felt in a debilitating and confusing way, disconnected from its original function. We ruminate, we worry, we catastrophize, we obsess. Our lives become more difficult and shrink before our eyes.

When anxiety is out of control, it can become problematic in multiple ways:

• Fear of rejection keeps you isolated and alone
• Fear of ridicule leads to being silenced and loss of your potential
• Fear of the loss of relationship causes you to hold on to an abusive relationship
• Fear of death and loss of control deprives you of a life, avoiding things such as flying or even leaving one's house

Anxiety can take many forms, but we can't rid ourselves of anxiety, just like we will never rid ourselves of happiness or sadness. The goal is to learn when anxiety has a purpose, and when it's simply preventing you from facing your present situation.