I have been an anxiety therapist in Montreal for close to 14 years. I work with adults and teens to help them overcome anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, worries and fears and regain control of their lives.
What is Anxiety?
Most people experience anxiety during stressful times or in preparation for important or risky events; it is a natural echo of the original ‘fight-or-flight’ reaction. However, for some people, this unpleasant emotion becomes too intense and does not go away when the danger has passed. When anxiety takes hold in that way, a person feels a sense of loss of control, unpleasant physical symptoms, overwhelming worries, and panic attacks. These responses move beyond anxiety into an anxiety disorder. Overtime, functioning in school, job or family/relationships becomes affected.
Symptoms of anxiety may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Feelings of fear, dread, loss of control;
Feeling restless, keyed up, on edge;
Trouble concentrating or having the mind go blank;
Muscle tension, irritability, being easily fatigued;
Having difficulties sleeping;
Chest pain or tightness, muscle pain, shortness of breath;
Panic attacks, or fear of panic attack occurring;
Recurrent thoughts of worse-case scenarios and failure;
Avoidance of places or situations where escape might be difficult;
Excessive worrying about multiple things.
Anxiety disorders have a complicated network of causes. Identifying the reason behind anxiety can be the key to successful treatment.
Possible causes include:
Environmental stressors: difficulties at work, financial worries, relationship problems, or family issues;
Genetics: people with a family history of an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience one themselves;
Medical factors: another illness, the effects of a medication, or the stress of a surgery or prolonged recovery that may not directly trigger an anxiety disorder but might be causing significant lifestyle adjustments, pain, or restricted movement;
Brain chemistry: numerous stressful or traumatic experiences can alter brain chemistry to react more intensely to triggers that would not normally have caused anxiety;
Use or withdrawal from, a psychoactive substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes.
Anxiety therapy can help you uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears; learn how to manage stress; look at situations in less frightening ways; and develop better coping and problem-solving skills. Anxiety treatment gives you the tools, specific ways to calm your mind, and overcome your fears, and teaches you how to use them throughout your life.
In our sessions I will help you learn about how anxiety works and where the different unpleasant symptoms come from. Once you understand what are the likely contributing factors to the problem, we begin our work in resolving these factors. In therapy we change the negative thinking patterns that contribute to your anxiety, replacing them with more helpful, realistic thoughts. Together we will use a step-by-step approach to gradually challenge your fears, build confidence, and master skills for controlling panic. You will also learn effective stress management and relaxation techniques that can reduce severity of anxiety symptoms quickly, while increasing feelings well-being and control in the long term.
I have been specializing in anxiety therapy for the past 14 years. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Schema-based therapy and Mindfulness to help you identify and challenge the automatic negative thoughts that fuel anxiety, and learn calming techniques. My neuroscience background gives me a unique advantage of being able to explain to you where the symptoms you experience come from, and why the techniques and strategies I am teaching you work. My psychopharmacology training also allows me to be able to explain how medications work, and help you decide if it may be a right choice for you.
Therapy fee is fixed at $180 per session (tax inclusive).
If you experience anxiety, worries, or panic attacks, contact me and we will work together to help you regain control of your body and mind.
I offer a free 20 min phone consultation to answer any questions you may have about the process of therapy and the way I work.
