COMMON PROBLEMS
Below are some examples of problems that people may seek therapy for.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions, affecting approximately 25% of people at some point in their lives. Anxiety can present in many forms, such as panic attacks, social anxiety, excessive worry, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, and others. These conditions are characterized by activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to fear and avoidance of certain thoughts, sensations, activities, objects, or people. Fortunately, extensive research has led to the development of effective, evidence-based therapies that can be used alone or in combination with anxiety medications to effectively treat these disorders.
Depression is a mood disorder that affects around 20% of people at some point in their lives and is often accompanied by anxiety. Decades of research have led to the development of effective, evidence-based therapies for depression that can be used alone or in combination with antidepressant medications to help individuals make a full recovery. In therapy for depression, individuals work to understand and break the negative cycle of depression through changes in behaviour, thought patterns, and interactions with the world and others. Most people can successfully recover from depression, and therapy can help speed up the recovery process and provide skills to manage future stress and reduce the risk of relapse.
Grief, a universal experience, can be a difficult and challenging time that can disrupt a person's sense of self and lead to negative views of the future. Some individuals may become stuck in grief, feeling raw and disrupted for months or even years. Grief can resemble depression and have a significant impact on daily life. While grief cannot be erased or magically resolved, the goal of therapy is to help individuals find ways to live their lives alongside their grief. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based therapy that can help individuals understand and cope with the emotions and behaviors associated with grief while also finding ways to reconnect with life.
If you are struggling to achieve your goals or feel disconnected and unfulfilled even after attaining what you thought you wanted, it may be beneficial to explore your life circumstances, expectations, and relationships and identify your values. This can help you determine what actions might help you move closer to what you want in life. Talking about these topics with a therapist can provide insight and support as you work to align your actions with your values and goals.
Certain life decisions, such as those related to relationships, work and career, work-life balance, or health and well-being, can be complex and difficult to navigate. Talking through these issues with a therapist can help you clarify the problem, identify and evaluate potential solutions, and plan a course of action. A therapist can also provide encouragement and support as you work through the problem-solving process and strive to reach your goals.
As we go through life, we encounter many points of decision that can significantly shape the direction of our lives. These choices are often complex and can cause worry. Some common life transitions include starting or ending education, moving out of the family home, starting or ending relationships, making job or career decisions, exploring issues related to sexuality or gender identity, becoming a parent, caring for family members, moving to an assisted living facility, losing a partner or spouse, or retiring.
Life transitions often require significant changes to our lives, which can be difficult and accompanied by feelings of loss, instability, and anxiety. These emotions can make it hard to see the positive aspects of change. Therapy can help individuals process their emotions and identify and try new coping strategies to manage these life transitions.
It is difficult to escape cultural and gendered expectations about body shape and size, and the desire to conform to these standards can lead to unhealthy relationships with food and exercise. Negative thoughts about appearance and body size can be common and can result in unhealthy behaviours such as food restriction, binge eating, excessive exercise, vomiting, or overuse of laxatives. These behaviours can become obsessive and cause significant distress.
Effective treatments are available for eating disorders, particularly bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and may include medical and nutritional oversight in addition to psychotherapy. Therapy can help individuals understand the influences on their expectations of shape and weight, challenge unhelpful thinking, and make fundamental changes to unhealthy behaviours. Disordered eating is often accompanied by feelings of shame, guilt, disgust, and embarrassment, which may prevent individuals from seeking help and allow the condition to persist for longer. Once an individual has committed to change, unhealthy eating behaviours can often be modified within a few weeks. Please note that I do not treat anorexia nervosa.