Work is one of the major sources of pressure in our adult lives. Even if you love your job, there are times when it will be challenging, and some careers are stressful by their very nature. If internal or external pressure to perform in your workplace is leaving you feeling overwhelmed, therapy is a great place to talk through the sources of stress, learn effective coping tools, build your resilience and self-advocacy skills, and set achievable goals for your career.
Anxiety is a natural response to a variety of situations. It’s our mind and body’s way of alerting us to potential dangers and keeping us safe. When we perceive a threat, our parasympathetic nervous system can activate a “fight, flight, or freeze” response that is designed to protect us from danger. You see a sabre-toothed tiger, you run away. Unfortunately, today’s sources of anxiety aren’t necessarily easily dealt with. In most cases, we’re not worrying about coming up against a sabre-toothed tiger. Instead, anxiety may be related to work projects, finances, the general state of the world, or any number of other concerns that can’t necessarily be quickly addressed and forgotten. Instead, the anxiety-inducing thoughts and events stick around, leaving us all feeling a little (or a lot) worried. The same fight/flight/freeze system can be activated in the absence of physical danger, and we can feel highly anxious. Over time, the effects of this unabated anxiety can be detrimental to our emotional, mental, and physical health. We may develop a panic disorder, our immune systems can be temporarily weakened, and other concerns may arise. Therapy can help you name and address the sources of your anxiety and work to develop skills to manage and overcome anxiety every day.
Most people would define depression as sadness, but if you’ve ever experienced depression first hand, you know that it’s more than this one emotion. Many people do feel sad when they are depressed, but they may also experience lack energy, constant sleepiness, difficulty getting motivated, struggling to concentrate, and loss of enjoyment in valued activities. Depression may be a struggle that comes up again from time to time throughout your life, but the good news is therapy can help you learn to manage your depressed mood, experience greater joy, and make recurring episodes less likely and less frequent.
Relationships can offer us comfort, support, fulfillment, and companionship, but difficulties within our romantic partnerships can leave us feeling drained, stressed, or depressed. If you’re struggling to develop and maintain healthy, fulfilling relationships, individual therapy sessions can help you improve communication skills and discover more satisfying ways of bonding with people. Our clinicians also offer couples therapy if you would prefer to work on your relationship struggles with your current partner.
Anger is a perfectly healthy and natural response to many situations. Unfortunately, some people can be overwhelmed by the anger, which leads them to behave in unsafe, irrational, or violent ways. Learning to manage anger can give you back a sense of self-control, help you improve your interactions with others, and generally enjoy daily life again.
Life transitions can be challenging. Whether you’re a young professional starting your first job or you’ve just become an empty nester, you may find yourself having difficulties adjusting to your new phase of life. This can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety as well as other emotional and physical effects. Therapy sessions give you the time you need to talk through the complexities of your situation, make plans to navigate the transition, and generally find more joy at any phase of life.
Experiencing or witnessing trauma creates a mental wound. Just like a cut on our body, this psychological wound creates a lot of damage if it’s not treated appropriately. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the ways that unprocessed trauma presents itself. Therapy is an important part of the healing process after traumatic experiences. During counseling, we work together to help you process traumatic events and move foward to live a fulfilling and joyful life.
It is often recognized that emotional or psychological distress has physical side effects (anxiety makes the heart race, depression causes body aches, fear upsets the stomach). People are less likely to think of this connection as going the other way, but we know that it does. Managing chronic pain is very taxing emotionally and mentally. Whether it’s missing out on activities and events or just generally feeling uncomfortable in your own skin, chronic pain takes a toll on your mental health. By including therapy in your long term treatment plan for chronic pain, you ensure you are equipped to manage the complex thoughts and feelings that can weigh on you if not addressed.
Physical intimacy can be a joyful and satisfying experience that brings us closer to our partners, but many people struggle to express their sexuality. If you’re struggling with the emotional, psychological, or physiological aspects of sexuality, therapy offers a judgement free space to explore these concerns, better understand your needs, and discover healthy ways to express your sexuality.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) shares many similarities with anxiety disorders. For some people, poorly managed anxiety leads to obsessive thinking and acting. However, there are many important differences that make OCD unique. OCD is a condition that involves ruminating on obsessive thoughts and feeling compelled to complete certain tasks to stay safe, avoid perceived negative consequences, or self-soothe.
Individuals with OCD may find themselves repeating ritualistic processes, like tapping their pen five times before answering the phone. Disruption to these habits can cause significant distress. If the effects of OCD are controlling your daily life and leaving you feeling trapped, therapy can help you manage anxiety and OCD and start feeling like yourself again.
The end of a relationship can be extremely difficult. Finding ways to separate your life from your partner’s and move forward with a feeling of fulfillment and purpose is often a painful process, but therapy can help individuals and couples navigate separation or divorce to live more fulfilling lives on the other side.
Many women experience issues surrounding fertility, pregnancy, child birth, and motherhood, and while these concerns are common, that doesn’t make it easy to navigate this often challenging time. If you’re having difficulty related to pregnancy or bonding with your new child, therapy offers a source of relief and support to help you adjust to the physical, emotional, and mental changes that come along with motherhood, so you can continue to be the best version of yourself.
We welcome members of the LGBTQ+ community, and our clinicians practice LGBTQ+ affirming therapy. That means you’ll be treated with respect and support throughout your counseling experience. Whether you’re seeking therapy for issues directly related to your sexuality or gender identity or just need support from affirming psychologists while dealing with the challenges life throws at you, we’re here to help.
For many young people, attending university is the first time they will live on their own, manage their own finances, cook their own meals, and generally experience life as an independent adult. While this can be freeing, it can also be very stressful, especially when combined with the pressures of school, work, extracurricular activities, and your social life. If you’re struggling with the adjustment to university life, therapy may help you learn the skills to manage complex emotions, navigate difficult situations, and generally get through this important life transition more easily.
Following concussion, you may notice changes in your mood and behaviour. This is a stressful and difficult experience. You may feel out of control and not know why you can’t go back to “normal.” During therapy, we help you take steps to manage the changes in the way you think, feel, and act, so you get back to living your healthy, thriving life again.