Are minor things taking longer than usual because you are over-anxious? Is a tiny mistake making you think or overthink for hours? Instead of a simple yes or no to a social invitation you ponder over what-ifs? It's been a long time since you have had a day where you truly felt peace from within. If your answer is yes, then firstly understand you are not alone in this! I Dr. Karen Hawk Psychologist is here to help!
Therapy is a complete method of treating anxiety! It works both ways- individually or in combination with medication. While medication may have side effects, therapy equips you with tools to handle your anxiety both now and in the long term.
Anxiety is our mind’s natural reaction to an overwhelming situation. As far as it is manageable it is good. However, anxiety over little things makes it tough for you to carry out everyday tasks, then you need adequate help to manage it in the right manner.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)- comprised of an intense fear of being judged in social situations.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)- involves a persistent feeling of constant worry or anxiety about various things, even when there's no actual reason for it.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)- when there are severe anxiety symptoms due to a past traumatic experience.
Phobias- includes intense and unreasonable fears of specific things or situations.
Panic Disorder- when a person faces sudden and intense panic attacks.
As an anxiety therapist, I Dr. Karen Hawk combines therapy with activities that involve both the mind and body.
Anxiety manifests in different ways. I specialize in developing tailored plans to rightly treat your particular symptoms. Among other things, first and foremost my goal is to help you understand why you feel the way you do, the trigger behind your feelings, and how you can bring a change in your reactions. Additionally, to break negative thoughts and patterns, I provide practical techniques.
CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy- conditions such as social anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), phobias, and panic disorders are managed with this technique.
CBT is based on the idea that not just your situation but your thoughts play a key role in “how you feel and act in certain situations”. If you feel in extremes CBT helps you learn to see situations realistically.
Exposure therapy- as the name suggests it means to get exposed to your fears. This is the best way to overcome them. As your anxiety therapist, I will gradually expose you to things that make you anxious. This measure has three steps:
Relax: it involves mindful techniques for deep relaxation including breathing, and meditation to help manage your anxiety.
List: You will create a list of your triggers in order of how intense they are.
Expose: Finally, you will gradually expose the things on your list, starting with the least intense using relaxation techniques to maintain peace in the process.
DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy- it is very effective in treating many conditions anxiety being the primary one. It is based on two very simple yet important skills such as acceptance and change. I will guide you on how to accept your anxiety and provide you with ways to work on it and emerge as a winner!
IPT or Interpersonal Therapy- focuses on improving your relationships. Together we will work on issues such as unsettled sorrows, disagreements with family or friends, difficulties on the professional front, and many more. With this approach, I equip you with healthy ways to express your emotions and improve communication with others.
Early treatment will help you manage anxiety in the right manner and also prevent it from becoming a major concern. For more information about my services or to book an appointment, please call on the numbers provided or fill out the online form, we will get back to you at the earliest!