There is help for depression and anxiety! You do not need to suffer any longer….

Here are symptoms to look for:

Depression: When you are depressed, it often feels as if you are under a dark shadow and might never come out. However, depression is a treatable condition. The right therapy can help you understand why you are stuck in depression and learn concrete strategies and skills to get short-term relief and long-term freedom.

Some symptoms of Depression include:

  • Irritable mood

  • Diminished interest or pleasure in all or most activities

  • Significant unintentional weight loss or gain

  • Insomnia or sleeping too much

  • Fatigue or loss of energy

  • Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt

  • Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness

  • Hopelessness

  • Negative thinking

  • Recurrent thoughts of death

If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, you may have Depression.  Depression is a serious, yet treatable disorder.  The RIGHT help is key is understanding and managing depression. A mental health professional who is trained in helping you understand AND challenge your thoughts, urges and beliefs (a therapist trained in CBT or DBT) is essential to working on depression.

Anxiety:  Your body is designed to send signals to your brain when there is an impending threat. This “FIGHT, FLIGHT OR FREEZE” response is essential for survival however, in a person with chronic anxiety, the wires may get crossed and seemingly simple or mundane tasks or situations end up causing major anxiety.

For most people, avoidance of the situation that causes anxiety ends up being their best coping strategy. Avoidance, over time, actually allows anxiety to continue (and often worsen) because the brain is receiving the message, “That trigger is dangerous - stay away!”

Therapy to manage anxiety includes understanding what is causing it AND helping you FACE it.

If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be have an anxiety disorder:

  • Are you tense, worried, or on edgy?

  • Does your anxiety interfere with your responsibilities or functioning? (you AVOID situations that make you feel a certain way?)

  • Are you overwhelmed with fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake? (fear of illness, contamination, etc.)

  • Do you avoid everyday situations or activities (such as driving or being social) because they cause you anxiety?

  • Do you experience a sudden heart-pounding feeling?

  • Do you think a lot about the future and hear “what-ifs” in your head?

There is help for anxiety!  Tools such as breathing, relaxation training and identifying your Automatic Negative Thoughts (CBT) are useful in dialing down your anxious feelings. Partnering with a therapist that you trust who is skilled in managing anxiety is essential. Together, you will learn to confront and challenge your anxious thought loop and create new ways of thinking.

OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: People with OCD feel the need to check things or perform certain routines or rituals over and over because their brains have mistakenly sent them the message that the compulsion is necessary for safety. (Obsessions are the frequent upsetting thoughts and compulsions are the repetitive behaviors used in an attempt to control them.) The thoughts and rituals associated with OCD cause distress and get in the way of daily life.

Hoarding, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, hand-washing, skin-picking and hair-pulling are all OCD behaviors. You can also have chronic obsessional thinking without compulsions and might get stuck in this anxious loop.


Common obsessions include:

  • Fear of contamination

  • Fear of illness or disease

  • Fear of safety (fear of dying)

  • Fear of embarrassment

  • Scrupulosity (need to do the right thing, fear of committing a transgression, often religious)

  • Need for order or symmetry

  • Unwanted, intrusive thoughts (fear of being harmed or of harming someone else)

Common compulsions include:

  • Cleaning/washing

  • Checking (locks, stove, iron, safety)

  • Counting/repeating actions in a certain number of times until it “feels right”

  • Arranging objects

  • Touching/tapping objects

  • Confessing/seeking reassurance

  • List-making

 If you or your loved one are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you are not alone!

Our team of highly trained therapists are qualified to help you sort out your feelings, uncover your triggers, and help you gain tools necessary to improve the quality of your life. We use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral (DBT) techniques to help you understand what is going on for you, AND learn how to manage it effectively.