Services I offer

Depression

There are many symptoms associated with depression. Feelings of sadness, lack of interest in activities that used to interest us, loss of appetite or weight gain, insomnia, or over sleeping to name a few. These feelings can persist over time and permeate our lives. Often they are initiated by some life situation and get our attention by there intensity. Or we are struck with the realization that we just don’t feel like ourselves. Therapy can help us explore our feelings and help us develop an understanding of the source of our symptoms.

Anxiety

Anxiety can go hand in hand with depression but typically we identify it as fear and worry. Anxiety can be very intense causing us to feel panic and overwhelmed. It can manifest as physical pain, and look and feel like a heart attack. Our minds can hang on to thoughts and replay events and conversations endlessly causing us to lose hours of sleep or become forgetful. Therapy can help us learn about our behaviors and recognize what creates fear in our lives.

Grief and Loss

Feelings of grief and loss are usually associated with the death of someone close to us, even a pet. There are stages of grieving unique to each individual, which while we are in them can affect our daily activities, choices we make and impact our relationships. Feelings of grief and loss can also be associated with loss of a job, relationship as in divorce or breakup, or some other life change. Therapy can help us explore our stages of grieving and also explore the losses in our lives.

Relationship Issues

Communicating with a spouse, significant other, or boyfriend/girlfriend is a challenging but rewarding experience. There are several factors that aid in this process. Developing an understanding of each other’s perspective, giving up the need to be right, learning to assess the situation from a place of love and kindness are a few. Therapy can help couples gain insight into their individual styles of communicating by looking at here and now experiences. Recognizing how past experiences can interfere in interpreting the present and then using that information to develop more meaningful discussions is also part of the therapy process.

Anger Management

Anger is an emotion that can be a motivator if used in a positive way. Anger can also be a deterrent if used negatively. Allowing this emotion to impede our sense of reason and override our moral judgment can impact our lives. Overreacting with our loved ones, spouse, child, or family member, can often be abusive. Interacting angrily in the work setting or in the community can often have a negative outcome. Therapy can enable us to understand our communicating style and develop positive coping and interacting skills.

Drug and Alcohol Issues

Engaging in the use of drugs and alcohol can become a lifestyle. Often this behavior starts out innocently but can quickly become a problem. Not knowing how a substance affects us or not knowing our motives for using a drug or drinking alcohol can obscure our judgment and weaken our self-control. Therapy can help us explore our motives and behaviors. Therapy can also help an individual in recovery continue developing a deeper understanding of their issues.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a term used to describe a child or adolescent’s inability to interact and learn. Identifying this as a problem usually requires teachers’ cooperation and parents observations. Medication is often prescribed for those with sever symptoms and therapy can help the child learn positive social skills and can help parents learn positive parenting skills.

Separation Anxiety and Attachment Disorder

Young children often experience fear when they are separated from a parent or care giver. Usually this occurs between a child and his or her mother. Learning to trust is one of the first developmental stages of growth and there are many factors that can impede this process. Attachment to our mothers is a natural process. Again, many factors can impede this process and the degrees can vary. Therapy can help the child develop trust with someone outside their inner circle and can help the parent recognize how they can reinforce trust and love. Parental involvement can aid the therapy process.

Trauma

We experience trauma in many forms throughout our lives. It can be tied to loss, losing a loved one tragically, or losing a job. Events out of our control such as a sudden illness, accident or environmental disaster can upset our security and create trauma. Feeling violated as in a rape or assault or feeling betrayed by a loved one can create trauma. Therapy can help us explore the range of feelings brought on by traumatic events.

Eating Disorders

Emotional eating, overeating, binging, purging or not eating at all or very little is a description of a potential problem. Purging or not eating can tragically damage the physical health of the body and the damage is often difficult to reverse. Eating for comfort or purging to remove the evidence of overeating can become a habitual response. Therapy can identify the behavior and help to explore the underlying emotional issues.

Women’s Issues

The female perspective can impact our view of the world and affect our goals. We can be limited by this perspective, which in turn can affect the role we have in our family, in our jobs, and in our community. The gender differences we carry imposed hormonally and by society can impact our mental health. Therapy can help develop an awareness of our perspective and encourage an understanding of self.

Call me at:

412 – 889 – 8737

Visit me at:
615 Washington Rd, Suite TL10
Pittsburgh PA 15228

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