Stresses can include relationship hurdles, employment difficulties, difficulty with communication, self esteem problems panic and anxiety, past traumas and many more difficulties. Sometimes from our perspective the issues we face appear to be mountainous or too large to handle. Together we can try to view them from a different and resilient perspective. Through these difficulties our muscles grow, our endurance increases and we become stronger.
Past Traumas.
Past traumas can impact the present. A trauma informed approach based in EMDR can be helpful in identifying how this may be impacting ones current life. This can help to process the past event and working toward healing as well as management of present triggers while also creating a plan to help with future scenarios.
Compassion Fatigue and Burnout.
Who helps the helper, first responder, counselor, doctor, clergy or caregiver? Vicarious trauma, secondary trauma and compassion fatigue and burnout are similar concepts which can occur when first responders, therapists, doctors, nurses, pastors and other helpers have been privy to the emotional depths of human suffering and trauma and experience their own emotional strain afterwards which may impact their own life and functioning. Together we will work to re-establish or strengthen self-care and boundaries and rebuild your resilience to help you to continue to help others. We will also work to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and other symptoms you are experiencing.
Relationships: Communication and Working Together.
We can't read each others minds, we actually need to communicate!
There is a balance in communication. Some people respond passively and do not feel heard because they feel afraid to state their point of view. Then once they have been hurt a few times they may respond aggressively and their family member or friend may feel like they are being pushed away. The balance is finding assertiveness which is a point where you let people know about your viewpoints, respect theirs and communicate calmly. This takes practice and it also takes times to understand your own viewpoints and feelings. Together we can talk about communication strategies, boundaries and assertiveness which are great tools that can help all kinds of relationships.
Highly Sensitive Persons.
Do you notice that you feel overwhelmed in various situations and need breaks often? Do social situations sometimes overwhelm you and you need to leave or take a break? Are you very empathic and notice the emotions of others and yourself? Running highly sensitive can be like a superpower in some situations but also can feel overwhelming in other situations. I can help you manage these feelings through adding boundaries, thought management and assertiveness work.
ADHD Management.
Do you feel like your life feels out of control sometimes? Do you struggle with disorganization and notice the piles of things around you? We can work on strategies to help you manage ADHD and build realistic goals to help you enjoy your life.
Daily Thought Impact.
Daily thoughts add up to make thought habits. Thought habits can impact our daily moods. All these thought puzzle pieces add up to create the bigger picture of the pattern of our thought life.
Taking Back Control.
You can choose what you think about day to day, moment by moment. We can work together to help you to monitor your thoughts and over time thought changes can bring mood changes.
Deuteronomy 30:19 New Living Translation "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!"
Coping Strategies.
Counseling can help you to face your unique stresses with individualized coping ideas, discussion about the problem, relaxation training, assertiveness training, boundaries, thought monitoring and many more. Together we will come up with a plan to help you to move forward toward your goals. It is a collaborative journey.