Belmont Counseling therapists are experienced treating a variety of symptoms and concerns.  Out services include the treatment of depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more.  We also provide counseling around women’s issues, LGBTQ, marriage therapy, adolescence and weight issues.  Please read below for a complete description of conditions we work with most frequently.

DEPRESSION

Depression is one of the most common symptoms that can cause mental stress.  Symptoms
include lack of enjoyment of most activities, fatigue, increased or decreased appetite, and
sadness. There are several different types of depression:

Major Depressive Disorder may be present when some or all of the following symptoms are present for a minimum of two weeks:

  • Sadness
  • Increased or decreased appetite
  • Increased or decreased sleepiness
  • Lack of interest in things / inability to focus
  • Feelings of worthlessness

Dysthmic Disorder may be present when some or all of the following criteria are
present on most days for at least two years:

  • Low self-esteem
  • Feelings of hopelessness
  • Increased or decreased appetite
  • Poor concentration
  • Low energy/sleepiness

Postpartum Depression may be present when a new mother experiences some or
all of the following symptoms beginning approximately 4 weeks after giving birth:

  • Tearfulness
  • Anxiety
  • Agitation
  • Insomnia
  • Delusions

Bipolar Disorder may be present when some or all of the following criteria are present:

  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Extreme mood changes
  • Occupational and social problems
  • Poor judgment or risky behaviors

ANXIETY DISORDERS

Each year millions of adults, adolescents and children suffer from anxiety.  Symptoms may
include excessive worrying, panic, obsessional thoughts and behaviors and phobias.  Like
depression there are several different types of anxiety.  Following are some examples:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder may be present when some or all of the
following criteria are present for at least 6 months:

  • Excessive anxiety and worry
  • Feeling on edge
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Significant distress socially and occupationally

Panic Attack / Panic Disorder may be present when some or all of the following criteria
are present for several minutes at a time:

  • Accelerated heart rate, palpitations
  • Sweating
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Sense of shortness of breath or chest pain
  • Fear of having a heart attack/dying

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may be present when some or all of the
following criteria are present:

  • Recurrent thoughts for at least one hour during the course of a day causing significant distress
  • Repetitive behaviors, i.e. hand washing, checking, repeating numbers or words
  • Inability to ignore or stop these thoughts or behaviors

Phobias may be present when some or all of the following criteria are present:

  • Unrelenting fear begun by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation
  • The fear is excessive or unreasonable
  • Exposure to the feared object or event provokes an immediate anxiety response
  • The avoidance or distress interferes with the person’s normal routine, job or activities

Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder) may be present when some or all of the following criteria are present:

  • Persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur
  • Immediate anxious feeling when in a social or performance situation
  • A sense of shame when seen by others
  • The situation is avoided whenever possible

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This is a type of anxiety disorder but merits its own heading.  PTSD is often caused by sexual abuse, severe physical abuse or  trauma, accidents, natural or social disasters, or combat.  PTSD may be present when some or all of the following criteria are present:

  • Flashbacks
  • Recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of the event
  • Hyper-vigilance
  • Extreme anxiety or detached (numbing) feeling
  • Exaggerated startle response

Weight Issues

These issues affect millions of women, men, adolescents and children each year.
Our society spends millions of dollars on weight loss and diet programs annually.  Often there
are psychological reasons for this concern that need to be addressed in order to stop the yo-yo
cycle of repeatedly losing and gaining weight.  Symptoms may include some, but not all, of the following:

  • Excessive or insufficient weight
  • Preoccupation with weight or body image
  • Extreme amount of exercise

Women’s issues

These include but are not limited to relationship issues, family concerns, marital distress, friendship worries, sexual problems and job distress.

Adolescence

This is a period that begins at age 12 or 13 and ends at 19 or 20—but also
may be delayed into the early 20s.  During this time children struggle to master developmental
tasks such a performing academically, handling friendships and dating, figuring out sexuality
and separating from parents.  These tasks are often very stressful on the adolescent and his or
her family.

Marriage Therapy

This is also known as couples’ therapy or couples’ counseling.  Each relationship is fraught with demands around parenting, finances, sex, jobs, in-laws—all of which can cause stress within the relationship.

 

Comments are closed.

Set your Twitter account name in your settings to use the TwitterBar Section.