I am a pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor employed at Cedar Tree Wellness Center. The kind of therapy I provide is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all linked. What I do in therapy is work with the client to challenge the irrational/negative thoughts that lead to mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc. So many of us believe that we can solve our problems on your own, sometimes we can. However, there are many of us who require assistance, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Needing help and asking for it does not make someone weak, it makes them stronger than most.

When I was in college, I chose to be become a proctor. I didn't realize it at the time I applied, but part of the job was that I would be talking with students who were having a difficult time. These students would be experiencing things such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, home-sickness, heartbreak, etc. It only took talking with a couple students for me to realize that I liked to be the person for these students to come and talk to. I found myself eager to listen and be empathetic to their situations, and help in any way I needed. They would tell me that I was comforting and they felt like they could tell me anything. It was then that I started to think, maybe this is what I was meant to do. 

For those who are hesitant to trying therapy, I would tell them that they are not alone. There are an abundant amount of stereotypes surrounding the mental health field. It is natural to maybe feel skeptical about talking to a stranger about your feelings. However, as the client, you have a say in what happens. As the client, you are actively participating in your own treatment. Therapist take pride on how they maintain confidentiality as professionally as possible. I would those who are skeptical of therapy that unless some kind of change is made, nothing is going to change.    

Something potential clients should know about me is that there are going to be times where you will sit and think hard about something that was said. There will be times where you are challenged. I conduct therapy in a way that positions me as a guide to help the client come to their own conclusions. Anyone can simply tell you to stop being anxious, to stop being depressed. However, when the client comes to that conclusions themselves, it is much more meaningful. 

Anxiety is a physical and mental reaction to some perceived threat. Contrary to popular belief, a small dose of anxiety is helpful. It helps us pay attention to our problems and protects us from danger. However, too much anxiety can cause uncontrollable worry and prohibits us from living our everyday lives. When we feels anxious and choose to avoid whatever causes our anxiety, we feel a sense of temporary relief. However, the next time we are met with the same situation, the anxiety is even worse. Anxiety feeds off of avoidance. One way in which to combat anxiety is to start gradual exposure. This means gradually exposing the client to anxiety provoking situations, breaking the cycle of avoidance, diminishing the anxiety's power over the client.