Category: Individual Therapy

Counseling for Depression

A variety of distressing life events have the ability to cause low mood and sadness. If the symptoms are persistent and interfere with daily life, it can be considered depression. Regardless of the circumstances and severity of symptoms, counseling for depression can be an essential component to combat these stressful feelings.

Although individuals can experience it in different ways, some of the most common symptoms which lead to a clinical diagnosis of depression are:

  • Feeling sad, hopeless, overwhelmed, irritable, worthless, guilty
  • Increased emotional sensitivity or feeling of being emotionally numb
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities
  • Social withdrawal, feeling isolated from the world
  • Physical symptoms such as chronic fatigue, malaise, GI disruption
  • Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping excessively (hypersomnia)
  • Noticeable weight changes and/or major fluctuations in appetite
  • Difficulty concentrating, processing thoughts, making decisions
  • Thoughts of suicide, death, self-harm
  • Increased alcohol/substance use as a coping mechanism
  • Often, these feelings are accompanied by anxiety

These symptoms can continue for a period of time or occur in episodes.  Elongated periods of severe symptoms can be considered major depressive disorder. Constant feelings of restlessness or slowed movements and speech can greatly interfere with an individual’s ability to function. Often, a lack of treatment can cause symptoms to become more intrusive and oppressive.

Some of the most common types of counseling for depression include cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, or psychosocial therapy. Simple talk or group therapy can be greatly beneficial as well. Chana Pfeifer can help discuss options for therapy to help alleviate symptoms that have become severe. In the process, she may assess other psychiatric features or medical conditions that may contribute to or interact with depression.

When one is seeing through a world view blurred by constant loops of negative thoughts, therapy can help to clear the lens. Identifying the roots of depressive feelings can be essential to re-programming the destructive behaviors which accompany it.

A therapist can help locate and resolve cognitive distortions and replace harmful coping skills with self-enhancing behaviors. Formulating a treatment plan is done with the patient’s well-being, self-confidence, and safety in mind.

In times of grief it might feel difficult to reach out for help. In fact, the feelings of worthlessness can discourage one from having hope. It is important to remember that no one is alone and that hope is a beacon always ready to be grasped by one’s powerful mind.

Therapy can help to make visible what one cannot see through the blackout curtains of depression and break up negative cycles with feelings of peace and security.

Chana Pfeifer, LCSWFor more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com

Counseling for PTSD

Traumatic events can have a resonating and painful impact on your life, and the effects can span over months and even years following the event. Reacting to a traumatic or threatening circumstance can be a normal response. If high levels of stress are not resolved, further problems can arise. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious harm, or sexual assault/violence. Even if you did not directly experience the trauma, you can develop PTSD from witnessing the event or its aftermath.

PTSD can have a highly disruptive effect on survivors’ mental health, daily functioning, and relationships.

Symptoms can be classified by a few main categories:

Re-experiencing
  • Flashbacks or intensely vivid memories/re-living of the event
  • Nightmares
  • Intrusive memories, thoughts, feelings
  • Significant emotional/physiological reactions to event-related stimuli
Heightened arousal
  • Insomnia
  • Hyper vigilance (overly aware of one’s surroundings and possible threats or danger)
  • Sensitive startle response, jumpy
  • Easy to anger
Avoidance
  • Avoiding memories, thoughts, feelings, people, situations that can be possible reminders of the trauma
  • Loss of interest in certain activities
  • Feeling emotionally numb
Changes in cognition
  • Distortion of self-perception (lowered self-esteem, excessive guilt, shame, anger)
  • Feeling detached or isolated from others
  • Gaps in memory, trouble remembering the event or memories surrounding it
  • Negative beliefs about others & the world
Dissociation
  • De-personalization (feeling detached from one’s mind or body, perceiving oneself as unreal)
  • De-realization (feeling isolated from others or the world, feeling as if the world is not real)

Following a trauma, it is often difficult to talk about the event including emotions and thoughts surrounding it. Years can pass and you still may feel a strong, visceral response to the memories.

These thoughts and feelings should not continue being repressed, as this can cause chronic damage to your mental, emotional, and physical well-being over time.

Some common routes of therapy to treat PTSD include talk therapy, variations of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), cognitive processing, prolonged exposure, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

During therapy, you can work on resolving cognitive distortions and learning healthy coping skills and techniques for symptom relief. A therapist can help you re-associate negative feelings and beliefs so you can regain control of stress and fear responses. You can also address possible co-occurring issues such as anxiety, depression, or substance abuse.

Therapy can provide a grounded, secure space in which you can begin to heal from your traumatic experience(s) without feeling judgement or criticism.

A holistic approach to PTSD treatment will enhance your sense of well-being, solidify your inner fortitude and help you to regain positive self-confidence.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

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Friends Through Elvis

I meet lots of people who battle old age alone through my home care job.

