Specialties

Grief

Grief is a part of the human condition. Not one of us will escape this lifetime without experiencing grief.

Most people may think of grief as the death of a loved one. However, it is so much more than that.

Bereavement is the experience in which we process a range of emotions we go through when we experience a loss. As human beings we experience grief in many forms. Some examples may be the loss of a job, the dissolution of a relationship, the loss of a home, the transition into a new stage of our lives. 

Our experience of grief is individual, personal, and complex. Not everyone experiences grief in the same way. There is no wrong way to experience or express grief. 

Exploring grief in a therapeutic setting does not have to mean that the loss has recently occurerd. Grief is a process that encompasses life situations that may have occurred at an earlier time in our life.

One common misconception about grief is that there is a timeline for grieving. Maybe you have been told to “get over it” or “move past it.” These statements can be harmful and hurtful.

With therapy, we can process loss and grief. Through therapy we may be able to move into a space where we can accept the complex emotions that come with the grieving process. Through therapy we may be able to integrate our loss as part of our personal experience and embrace how this process has transformed us.

Trauma

Psychological trauma can be debilitating. Trauma is an emotional response caused by severely distressing events.

These terrible events, whether experienced as a child or an adult, can seriously impact our day-to-day lives and the way we perceive the world around us.

Psychological trauma can cause a range of symptoms, including emotional, physical, and cognitive changes.

Treatment of trauma can be tailored specifically to the person’s needs.

Unresolved trauma can lead to mental health crises. However, successfully addressing trauma can help people identify future stressors prior to escalating into a crisis situation.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Depression and anxiety

Anxiety and depression are liars. 

Perception is reality, and because these illnesses affect our perception of the world around us, this can be devastating.

Anxiety and depression can be so confusing. It can make us question ourselves. This is because it can hijack our mind with negative thought patterns such as, “I am alone and have no support. No one loves me. No one truly understands me and what I am going through.”

Anxiety and depression can impact our mood to include feelings of sadness, irritability, hopelessness, negative self-talk, cyclical worry, fear, panic, intrusive thoughts, overthinking and even thoughts that we want to harm ourselves and thoughts of dying.

Mood alterations that stem from anxiety and depression can lead to changes in our behavior, such as isolating ourselves, impaired sleep and appetite, lack of motivation and avoiding others. All of these symptoms can greatly impact our role-functioning and induce a decline in the ability to function as we would like to in our day-to-day lives.

Because depression and anxiety are not tangible and are illnesses that people cannot necessarily see or understand, we might hear feedback from others that might be well-intentioned, but might be more harmful than helpful. You might hear such statements as, “Just think happy thoughts,” “it could be worse,” “it is all in your head,” “just calm down,” “don’t worry so much,” or “stop stressing.” Feedback from others might serve to make us feel weak-minded, confused and lonely.

What I would like to stress to people who experience depression and anxiety is that it is not your fault. Your thoughts and feelings are real and valid. You are NOT alone.

Substance abuse

The relationship between substance abuse and mental health is a complex one. It can be difficult to say which came first — the mental health disorder or substance abuse. Sometimes people may start using substances to self-medicate. Others may turn to substances to cope with symptoms of mental illness, such as depression, anxiety and trauma. Substance abuse can exacerbate existing mental health issues .

Substance abuse can lead to addiction. One of the challenges associated with substance abuse is the stigma associated with substance abuse. People often hesitate to seek help due to fear of judgment and discrimination.

Promoting open conversations about substance abuse can help break down barriers and encourage individuals to seek help.

Being a loved one to a person with substance abuse issues can bring up feelings of helplessness, as the individual battling substance-abuse issues must come to the realization that their abuse of substances has negatively impacted their life — as well as the lives of those around them.

The statement, “I need help” is a difficult one to say.

Therapy can assist individuals with substance-abuse issues to identify the catalyst that led to abusing substances, as well as to identify triggers and learn new ways to cope with underlying issues that might have led to substance abuse in a non-judgmental and safe space.

Therapy can also be helpful for those loved ones who feel overwhelmed and do not know how to best process the emotions that come up when loving and caring for a person in their lives who battles substance-abuse issues.

Psychosis

Psychosis can be scary and confusing. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions about psychosis.

Symptoms can occur when someone has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy.

Psychosis can entail different symptoms, including delusions. A delusion is an unshakable belief that something is untrue. Delusions can include beliefs that are impossible in our reality.

Psychosis can also include hallucinations. Individuals may see, hear, taste or feel external stimuli that are not real. 

Paranoid delusions are a thought process or instinct that involves irrational and persistent feelings of suspicion and distrust of others.

Some individuals are able to identify that symptoms of psychosis are not based on reality, while others might not be able to identify that symptoms of psychosis are not based on reality.

Psychosis can be caused by a combination of factors, including mental and physical conditions. Early treatment is important for better recovery.

Self-care routines are important and can make a difference for people experiencing psychosis.

What is most frightening is that for most people, perception is reality. When our perceptions are skewed, it can become our new reality.

Treatment for psychosis includes a combination of medication, psychological therapies and social support

If psychotic episodes are severe, a person might need to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

Dementia and cognitive issues

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental abilities that affects memory, thinking and behavior, and can interfere with daily life.

Dementia is an umbrella term for the many types of organic illnesses that include symptoms of dementia. Dementia itself is not a single disease. Dementia is caused by abnormal brain changes.

A few illnesses, such as vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and head injuries can cause dementia-like symptoms.

A person experiencing symptoms of dementia can feel confused, helpless, frustrated, angry and sad. Talking to a therapist can assist with the grief, sense of loss and decline in independence.

Watching a loved one struggle with symptoms of dementia can be devastating, and we can feel grief over the loss of the person we used to know prior to the onset of symptoms.

Being a caregiver to an individual with symptoms of dementia can be exhausting and can create caregiver and compassion fatigue. Therapy can be a way to express feelings that come up as we navigate the loss of the person we used to know, as well as the stress that comes with caring for another person while simultaneously navigating our own personal day-to-day life challenges.