Anxiety is a normal part of life but it becomes a problem when it causes distress in your social, work or other areas of life. Anxiety can present itself in many different forms like general anxiety, social or performance anxiety, test anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. Anxiety can show up with some of these symptoms: fear, difficulty concentrating, problems sleeping (difficulty falling or staying asleep), restlessness, persistent worry, perceiving situations as threatening when they are not, nervousness or irritability.

Sometimes anxiety starts small, but it can snowball to be unmanageable. It can spread from one area of your life to others. It can restrict engagement in activities that you used to enjoy. Anxiety needs to be addressed as it can easily take over your life. I will give you tools that you can use to manage any type of anxiety you experience in your daily life and will work with you to reduce or eliminate overwhelming anxiety.

Sometimes life happens in an instant and turns our world upside down. Maybe you experienced or witnessed a car accident, death, assault, threat of death or serious injury, news of a divorce or an affair. You might be experiencing Acute Stress Disorder or Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if you are experiencing some of these symptoms: recurring memories or nightmares, flashbacks (memories that feel like the event is occurring in the present moment), hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, avoiding people, places, situations or reminders of the event, feelings of detachment, inability to experience positive emotions, irritability and angry outbursts, difficulty concentrating, feeling anxious, difficulty falling or staying asleep . These symptoms drain your energy, negatively impact your relationships and make you question your sanity. I am here to tell you that there is hope and these symptoms can be reduced and even eliminated. You can find yourself again. If you think you might have Acute Stress Disorder or PTSD, I am here to help.

We all want healthy relationships but with the beauty of connection, there are also challenges. After all, we are all different and we have different expectations, preferences, habits, and upbringings. At times, we need help navigating these relationships. It could be that there is conflict, communication problems, difficulty making and keeping agreements, needs or desires that are not met, boundary violations, loneliness or distance, or trust has been broken. Maybe you've tried again and again to establish healthy relationships but something is always wrong.

I am here to tell you that you can have fulfilling relationships where everyone's needs and desires are met, where you can feel happy and satisfied. This not only applies to romantic relationships but to any type of relationship. Relational skills can be developed as a single individual and as a couple.

I use a systemic lens and use interventions from Relational Life Therapy (RLT) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to address relationship issues. Let me help you develop the relationships that you need.

We all have an attachment style, that is, how we respond when we experience distress in relationships. Do you...

• avoid closeness and emotional connection?
• keep your distance and avoid your friend or partner when you are hurt?
• feel overwhelmingly anxious when conflict occurs?
• feel insecure in your relationships?

And do other say...

• that you are cold and distant?
• that you are too intense and that they need space?

If these are repetitive patterns in your relationships then I encourage you to identify and explore your attachment style.

Attachment injuries, injuries that make us adopt an attachment style, can be a single or recurring injuries that occurred during childhood or adulthood. The goal of counseling is to help you move to a secure attachment where you can create meaningful relationships, establish healthy boundaries, be present and engaged in your relationships, have fluidity between intimacy and independence, and develop the ability to give and receive love.