Areas of Support
DISCLAIMER
It is important to note that everyone’s experience is unique and different, so some individuals may develop many of these symptoms, while others may not. As such, treatment may also vary and different modalities may be recommended to you based on your needs. It is also crucial to make sure that a diagnosis is only made by a qualified professional (psychologist, psychiatrist, physician).
Anxiety
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
What is anxiety? Anxiety is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about one or multiple things. For example, one may have an excessive amount of worry in several aspects of life (finances, career, health, responsibilities, parenting, family, household chores, etc). These worries can be major or minor concerns. Anxiety responses can be in the form of emotional or physical reactions. In small doses, anxiety can be helpful, especially when it helps protect us from danger. However, when anxiety becomes severe or happens frequently, it can become debilitating and can take over your life.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): uncontrollable worry, poor concentration, excessive nervousness, increased heart rate, sleep disruptions, gut-related issues, muscle tension, engaging in avoidance behaviors, excessive fear, and difficulty making decisions.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Psychotherapy can learn to reduce stressors and improve coping skills. There is evidence to suggest that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be successful in helping with anxiety, as during CBT, unhealthy thinking patterns that create anxiety are identified and challenged. Two other form of therapeutic treatment that may be recommended for anxiety are Relaxation Skills and Exposure Therapy.
Book an appointment today! Anxiety can grow and enable avoidance behaviors that can create harmful behavioral cycles and worsen anxiety. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to alleviate your symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is just one of the areas that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in.
Depression
WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
Depression is characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and individuals may begin toe experience a loss of interest in activities, preventing them from completing their normal activities. Depression can impact the way an individual feels, thinks, and behaves.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): fatigue, weight changes, changes in eating habits, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, recurring thoughts of death, lack of concentration, engaging in avoidance behaviors, and difficulty making decisions.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Psychotherapy can learn to reduce stressors, change self-defeating thoughts and negative behaviors, help you to reframe thoughts and improve coping skills. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approaches have been successful in helping with depression. Two other form of therapeutic treatment that may be recommended for depression are Mindfulness-based interventions and Behavioral Activation.
Book an appointment today! Depression can grow and enable avoidance behaviors that can create harmful behavioral cycles and worsen depression. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to alleviate your symptoms of depression. Depression is just one of the areas that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in.
Grief & Loss
WHAT IS GRIEF?
Grief is the process of reacting to a loss. This loss could be physical (death of a loved one), social (such as a divorce), or occupational (such as work-related). An individual experiencing grief may have conflicted feelings and may experience fluctuations in symptoms throughout their process. Often times, individuals might feel as though they have accepted the loss and have gotten closure. However, later on they may begin to experience grief again and that is okay. Closure is not a one-time thing, it can happen over the course of weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes we are able to gain closure on certain aspects of the loss, and other parts may take a bit longer. Individuals may find that their emotional reaction changes and fluctuates, and can entail different emotions and behaviors. Feelings of sadness can also begin to intensify as the individual begins to yearn to be with the loved one again.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): anger, guilt, anxiety, sadness, and despair, intense sorrow, pain and rumination over loss, difficulty focusing on other aspects of life, extreme focus on reminders of loved one, excessive avoidance, and intense and persistent longing.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Psychotherapy can be effective in helping an individual overcome grief by allowing the individual to come to terms with the loss, to help work through pain and grief, and help to learn how to move forward and adapt to a life without the loved one. Psychotherapy can also help you to find ways to maintain a connection with the loss. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approaches have been successful in helping to treat grief and loss. Additionally, Relaxation Techniques and Mindfulness-based interventions, may also be helpful.
Book an appointment today! Overcoming grief and loss can feel overwhelming. It can impact various aspects of your overall well-being. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to overcome grief. Grief and loss is just one of the areas that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in.
Trauma
WHAT IS TRAUMA?
Understanding trauma can be complicated. It can be obvious with apparent symptoms or sometimes it may be buried beneath depression, anxiety, and anger. Trauma is an emotional response to a traumatic or distressing event (war, accident, abuse, unexpected loss, etc). It can cause emotional and physical symptoms and last for years after the event has concluded. Individuals who have experiences traumatic events may have difficulty coping, and symptoms can worsen over time as well as impact your day to day functioning, if you do not receive effective treatment. It can increase your risk for other mental health challenges, and disrupt your job, your relationships, your health, and enjoyment of everyday activities. That’s why it is so important to seek the right help.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, changes in physical and emotional reactions, nightmares, difficulty focusing, anger, irritability, mood swings, anxiety and fear, guilt, shame, self-blame, withdrawal, feelings of sadness or hopelessness, dissociation, disconnection, shock, denial, disbelief, and difficulty concentrating.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Psychotherapy approaches that use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy have consistently been found to be the most effective treatment of trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) both in the short term and the long term. Psychodynamic, Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy can also be effective in treating trauma and PTSD.
