Overcome Fears, Gain Confidence, and Feel Better
Problems We Treat
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
If you experience intense, seemingly out of the blue panic attacks and are now worried about having more, you may be struggling with Panic Disorder
The three most common fears expressed by people who have panic disorder are:
- fear of dying
- fear of going crazy
- fear of losing control
Panic attacks occur unexpectedly and can even occur during sleep.
A panic attack is a sudden and intense fear or discomfort which reaches it’s peak within 10 minutes and can include the...
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety
Do you feel consumed by your worries? Do you find that you worry about a wide range of issues such as:
- work
- school
- money
- relationships
- natural disasters
- your own or your loved one's health
Everyone worries, but people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) take worry to the next level of castastrophizing, often thinking of the worst possible outcome to any situation. If their friend or mate is late they think they have been in a car accident....
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety
Social Phobia/ Social Anxiety
Do you avoid social or performance situations for fear that you will say or doing something that will be humiliating or embarrassing?
Social anxiety is a fear of being scrutinized or negatively judged by others in a social or performance situation. People with social anxiety are terrified of saying or doing something that will humiliate or embarrass them. It usually starts in childhood and adolescence and continues into adulthood. It is the most common anxiety disorder. Typical situations that cause anxiety are:
...Phobias
Specific Phobias
If your fears of specific objects or situations have become extreme or unreasonable and are interfering in your daily life, you may have developed a specific phobia.
Phobias can include fears of:- Flying
- Heights
- Water
- Animals/Insects
- Needles/Doctors/Blood
- Vomiting
- Costumed Characters
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that are unwanted or inappropriate and appear to be outside of a person's control. Obsessions tend to cause significant stress and anxiety because the content of the thoughts are often in direct opposition to how the person typically thinks or feels. Often the person recognizes that the thoughts are irrational or bizarre, but is unable to be fully reassured by this knowledge. Obsessions that people commonly have include:
- ...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common reaction to an event that a person witnessed or experienced that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury. The event could be a natural disaster, combat, a car accident, or a violent personal assault such as rape. While most people recover, some will remain anxious and depressed for months or even years after the event. People with post-traumatic stress disorder will have many of the following symptoms.
1. Re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive distressing recollection of the event with flashbacks...
Separation Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety begins in childhood and is is characterized by excessive anxiety related to separation from home or from loved ones (parents, siblings, significant others) This anxiety interferes with social, school, or work functioning. Children and adults who experience separation anxiety often experience at least three or more of the following:
- Recurrent distress when separated from home or attachment figure or when separation is anticipated.
- Excessive worry about losing or harm coming to attachment figure....
Insomnia
Insomnia is defined by a difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or early morning wakening. It is a common problem, with half of adults experiencing it in their lifetime. It negatively effects mood, work and relationships and can become a vicious cycle where the person dreads going to bed at night, making falling asleep even more difficult. There cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia uses a step-by-step approach proven to improve your sleep without the use of medication. This treatment includes:
- using relaxation and stress reduction...
Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health problems that affect children, teenagers and adults. Twenty to twenty five percent of people may suffer from major depression at some point in their life. Common causes of depression are: grief or losing a loved one; major life changes; personal conflicts; isolation; and physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Some common symptoms of depression are:
- Sense of hopelessness, despair, worthlessness or guilt (in children or teenagers this may appear as irritability)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Changes...
Tinnitus
Are you hearing ringing, hissing, or buzzing in your ears? If so, you may be suffering from tinnitus, a condition characterized by persistent ringing, whistling, buzzing, hissing, or pulsing in either one or both ears, and is usually accompanied by hearing loss. These sounds may come and go for an individual or continually occur, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Tinnitus can range from slight annoyance to severe disruption of everyday life and cause significant stress such as:
- Irritability, anger and frustration
- Difficulty sleeping...
Trichotillomania/ Compulsive Hair Pulling
Pulling or plucking hair is often a part of normal grooming behavior. However for some people this normal behavior seems to take on a life of its own, becoming an uncontrollable impulse, and can cause many problems for the person including bald spots or thinning of the hair as well as feelings of guilt and shame. CBT can help you understand why this happens and how to stop pulling hair successfully.
Trichotillomania (Trich) is characterized by repeatedly pulling hair from any site on the body (scalp, eye lashes/brows, pubic, arms, legs, etc.) to the extent that noticeable bald...
Chronic Skin Picking
Chronic Skin Picking
Picking or scratching at blemishes or unwanted bumps on your body can be a normal part of daily grooming behaviors. However, for some people this behavior can become excessive to the point that scabbing, skin discoloration, scarring, and even infections can develop. Chronic Skin Picking (CSP), is when a person repeatedly touches, rubs, scratches, bites, or picks at the skin. People may pick at the skin anywhere on the body; however, some of the more common places that people pick are the face, arms, hands, and fingers including the cuticle bed and nails....
Challenging Behaviors in Young Children
Challenging Behaviors in Young Children
Behavior problems in young children can be caused by many different factors. Often children with behavior problems are smart, strong-willed, and stubborn. For these children, their behaviors may be an attempt to get attention from adults or to get what they want (i.e. a new toy, stay up late, etc.). Common behavior problems of this type include:
- Excessive tantrums
- Aggression towards parents, other adults, or peers/siblings
- Refusal to comply with simple requests (clean-up, get ready for bed, its...
CBT can help with Depression, Anxiety, and Other Common Problems