Do You Often Feel Defeated, Angry, Isolated or Inadequate?
- Are you struggling with anxiety symptoms, such as endless worry, racing thoughts and panic attacks?
- Are you feeling weighed down by depression symptoms, such as ongoing sadness and a sense of hopelessness?
- Do you feel disconnected in your relationships, as though you don’t know how to be a good spouse, parent or friend?
- Are you unsure why you feel so irritated, on edge and overwhelmed?
- Or, are you aware of experiences that have shaken your sense of safety and security, such as an unhealthy relationship with your parents or hardship you’ve face as an immigrant?
- Are you searching for a therapist you can speak to in Spanish and/or English?
- Do you wish you could feel safe, calm and capable of overcoming daily challenges?
Put simply, adult life can be hard. You’re likely trying to be there for your loved ones, work hard at your job, keep up with chores and on and on. To top it all off, you might also be an immigrant or the child of immigrants, faced with the added pressure of adapting to American culture and working through cultural barriers.
Because you have so much going on in your life, you may find it difficult—or even impossible—to take time for yourself. Perhaps you aren’t able to easily fall asleep at night or get out of bed in the morning. It could be that you can’t find any other way to find some relief, so you are numbing out with alcohol or other substances.
But, as the cycle of worry and sadness continues, you might wish to form more healthy relationships with your loved ones and manage life’s responsibilities and stressors productively. Most of all, you might long for a better relationship with yourself.
Many Adults Struggle With Stress, Loneliness and Self-Doubt
Although you may feel deeply isolated, even when you’re surrounded by friends and family, you are not alone in your pain. Most adults have struggled with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety at some point in their lives. So, what you’re going through now doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you.
During childhood, you start to develop an understanding of the world, along with your place in it. Parents, family members and other early caregivers demonstrate how to handle difficult emotions and how to be in relationships with one another.
In an ideal world, all children would grow up feeling accepted, important, loved and safe. However, in reality, no family is perfect, and many children grow up learning unhealthy behaviors.
For example, maybe your parents were often absent or neglectful, even if they didn’t mean to be. You may have watched your parents work hard to support the family, but rarely received individualized time and attention. And now, as an adult, you might work so hard that you hardly have any energy to take care of your own needs.
It’s also possible that you grew up in a household where there was abuse or addiction. Or, maybe your childhood was characterized by sudden loss, change or separation from your loved ones, especially if you and/or your family members are immigrants. As a result, the world might seem unsafe and unstable. You might find it difficult to build trusting, lasting relationships with others, or even to trust your own perception.
Luckily, no matter what you are struggling with, and no matter what patterns you are carrying from your family of origin, it is possible to find relief. With the support of a therapist who specializes in highly effective Eye Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, you can live with greater ease.
Individual Therapy Can Help You Find Peace
As a therapist with more than a decade of experience, I offer compassionate support and guidance so you can develop the skills you need to feel capable and empowered in the present moment. You don’t have to stay stuck in the patterns of the past.
During sessions, I will adjust my approach to work at your pace and meet your individual needs. Our first sessions are all about helping you feel safe, comfortable and understood. I will listen to your story, helping you clarify the experiences and emotions that have brought you to therapy. As I get to know you and your history, I’ll focus on your strengths to help you recognize how resilient you’ve already been throughout your life.
I’ll also help you learn effective ways to regulate your emotions so you calm yourself, even in moments of distress. During sessions, you can start shifting your attention toward positive emotions and practicing mindfulness, which allows you to engage in the present moment.
When you feel ready, I will slowly help you approach stressful topics and productively address any uncomfortable feelings as they arise. By doing this work in a safe, supportive space, you can see that you have power over your thoughts and feelings—they don’t have power over you.
EMDR therapy is central to my practice. This powerful, evidence-based approach gets right to the core issues beneath symptoms of anxiety and depression without forcing you to relive the pain of traumatic or stressful events. You can process old wounds and challenge any negative beliefs you’ve developed about yourself, replacing them with a more realistic picture of your strengths. Overall, you can stop feeling pulled into the past and start living fully in the present.
As an immigrant, I know how painful change, loneliness and culture shock can be. I understand what it’s like to move through a world that feels dangerous and unwelcoming. No matter what you’ve experienced, you are not alone, and you don’t have to continue struggling. We can work through this together.
With help, you can start to feel safe, confident and capable of building healthy relationships. You can learn to love yourself.
You may have questions or concerns about trauma, depression and/or anxiety treatment…
Therapy is only for people who are “crazy.” I don’t want to be seen that way.
We all face losses, problems and difficult transitions at some point in our lives. We all sometimes need support and guidance. During these challenging moments—or really, any time—it’s okay to seek help. Reaching out doesn’t make you “crazy”; it makes you responsible. Therapy is for anyone craving a happier, lighter life.
I don’t feel comfortable talking about my emotions.
Talking about difficult feelings can be hard, especially if your family never discussed emotions when you were growing up. For example, men are often encouraged to bury their emotions and present a tough face—especially Latino men.
I understand how uncomfortable opening up might be. But, no matter your background, I am here to listen to you. I won’t push you into topics you don’t want to talk about, and I won’t rush you. My responsibility is to make you feel safe and facilitate your healing. And, with EMDR, you can gently look at old wounds—not to reopen them, but to finally find relief.
I don’t have time for individual therapy.
You might already feel stretched thin in your life. In my experience, mothers, especially, struggle to make themselves a priority. As a mother, I understand.
I also know that investing in therapy and taking care of yourself can actually help you become more present with your children. In fact, learning how to regulate worries and combat self-doubt can help you engage more deeply in every aspect of your life.
By addressing issues now, you can discover the resources you have within you to take care of yourself—and your loved ones—throughout your future.
Live With Greater Ease
You are not defined by your past. If you’re ready to feel empowered and at peace, I invite you to call me at 720 276 9188. I would be happy to meet and discuss my approach to individual therapy. I offer psychotherapy in Spanish and English.
