Our mental health an emotional well-being can become vulnerable in many ways over a lifetime. At times it is ‘in our genes’ or in response to chronic stress and difficult life events (or the perfect storm of the two!). Whether you are experiencing depression; anxiety and its related disorders; struggling with pressures around body image or wanting to seek a version of ‘better’ in your own life – our therapists are ready to help.
Anxiety
We all feel anxious from time to time. It is a natural response and is intended to help keep us safe, but sometimes it can get away from us or become so intense it disrupts our daily lives. You may feel stressed, anxious, or worried all the time. Some people experience obsessive and compulsive thoughts or have panic attacks seemingly out of the blue. Others may become extremely anxious and self-conscious in social situations. In our struggle to control these unpleasant feelings, we may use ‘band-aid’ solutions to help us feel in control again such as drinking or going on a spending spree. Trying to cope can be a bit of a task master; controlling our behaviour in many ways, such as, how, or what we eat.
Our therapists understand that anxiety presents in many ways. They are skilled at supporting you to develop anxiety management skills or to quiet the over reactive worry and ‘threat meter’ in our minds. They will support you to understand your anxiety and feeling control once again.
Depression
Depression effects many people at various points in their life. This can show up in many ways and leaves us feeling like we are stuck in a black hole. You may find you are sad and crying a lot, or irritable and quick to anger. You may have lost enjoyment in the things that used to give you pleasure, and sometimes life just feels hopeless and pointless. Many of our clients describe feeling very negative or that they feel worthless. When we are in the depths of this back hole, its common to wonder why we are alive at all.
You do not have to feel like you are alone. We understand depression and are trained to assist you. In our approach, we consider the mind-body balance and the role that each plays in our expression of depression. Not everyone needs medication, but it can play a very important role in feeling better. We help you prepare for these discussions with your physician. We will help you customize an approach to managing and treating your symptoms toward feeling more fully engaged in your life.
Body Image Struggles and Disordered Eating
Diet culture can harm us in many ways. Are you struggling with liking your body and/or food feels complicated? Diet culture has taught us that we cannot trust our bodies. Societal expectations have lied that only a certain type of body is acceptable. Trauma, stress, and anxiety can also lend themselves to controlling food and exercise to help us manage strong feelings.
Do you find yourself exercising to make up for the food you ate? Do you have guilt after eating certain foods? Do you feel out of control when eating? Is it hard to honour your hunger? We believe in the importance of empowering our clients to learn how to listen and trust their own bodies. Maybe you have held yourself back from goals or life events because of your weight?
At Social Work Solutions Canada we believe that there is Health at Every Size (HAES ® By Lindo Bacon) and we want to help support you in becoming friends with your body again. We want to help you embrace and respect your body right now.
Seeking Better
Sometimes our clients come in saying: “There’s got to be more to life than this!” Perhaps you’ve lost something and you don’t know how to fill the void. Maybe you feel stuck in your life’s journey. At times we feel like we are not living our best life. We set goals but can’t seem to follow through, or when we achieve what we set out to do we feel flat and unsatisfied. We might feel like our relationships could be stronger or more meaningful. At Social Work Solutions Canada we can help you create the life you want through empathic listening, problem solving and collaboration. We can all do hard work but with help it can be easier. Our therapists can support you to define your ‘Better’ and figure out how to achieve it.
1119 Fennel Ave. E, Hamilton
Suite 232
Hamilton, Ontario
L8T 1S2
905-388-2157
FAX 905-297-5385
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