Do you feel you are not respected due to your gender, sexuality, gender identification, race or religion?
When you’re treated unfairly by society, it is easy to become angry, anxious, or depressed. When the world judges you as being bad, wrong or less than, these thoughts become internalized and a part of how you see yourself. I can help you advocate for yourself, help you set up a supportive social network, and help you to be proud of who you are by helping you effectively cope with the negative feelings and thoughts that you are having.
I distinctly remember an incident from when I was doing my student teaching at a public high school. I was asked to take a group of four African-American boys to my classroom to help them organize their notebooks. We chatted along the way and one of them said, “Ms. Levine, you’re the only one here that treats us like we’re human.” It was such a deep statement about how differently people are treated based on their race and how negatively it can affect them. I am an old school social worker deeply committed to social justice and equality for all. I am especially interested in supporting the black community and support Black Lives Matter
Are you a sensitive person, fighting overwhelming feelings of anxiety, anger and/or sadness?
You are not alone. About 20% of the population (that’s millions of people) are “sensitive.” Sensitive people feel emotions much more deeply than others, and this can lead to attempt to control or reduce the intensity of feelings using ineffective and damaging strategies, like overeating, substance abuse or angry outbursts.
Therapy will train you to feel okay without harming yourself or others. You will learn other ways to soothe yourself that will allow you to feel better and increase your ability to develop meaningful relationships.
Tom was a 39 year old married man who was adopted from birth. All throughout his life he struggled with feelings of abandonment and feared any rejection. He reacted with anger and aggression whenever he perceived any type of abandonment or rejection. To deal with the stress of just living each day and to avoid his feelings, he began to drink. This initially helped him feel better, but only temporally. Soon he was drinking to excess on a daily basis. He was on the brink of losing his job and his wife. He came to me in desperation. The first step was to work with him on understanding that he was powerless over alcohol and that his life had become unmanageable. Once he was able to do this, we worked on eliminating the people, places and things in his life that were triggers for his drinking. With encouragement, he began attending AA meetings and developed a new network of friends that were sober. He was able to save his marriage and be available for his children. He has now been sober for 12 years and continues to work on himself.
Do you feel like no one understands you, that you are always being judged?
There is no worse feeling than that of being judged and criticized by others. This may be the actual situation, an imagined scenario, or a combination of both.
Therapy can teach you to evaluate these feelings more accurately, and to react to them in a healthy and affirming way. In addition to replacing worrying with positive behavior, you can explore ways of banishing or coping effectively with judgmental people in your life. Therapy can help you improve your self-worth and self-esteem, which will allow you to place yourself in in a more supportive environment.
You deserve to be surrounded by supporters! Let me be your first one.
Do you feel like you don’t fit in, like a lone wolf?
Many situations can make us feel this way, especially if you feel at odds within your family.
Chrystal was always the “black sheep” in her family, which resulted in my feeling left out and undeserving of their affection. It wasn’t until she went to college, began counseling and found others who thought and felt as she did. She forged bonds with these people and felt empowered for the first time.
Through that process however, she learned that she is different from others in many ways and was able to see the strengths in that and the gifts that she has. She has learned it is okay to be different and you can do. From this she was able to use her strengths to set up her own business, which gives her a freedom and happiness that others cannot find. She is able to find people who truly “get” her and always has support when she needs it.
Do you compare how you are feeling on the inside to how others appear to be feeling on the outside?
When going through a difficult time, it’s easy to compare yourself to others who seem to have it all, and wonder what you’re doing wrong. We all do this at times.
Therapy can help you learn how to decrease negative thoughts and replace them with alternative ways of looking at your situation. When you are able to change your thoughts, your feelings will follow.
Let me help you find alternatives to ineffective coping mechanisms like anger, isolation, self-sabotage and substance abuse, and instead find the confidence to move forward in a positive direction.
ADULT INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
If you answer yes to any of these questions, therapy can help you.
• Do you compare how you are feeling on the inside to how others appear to be feeling on the outside? • Do you feel like you don’t fit in, like a lone wolf?
• Do you feel like no one understands you, that you are always being judged?
• Do you want to better yourself, but are held back by insecurities or fear of failure?
• Are you a sensitive person, fighting overwhelming feelings of anxiety, anger and/or sadness?
• Do you feel you are not respected due to your gender, sexuality, gender identification, race or religion?