Depression and anxiety are fairly common. In fact, at least 322 million people are currently living with depression or anxiety worldwide. It’s not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Dealing with depression or anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of, and neither is asking for help.

Common symptoms of depression include:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or ’empty’ mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or helplessness
• Loss of interest in activities that once brought about pleasure, such as hobbies, sex
• Decreased energy, fatigue
• Difficulty remembering, focusing
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Overeating or lack of appetite
• Thoughts of death, suicide, self-harm
• Restlessness, irritability

Common symptoms of anxiety include:

• Feeling nervous, irritable, ‘on edge’
• Having a sense of impending danger, doom, panic
• Breathing rapidly, sweating, trembling
• Gastric-intestinal problems such as IBS, ulcers
• Feeling weak and tired

Depression and anxiety therapy helps individuals not only find acceptance, peace, and joy but also equips them with the tools needed to face these struggles in their everyday lives.

Children and teens grow up so fast. This process can be joyful – we often celebrate milestones as children grow. But this process can also bring on mental health issues. Kids and teens may develop issues with mood, unhealthy or acting out behavior, substance abuse, etc. Child counseling can help address mental health issues – it can allow them to process issues surrounding growing up, school, or friends.

When children reach adolescence, relationships can cause strife. Platonic and romantic relationships may cause this stress. Relationships between parents and children are crucial to healthy development, but they may become strained by the changes that come with adolescence. Oftentimes, parents forget what it’s like to be an adolescent or don’t have an understanding of what it’s like to grow up in today’s world.

Therapy can be a safe space for kids to process thoughts and emotions and a place to reconnect parents and their children.

Coping with sexual orientation or gender identity issues can make one feel lonely, overwhelmed, and confused. In a society that gives mixed messages about most issues, this is no exception. Many dealing with such issues have doubts about who they can trust to discuss such matters. Tolerance and acceptance only go so far – it’s important to be able to talk with someone that has expertise in this area and appreciates the nuances involved. If you find yourself struggling with sexual orientation or gender identity issues, LGBTQ counseling can help.

Ever heard the saying “whatever doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger?” Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case. We want to believe that we’re “over” something bad that has happened to us. However, unresolved trauma can affect people in significant ways for years or even decades.

Here are some of the ways trauma can affect people:

• Recurring and intrusive memories of the trauma
• Nightmares/”night terrors”
• Intense physiological reactions to reminders of the trauma, such as rapid heart rate or sweating
• Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event, such as people, places, situations, or objects
• Reckless or self-destructive behavior
• Substance abuse
• Hyper-vigilance
• Outbursts of anger with little provocation
• Anxiety/Depression
• Suicidal thinking/behavior or self-harm
• Exaggerated negative feelings
• Difficulty remembering key elements of the traumatic event
• Unfairly blaming self or others for the traumatic event
• Feeling detached from others
• Distrust of others
• Relationship issues
• Sexual dysfunction

Relationships are hard work. Relationship therapy intends to help couples navigate and resolve problems as a team. It can help you and your partner maintain your romantic connection by solving interpersonal conflicts, big and small. Core relationship issues could pertain to sexual/intimacy issues, infidelity, co-parenting, or finances, just to name a few. Core issues don’t tend to dissipate on their own. In fact, it tends to be quite the opposite. The sooner you address core issues, the easier it will be to resolve them. A professional, impartial perspective could make a significant impact on your relationship struggles.

We live in a world where the variety of messages about what it means to “be a man” is dizzying. We can’t help but be bombarded with…

• Cultural expectations of masculinity
• Questions about what ‘becoming a man’ means
• Challenges related to fatherhood
• Concerns about sexism, gender culture, and authentic masculinity

Therapy for men’s issues can help significantly. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

We strive to provide compassionate, holistic care to people suffering from substance use disorders in a safe and therapeutic environment.  Focused on removing barriers to treatment, clients will be empowered to engage in recovery and live life to its fullest potential.