Liz Caritj, LICSW, LCSW-C

ANXIETY: Everyone feels anxious sometimes, however when feelings of intense anxiety are overwhelming and start affecting important parts of life (like our jobs, social life, family, etc.) an anxiety disorder may be the cause. If you are one of the 40 million American adults living with an anxiety disorder, you may have trouble controlling your worrying, feel on edge and tense or have trouble sleeping, so much so, that it is getting in the way of enjoying your life. With expert psychological help at Bloom Counseling, you will have a non-judgmental atmosphere to unload and process your feelings. You will also learn helpful skills such as how to differentiate between your stressors and your stress response, practice strategies to close the stress response cycle, and learn a variety of other scientifically proven strategies such as those used in cognitive behavioral therapy. With these tools, you will have more control over how you mange stress and anxiety to reduce your symptoms. TRAUMA AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: Traumatic events are common and, unfortunately, many people will experience at least one in their lives. It is common for people to have difficulty recovering after witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event. You may have nightmares or flashbacks, feelings of fear or sadness, self-blame, changes in sleep, or feeling like you?re often on guard or looking over your shoulder. These feelings may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions. Fortunately, there is treatment, even if your traumatic experience was a long time ago. I use evidence-based therapeutic approaches, such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy. These approaches help you learn ways to confront and come to terms with painful memories and thoughts, so you don?t feel as distressed by them; learn tools to help you relax when you start getting too anxious or upset; and re-evaluate thoughts that may be making your memories of the event more painful so that you can have more helpful perspectives about the trauma. I don't pressure you to talk about your trauma before you are ready, and prefer to spend the first few sessions teaching you tools to use to help you manage and reduce your symptoms. You will be encouraged to explore how your thoughts about the event may be making the memory of it more distressing. Many people blame themselves for what happened, or start seeing the world as a dangerous place after a traumatic event. I'll help you deal with these thoughts and have a more helpful perspective. DEPRESSION: Everyone feels down sometimes, however if you are one of the 16 million Americans suffering with depression, it can start to affect important parts of your life. You may not only feel low, but also have trouble enjoying what you once found fun, or lack the energy and motivation you use to have. With expert psychological help at Bloom Counseling, you can have a non-judgmental atmosphere to unload and process your feelings while also learning helpful skills to get more out of life and reduce your symptoms.