People seek therapy for many reasons. Read below for some common concerns and how we might work through them.
Depression, Anxiety, & Mood Disorders
Do you feel unusually sad, anxious, or fearful? Do you feel your mood swings between high and low extremes?
While depression and anxiety are the most common reasons people seek counseling, other challenges, such as Bipolar Disorder and panic attacks can also be very disruptive to daily life. Together, we will explore strategies to manage strong emotions, lower stress, and expand your coping strategies.
Interpersonal Relationships
Are you having difficulty making or maintaining friendships or intimate relationships? Are you struggling to set boundaries or be assertive?
Relationship challenges are among the most common reason people seek counseling. Navigating relationships can be confusing, anxiety provoking, and may elicit other strong emotions such as anger or sadness. Together, we will uncover your relationship patterns and develop healthy ways of connecting with others.
Grief & Loss
Are you grieving a loss? Are you feeling the pain of what might have been?
Feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, shock, regret, and hope are all common when grieving both recent and distant losses. Grieving lost opportunities is also common and less talked about. Together, we will process your grief, work toward acceptance, and re-envision the future.
Cultural Concerns
Are you struggling with issues related to race, ethnicity, culture, racism, microaggressions, or privilege? Are you seeking to explore intersecting parts of your identity? Have you, or your family, recently immigrated or are you dealing with stress related to acculturation?
While the Bay Area is very culturally diverse, we are not beyond racism, microaggressions, and prejudice. Research (Pascoe & Richman, 2009) shows that people who face discrimination are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other harmful health outcomes. Together, we will untangle the multiple causes and effects of cultural stress in your life and build an empowering plan to alleviate your symptoms.
Men's Issues
Is stress from work, family, or friends holding you back? Are you struggling with sadness, anger, or anxiety? Do you need support as a father?
Although men experience similar levels of distress as women, research (Scholz, Crabb, & Wittert, 2016) indicates that men typically under report their symptoms. Achieving work-life balance, cultivating fulfilling intimate relationships, and finding healthy emotional outlets are all central to men's lives. Together, we will investigate the important issues of your life and their relation to masculinity and male gender roles.
Substance Use & Abuse
Do you or does someone close to you struggle with substance use? Did you grow up in a family impacted by alcohol or drug use?
According to the National Institutes of Health (2015), approximately 1 in 13 adults abuse alcohol and 1 in 9 report binge drinking in the previous month. Although alcohol use is socially acceptable in the US, substance use and abuse can have a profound impact on interpersonal relationships and one's sense of self. Together, we will examine the role of substances in your life and consider ways you have been impacted by others' substance use and abuse.
Sex & Sexuality
Are you dissatisfied with or confused by elements of your sexual life? Are you struggling with aspects of your sexual identity?
Concerns about sex and sexuality are among the most common reasons people seek therapy as nearly 50% of adults experience some sort of psychological distress related to sex and sexuality throughout their lifetime (APA, 2013). Together, we will explore your concerns and clarify your vision for a fulfilling sexual life.
Life Transitions
Are you in the midst of significant life changes? Are you starting or ending a career, graduating, beginning or ending a relationship, becoming a parent, celebrating a milestone birthday, or going through some other major life change?
People commonly feel stress when experiencing major life changes and sometimes feel confusion, anger, sadness, or joy. Together, we will sort through the stress and develop tools to help you navigate the transitions in your life.
Wellness
Do you want to reduce your stress or improve your time management? Are you looking to revise your sleep, diet, or exercise routine? Is there some other type of personal growth you're seeking?
Many people come to counseling feeling generally satisfied but wanting to better understand and improve themselves. Together, we will identify specific goals, create a plan, and take action toward enriching your life.
Psychological Assessment
Are you in need of ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder testing? Do you need a comprehensive educational evaluation for intelligence level or learning disabilities? Are you seeking career counseling?
Although different in scope from psychotherapy, many people seek psychological assessment in order to access services, obtain accommodations, or to provide guidance regarding career paths. Together, we will determine which assessments are best suited for your needs and complete a thorough testing process, including diagnosis and recommendations.