Vicki Lopez, MA, LMHC

Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety and depression impact millions of people. 20% of people in the United States suffer with excessive anxiety, making it the most common psychological issue in the country. Depression affects 350 million people worldwide, and approximately 24 million people in the United States. Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression. In an article by Hara Estroff Marano (2005), psychologist David Barlow, PhD. states, "Anxiety is a kind of looking to the future, seeing dangerous things that might happen in the next hour, day or weeks. Depression is all that with the addition of 'I really don't think I'm going to be able to cope with this, maybe I'll just give up.' It's shutdown marked by mental, cognitive and behavioral slowing.”

Anxiety and depression are closely related, and often occur together. 50% of people with anxiety report experiences of depression, while 60-70% of people in depression report feelings of anxiety. There are several faces to anxiety, such as Social Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yet, at its core, anxiety is essentially an over-activated fight-or-flight response to life stressors. Over time, this constant state of fight-or-flight is draining, and can lead to depression. For both conditions, cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness practice are proven ways to greatly improve these conditions.

You will learn to:

1. Increase your understanding of anxiety and depression, and how they are related in your experience.
2. Strengthen your ability to reflect and describe your feelings of anxiety and depression, thereby creating a more empowered relationship with these experiences.
3. Identify distorted thought patterns and how these thoughts impact your anxiety and depression.
4. Identify situations and cues in your daily life that trigger your anxiety.
5. Creating new, more self-enhancing ways of thinking and strategies for soothing triggered emotions.
6. Develop a lifestyle plan that addresses sleep, eating, and exercise concerns.
7. Incorporate relaxation strategies into a larger self-care plan.

Grief & Loss

The death of people in our lives is the most commonly identified grief experience. However, “deaths” large and small occur throughout our lives. The loss of a relationship, pet, job, home, or physical health – all can cause a sense sadness and disorientation in the process of change. Since our society sanctions brief bereavement for the death of loved ones, the myriad of other losses in our lives goes unnamed and unattended. Grief that is repressed or avoided can become complicated and transform into depression. For this reason, grief counseling is a powerful way to process difficult emotions and move into new, meaningful adjustment.

You will learn to:

1. Name and acknowledge your loss, and how it has impacted you.
2. Develop emotional acceptance of the change or loss, while reducing denial and numbness.
3. Resolve the varied emotions such as anger, guilt, emptiness and sadness.
4. Adjust to your new reality and create new directions, dreams, and goals.
5. Commemorate the loss, creating an intentional relationship to it that helps you move forward.

Pain Psychology

Chronic pain/illness impacts every area of life -- daily functioning, intimacy with others, a sense of purpose, identity, and self esteem. Oftentimes feelings of resignation, hopelessness, helplessness, or anxiety/ depression accompany living with pain symptoms. Research has shown a direct connection between the experience of physical pain and psychological processes. By understanding how the mind registers and reinforces the experience of pain, a person begins to transform their symptoms. Additionally, studies have shown that identifying and resolving underlying emotional patterns can significantly reduce pain symptoms.

You will learn to:

1. Resolve underlying emotions that contribute to physical pain cycles.
2. Create a new relationship to the experience of pain.
3. Address anxiety & depression that often accompany chronic pain.
4. Gain strategies for relationships to minimize the impact of chronic pain.
5. Create a new sense of competence and purpose.