While it is normal to experience anger, irritation or sadness due to external events, these emotions can become extreme and affect our functioning. 

Symptoms such as: 

• Eating more or less than usual 
• Fatigue 
• Crying spells 
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed 
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual 
• Anxiety 
• Guilt 
• Irritability 
• Lack of motivation 
• Difficulties concentrating 
• Feeling isolated, sad, hopeless, etc. 
• Thoughts of death 

could be signals of a mood condition, interfere with our daily life, and sometimes become incapacitating. 

Depression: 

A depressive reaction arisen from a specific life situation can abate over time and psychotherapy is usually recommended only when symptoms interfere with normal everyday functioning. However, there are other forms of depression that are serious conditions and can lead to inability to function or even suicide. They can be cyclical illnesses with high rate of recurrence and in these cases specialized treatment is recommended. 

Bipolar Disorder:  

Contrary to what we usually hear a diagnosis of bipolar disorder does not imply being highly emotional. Bipolar Disorder causes dramatic shifts in a person’s mood, energy, thought and behavior. This is a treatable condition and individuals with bipolar disorder can and do have meaningful relationships, successful jobs and fulfilling lives.  

My experience providing psychotherapy in combination with medication, lifestyle changes, and social support has helped individuals to stabilize their life. However, everyone is different and finding the treatment plan that works best for a person is critical for recovery. 

I have extensive experience in hospitals, outpatient clinics and private practice working with persons with bipolar disorders and their families, running psycho-educational groups for patients, support groups for families and working in conjunction with psychiatrists.  

Ask me about it! 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): 

Yes, SAD is real. Symptoms are similar to depression and usually occur during the fall and winter months in relation to the decrease in sunlight. While it is much less common, some people experience SAD in the summer.  

SAD can be effectively treated with psychotherapy (in particular CBT) *. Light therapy and/or antidepressants are some other treatment modalities for SAD.  

*Provided at myemotionalcare.com 

Anger:

While anger is a perfectly healthy emotion to experience, holding onto it for long can create an emotional barrier preventing us from engaging happily in many areas of life. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is proven to be highly effective in anger management. Combining it with psychodynamic psychotherapy allows you to understand the origin of your feelings of anger and develop self-empathy. 

Prenatal and Postpartum depression: 

Depression during and after childbirth occurs more often than we realize. It also can happen after miscarriage and stillbirth and it can affect any woman.  

Symptoms can start during pregnancy, but they can also start days or months after delivery. These can affect the mother´s ability to take care of her baby or herself and interfere in every area of life. Besides, thoughts could be very unsettling and at times experienced as personal weaknesses, resulting in feelings of guilt and self-criticism. However, these symptoms don’t make who is experiencing them a bad mother. Know that this is a treatable condition. Through psychotherapy and/or antidepressants, you can get better. 

Anxiety

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure” adding that “People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat”. 

While anxiety can cause distress, it is not a medical condition but a natural emotion that is vital for survival when an individual finds themselves facing danger. Anxiety is part of normal life. Humans are programmed to deal with certain amount of anxiety on a regular basis, and a healthy amount of anxiety is what drives us to do our best.  

We all experience anxiety, but this experience usually is situational and temporary. An anxiety disorder develops when this reaction becomes out-of-proportion to the trigger or stressor that causes it, it persists for an extended length of time, and significantly impair our functioning. 

Anxiety is complicated and often confusing to understand. Anxiety disorders manifest in different ways and people can experience the symptoms very differently. Often those living with anxiety appear to be fine but deep inside they are not. They have to work extremely hard to manage their health, while feeling misunderstood by other people. 

Regardless of the origin, anxiety is sustained by some form of behavioral or cognitive avoidance; therefore, eliminating those habits is the key to eliminating anxiety.  

Research has shown Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to be effective in the treatment of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.  

I integrate CBT in my work as a psychotherapist and more specifically I provide time-limited CBT treatment for anxiety. 

One-size doesn’t fit all and short-term treatment is not for everyone, so after an initial assessment, if this is the right approach we will proceed with 20 sessions of structured work aimed to develop the skills to deal with difficulties on your own, in the moment when they come up.  

Call, whatsApp, or text me at (+1) 203.542.9792