Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come. going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous. It’s normal to feel anxious about moving to a new place, starting a new job, or taking a test. This type of anxiety is unpleasant, but it may motivate you to work harder and to do a better job. Ordinary anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes, but does not interfere with your everyday life. In the case of an anxiety disorder, the feeling of fear may be with you all the time. It is intense and sometimes debilitating. This type of anxiety may cause you to stop doing things you enjoy. if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last for longer than six months, and are interfering with your life, you may have an anxiety disorder. There are many different types of anxiety to include: Generalized anxiety disorder Social anxiety disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder Panic disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (a type of trauma and stressor-related disorder) Other anxiety disorders (separation anxiety) The goal of psychotherapy when addressing anxiety is to determine the trigger for the anxiety and develop skills to help manage those anxious feelings.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn't a weakness and you can't simply "snap out" of it. Working with a therapist to unpack your emotions can help identify the cause of some of the depressive feelings and/or consulting about other options in addition to therapy that would be the best individualized plan for treatment for you. Symptoms of depression can include: Depressed mood Diminished interest in activities Weight loss or weight gain changes in sleep patterns Lack of energy Feelings of worthlessness Difficulty concentrating Suicidal thoughts The goal of therapy would be to find connections in past experiences and seeing how those events might contribute to feelings of depression as well as to work on any negative self talk that may be contributing to the feelings of depression.
Change is a part of life that will always remain constant and unavoidable. All of us have experienced change in our lives, while many people can transition from one change to the next others may feel like their world has been turned upside down. It is during these times where we may go through emotional discomfort, grief, fear anxiety or even depression. Engaging in therapy to learn healthy coping skills for life transitions can be beneficial to your over all well being. Examples of Life transitions: Job changes health problems marriage Birth Divorce/ Breakup Death Moving The goal of therapy when addressing Life transitions is to help the individual get through these emotional life transitions using healthy coping mechanisms.