Therapy for Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Life can be challenging at any age. School, work, family, health, finances, and relationships can be stressful. Communication can become strained and less effective. Ways of thinking can become negative and unhelpful. You can feel “stuck.”
Major losses like divorce, unemployment, and death can leave a person feeling drained. Even “exciting” life transitions such as marriage, getting a new job, having a child, or moving to a new city can be incredibly stressful due to the changes in circumstances and expectations. Sometimes we can benefit from guidance to evaluate our goals and to consider if our behaviors are consistent with reaching those goals.
Your goal may be to feel like yourself again, or to find a "new normal". With 20 years of experience in the field, Kristen can help you to develop healthier ways of thinking, coping, and managing stress. Kristen offers a safe and supportive environment to thoughtfully guide your journey.
Stress and Your Body
Stress can cause a variety of emotional, behavioral, and physical problems for people of all ages.
You may notice that you or your child experience changes in sleep. You may feel like you are moving slower than usual and have difficulty getting out of bed. You may lose interest in things you used to enjoy, and lack energy and motivation.
You may notice changes in appetite, such as eating more than usual and putting on additional weight. Some people notice a decrease in appetite and lose weight even though they are not on a diet.
When we are stressed, we may have difficulty controlling our emotions. We may feel more sensitive or have a decreased frustration tolerance. This impacts not only ourselves, but those around us.
Concentration can be affected, making it difficult to pay attention in school, on the job, or in our relationships. A person may find him- or herself making more mistakes than usual or feeling more clumsy than usual. Difficulty concentrating can cause problems for kids in school and lead to a drop in grades or getting in trouble. Adults may find their work impacted and may experience a decrease in productivity.
Stress takes a physical toll as well and can manifest itself in the form of headaches, stomach aches, nausea, fatigue, and muscle aches. Stress can also lead to more severe physical health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and substance use issues.
