I often say to my clients, I am sure someone has said to you “Just calm down” or “There is nothing to be anxious about.” My clients and I then roll our eyes together and share a laugh about the ridiculousness of such statements. If it were that easy, don’t you think a person would do that?! We would all “just calm down” if we could!
Think of your body as having its own, natural, alarm system. Your alarm is there to protect you from possible danger, like from fires, hurricanes or bear attacks. But your body’s natural alarm can also become too sensitive and start going off when it isn’t useful. Have you ever had a house alarm that goes off randomly, without warning? The same thing can happen to your natural alarm, and this is when we start to fear every day activities, like talking to people (social anxiety), animals (specific phobias) or even leaving the house due to fears that we might panic and not be able to get help (panic disorder).
In individual therapy you and I will develop a personalized treatment plan that is geared towards your personal goals. I utilize a friendly, flexible, cognitive-behavioral approach where you learn to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and how behavior may be inadvertently negatively impacting your mental health and well-being. Ultimately, I want to help you to become your own therapist, meaning you feel confident using the techniques practiced in therapy on your own.
Oftentimes, an individual will find themselves struggling with anxiety and have limited access to a licensed professional. I have the ability to meet with clients securely over the Internet using a HIPAA compliant platform and have had great success in continuing with exposure and response prevention over video chat.
Trained in sport and performance psychology, I also have a special interest in working with athletes. Consistent with my cognitive-behavioral perspective, I emphasize the connection between the mind and body while addressing issues relating to the optimal performance and well-being of athletes.
In addition to working with individual clients and athletes, I also provide services for schools, professional organizations teams, coaches and parents. This includes conducting workshops, trainings and presentations on a variety of topics, such as stress management, leadership skills, team-building, coaching, and motivation.
