MY SPECIALTIES
EMDR Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Trauma often affects how we react to daily life situations, sleep, appetite, mood, and relationships. EMDR is a evidence-based therapeutic process for resolving the impact of past emotionally-charged experiences and traumas. EMDR uses an eight-phase treatment approach. By using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements or alternating tapping, it draws on our brains natural ability to resolve negative memories/emotions and heal itself. Just as the body can heal from a physical injury, EMDR helps the brain heal from past mental and emotional wounds. By recalling a memory, it can be reprocessed so the emotional distress becomes neutralized.
In addition to trauma, EMDR has been used to effectively treat panic attacks, complicated grief, phobias, anxiety, and pain disorders.
To learn more, check out www.emdria.org or www.emdr.com
Anxiety, Depression, and Mood Dissorders
One of the most common symptoms of an anxiety disorder is excessive worrying. People with anxiety disorders will worry disproportionately about events or everyday situations.
Depression can trigger an overwhelming feeling of sadness or cause someone to lose interest in things they once loved. Such symptoms can alter how one thinks, feels, and reacts to even simple things and daily tasks.
Therapy can help to uncover the underlying causes of your anxiety and depression, teach you coping and relaxation skills, look at stressful events and situations in a new way, and and utilize problem-solving skills to function more effectively. The goal is to improve daily life functioning, overall mood, and quality of life.
Perinatal Mood Disorders, Pregnancy Loss, and Fertility Issues
A special interest of mine is working with women with infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy-related and/or postpartum depression and anxiety, and birth trauma and loss.
One in five woman experience post-partum depression or anxiety. Perinatal depression and anxiety is the most common complication following childbirth. Symptoms can include crying spells, mood swings, irritability, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating, bonding difficulties, sleep and appetite changes, loss of sexual interest, excessive worry and checking, negative scary thoughts about yourself or your baby, feelings of inadequacy, relationship issues, loss of sense of self, body image issues, ruminating, obsessive thoughts and behaviors, hopelessness, shame, and guilt.
Losing a child is one of the most traumatic experiences most people can imagine. Perinatal loss is common—an estimated 10 percent to 20 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. A further 1 percent of pregnancies are lost to stillbirth. Such losses are often invisible by society. For many clients who have experienced loss, parent-hood is seen as meaningful and desirable life transition. Therefore, infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth trauma can be particularly devastating. Even with the most supportive, loving family and friends, the support and therapy with a trained maternal mental health professional often can be most beneficial.
Grief and Loss
Grief counseling helps people of all ages process and cope with their feelings after experiencing any form of loss. Such losses can include death of a friend or loved one, one's own illness, divorce, loss of job, or other life circumstance.
Grief affects everyone differently, at different times, and in different ways. During the grieving process, you may experience sadness, anger, confusion, regret, guilt, depression, and even relief. Mental health therapy for grief and loss can help you process the feelings you’re experiencing and learn new, healthy ways to cope.