Anxiety and Depression

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Call 310-226-6161, or Email
CounselingYourRelationships@verizon.net

Some Signs and Symptoms of Clinical Depression

• Have you been experiencing low mood or irritability?
• Do you sometimes experience feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt?
• Are you prone to self-defeating thoughts or excessive procrastination?
• Are you finding it harder to focus or concentrate?
• Are you less energetic and more fatigued?
• Do you find yourself isolating more from social opportunities?
• Is there a noticeable change in your appetite, body weight, or sleep patterns?
• Have you lost interest in leisure activities that once brought you pleasure?
• Does life in general feel overwhelming . . .maybe even hopeless?
• Do you ever have thoughts of harming yourself?

Clinical Depression Treatment Solutions

If some of these statements resonate with you, you may be experiencing Clinical Depression.  Many of us go through brief patches of “the blues” or have mild depression from time to time. However, if your changes in mood, energy level, self-care, or self-concept persist, it is time to seek professional help.

Helena treats your symptoms of depression using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in tandem with nurturing a trusting therapeutic relationship with you. While therapy remains largely centered on the present, the past is mined as it relates to family of origin rules, roles, and expectations that may be affecting your current sense of self. Sometimes, your treatment may also include a referral for a medication evaluation by a psychopharmacologist.

The good news about depressive illnesses today is that we now have proven protocols and tools to treat them. You do not have to suffer any longer. It is possible to begin feeling less depressed and take back control of your life.                

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Some Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

• Are you prone to catastrophe thinking or excessive free-floating worry?
• Do you find it hard to control your worried thoughts?
• Does worry cause you difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep?
• Have others noted that you often seem “keyed up” or on edge?
• Do you avoid social functions or performance opportunities on the job due to fears of embarrassment or failure?
• Do feared situations or environments cause you to experience shortness of breath, chest pains, dizziness, nausea, or feelings of being detached from yourself?
• Is excessive worry ruining an important relationship in your life?

Anxiety Disorder Treatment Solutions

If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, you may be suffering from an Anxiety Disorder.
We all feel anxious at one time or another, and in some instances – for example, before a first date with someone you really like, or prior to delivering a speech onstage --  having a little anxiety would be considered healthy and adaptive. But when anxiety permeates your daily existence, or when specific fears impair healthy functioning in your relationships or your career, then you are
in need of outside professional support.

Helena helps you to tame your anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the strength of the professional alliance you and she build together.  Thought Restructuring, Gradual Exposure, and Relaxation techniques are among the tools employed during treatment. In addition, you may receive a referral for a medication evaluation by a psychopharmacologist.

As you begin to challenge your negative thought processes, in effect, “talking back to your fears”, you begin to reclaim your life and place worry in a more realistic context.

To take the first step toward overcoming your anxiety . . .