Addiction (alcohol, drugs, food, media, money, sex)

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All addictions are a poor substitute for real intimacy. When we have been hurt deeply, our ability to form healthy attachments become impaired. It becomes easier to trust the bottle, the pills, the porn, rather than risk your vulnerability with a real human being.

 

People disappoint us, betray us, and are not easy to feel safe with. Even so, as humans, we are hardwired for connection. You have a right to be loved, heard, and understood. This then becomes the addict’s dilemma: endure painful connections, or stay numb. My goal in therapy is to help you break the cycle of shame, and feel safe and nurtured so that you can begin to trust and value yourself. You deserve to live this life and be in connection. 

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Anxiety

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Most anxiety originates with the burning question: “What if?” What if this cough is cancer? What if I can’t make it another second? What if my child is in danger? What if I lost control? What if someone recognizes me? What if I got HIV? What if I die?

 

When we look at the world this way, we are constantly living in the future, worried about what is to come. Therapy helps you find acceptance and peace for what is, not what could be. In therapy, we will work together to resolve your regret from the past that fuels your fear of the future. Hypnosis, Dialectical Behavior Skills, and EMDR work well to help you manage your emotions and put you back in the driver’s seat of your own life.​​

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Trauma

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Trauma occurs when the mind is unable to process and make sense of events that left you feeling unsafe, neglected, shamed, abused, or assaulted. As a result, you may become easily triggered in your current life, not realizing why you became so volatile, afraid, or unsteady. If you have experienced intense emotions that do not seem to match the current situation you are in, you might be a victim of trauma.

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While most people understand the “Big Traumas” that occur in life, such as a rape, a car accident, a natural disaster, or physical illness, there are a larger number of “Little Traumas” residing in our bodies and minds. You might not realize the impact these experiences have on your personality, the way you react to people or events, or in your everyday life. Examples of Little Traumas might be feeling shamed or humiliated in public, a childhood memory of being harshly punished or criticized by our parents, feeling responsible for losing an athletic game and letting your teammates down, a very bad breakup, or feeling unable to overcome a mistake or a bad decision that was made in life. These experiences leave us feeling vulnerable, unable to feel confident and grounded.

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When these situations have not been fully processed and integrated, our bodies and minds tend to become hostage to our emotions and we live in a constant state of tension, fear, and panic. If you think that Trauma is affecting your life, therapy may help to alleviate your suffering. EMDR, a technique of reprocessing old memories, helps you to push through your pain from the past and allow you to shift your perspective and feel safe and secure in the present moment.​​