Book an appointment today! Trauma can grow and enable avoidance behaviors that can create harmful behavioral cycles and worsen your emotional and mental health. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to process and alleviate your symptoms of trauma. Trauma is just one of the areas that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in. Work with one our trauma-informed and trauma-trained therapists today!
Perinatal Mood Disorders
WHAT ARE PERINATAL MOOD DISORDERS?
Perinatal mood disorders may also be referred to as Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMAD). Perinatal mood disorders are related to mood symptoms that occur during pregnancy or up to one year postpartum. The most common types of mood disorders are depression, dysthymia, anxiety, and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder. There can also be Bipolar Disorder, Postpartum Psychosis, or substance-induced mood disorders that may appear.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Common symptoms include (but are not limited to): feelings of ongoing sadness, empty or anxious moods, changes in appetite, changes in weight, changes in sleep, difficulty concentrating, irritability, aggressiveness, hostility, intense feelings of guilt or fear, excessive guilt, frequent crying, intrusive or repetitive thoughts, reliving past trauma, loss of interest in activities, feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope, feelings of inadequacy or worthlessness, fear of harming baby or yourself or both.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Forms of psychotherapy that have been found to be helpful and effective in helping treat perinatal mood disorders include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and other forms of supportive psychotherapy. These forms of therapy can help focus on emotions and thought patterns, but also behavioral aspects. These approaches can help increase and rediscover the bond between parent and child, and also between partners.
Book an appointment today! Perinatal mood disorders can cause avoidance behaviors, create harmful thought and behavioral cycles and negatively impact your mental health. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to help you manage and alleviate your symptoms. Perinatal Mood Disorders and Perinatal Mental Health is an area that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in. Call us today or book an appointment to get started! Please visit our Perinatal Mental Health section for more details.
(In)Fertility
WHAT IS (IN)FERTILITY?
Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after trying for a year or longer. This may be because of female or male factors, or both. As a result, many individuals may seek out fertility treatment. There are various methods of treating fertility, with the most common being: oral medications, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intrauterine insemination (IUI). Throughout the process, you may experience grief and loss, and/or begin to question your identity. Many individuals and/or couples going through this process, may also become frustrated, have feelings of helplessness, or have to make difficult decisions that can impact one’s emotional health.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Signs that (in)fertility might be impacting your mental health: persistent thoughts about infertility, excessive worry around conceiving, excessive guilt, heightened symptoms of anxiety or depression, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of shame, feeling worthless, persistent feelings of sadness, worry about partner leaving you, worry about how people will treat you differently if they find out, see yourself as broken or defective, question things of the past (freezing eggs, starting a family earlier, etc), social isolation or withdrawal, loss of interest in activities, panic attacks, and feelings of loneliness.
PSYCHOTHERAPY TREATMENT
Forms of psychotherapy that have been found to be helpful and effective in helping individuals struggling with mental health as a result of infertility include: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and other forms of supportive psychotherapy. These forms of therapy can help you to acknowledge your feelings, be honest and effective in communicating your feelings to your partner, process your options, developing healthy strategies to manage and cope with your emotions, re-establish intimacy, make sense of your identity, and find ways to move forward.
Book an appointment today! Whether you are a female or a male, we know how difficult infertility can be, and how much of an emotional toll it can take on a couple to go through fertility treatment. It is important to seek help from a mental health professional in order to help you manage and alleviate your symptoms. (In)fertility and Reproductive Mental Health is an area that LifeCycle Counselling specializes in. Call us today or book an appointment to get started! Please visit our Reproductive Mental Health section for more details.
additional Areas of Support
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Bipolar Disorder (BD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Eating Disorders
Phobias
Substance Abuse & Addictions
Body-Image
Self-Esteem
Stress Management
Anger Management
Life Transitions
Parenting
Effective Communication
Boundary Setting
Blended Family Issues
Intimacy and Sexual Health