Recently, I visited a woman whose house reflected her obsession of Elvis: Elvis toaster oven, Elvis welcome mat, you can’t even imagine… I thought it was quirky, but was incredibly moved the following week when her friend met with us to figure out ways to keep her safe in her home.

I asked this gentleman how he knew the pt, because he mentioned his wife, and he said: through Elvis. A previous visit revealed the patient had seen Elvis at least 100 times. By the end of the visit, this man had a list of at least 8 tasks to follow up on, and he showed up with such caring and dedication.

Dear friends are hard to come by, but they are invaluable.

I met one of my dear friends 11 years ago when I forgot a piece to my breast pump at my brother’s house (a long story for another time). Finding common ground to choose people who can reciprocate care, is priceless.

Why not have our eyes open to the opportunities to be loved and cared for. A few days ago it was Elvis’s birthday and I only know that because of my patient. I feel such a warm, fuzzy feeling when I see him now.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

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2019 Goodbyes & 2020’s Hellos

2019 Goodbyes & 2020’s Hellos

Somehow I am so excited 2019 is over. I have plenty to be grateful for, and lots to say good bye to.

2020's HellosI’d like to say goodbye to fear of the unknown.

2020’s hellos, I’d like to invite in curiosity of what lies ahead.

I want to let go of worrying about “not enough.”

I want to bring on noticing what I have, and bring on abundance. That it is okay to have a lot of connection, love, and even money (in theory).

I want to say, “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” to being so stressed.

I invite in noticing I am relaxed sometimes. When I’m not, I am really good at using the tools I teach in my office. I can breathe, do yoga, bring in positive thoughts, and a lot of the time, they work.

Goodbye 2019! I am really looking forward to 2020 being different.

2020’s Hellos:

Thursday, January 30, 2020: Reconnect in 2020 Couples Check-In Workshop

Class lead by Chana Pfeifer, LCSW & Imago Relationship Therapist

2020's HellosGet ready for a healthier relationship in 2020.

Attend this couples’ class on mastering connecting the modern way.

Awareness and communication are what makes a relationship work.

ANOZ Spa Boutique
281 Nassau Blvd. Garden City South, NY 11530

Anxiety Counseling Long Island

All humans experience anxiety to some degree in certain situations. Feeling anxious about important upcoming events, grief, stressors, or potentially dangerous situations is considered normal and a beneficial defense mechanism.

A healthy amount of anxiety can be helpful to increase motivation and drive healthy competition and success. However, it can become problematic when it comes with unhealthy apprehension, uncontrollable worry, and intense, irrational fears that interfere with daily life, self-confidence, and relationships.

Some cases of anxiety can be due to a stressful or grief-inducing event, substance use, or a medical condition. Symptoms can also be long-term and chronic and may not improve without treatment.

If you feel that symptoms of anxiety are causing you distress, seeking therapy is recommended.

Many people associate anxiety exclusively with panic attacks, however this is not always the case. In those with generalized anxiety disorder, the pernicious symptoms are present without recurring panic attacks.

Some of the symptoms of general anxiety can be as follows:

  • Mind racing with thoughts or going blank, making it hard to concentrate
  • Excessive worry, apprehension, fear that seems impossible to control
  • Restlessness, insomnia
  • Muscle aches / tension
  • Frequent fatigue
  • Irritability, agitation

Panic attacks are induced quickly and can last for minutes, with recovery and post-attack fatigue possibly lingering for hours. These events can be rare and transient, or chronic and frequently recurrent.

Panic attacks generally manifest with symptoms such as:

  • Increased heart rate, palpitations, chest pain
  • Shaking, restless movement
  • Chills or hot flashes, sweating
  • Feeling short of breath, heavy respiration, tightness in the throat
  • Lightheadedness, dizziness
  • Nausea, abdominal discomfort
  • Feelings of spiraling out of control, impending death or harm
  • Disconnection from reality or time

Anxiety can also manifest itself within other conditions including depression, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress, and specific phobias.

A therapist can help you distinguish what type(s) of anxiety you are dealing with. From a cognitive perspective, the licensed provider can help you identify the thoughts that cause it while working through methods to control the anxious behaviors that come as a result.

Regardless of the intensity of your anxiety, symptoms can be managed and fears overcome through reformulating thought patterns in counseling. Being present in a neutral, non-judgmental space where you can express your fears and concerns is helpful in the journey to attain physical, psychological, and emotional relaxation. A holistic approach to counseling can teach you how to approach and handle anxiety-inducing situations without having to deal with the constant stress of fear, worry, and panic. Reaching out for help is the first important step in giving yourself the freedom of a clear, calm mind in the face of anxiety.

For more info. on counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

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Grief Counseling Long Island

Processing grief due to the death of a spouse or partner can be a turbulent journey of emotional, psychological, and physical pain. The grieving process is different for every individual and it is essential that one has the opportunity to process the entire spectrum of emotions. Grief counseling can be a healthy way to cope with any emotions that may come up.

Constant shifting of emotional tides can be overwhelming in one’s delicate state following a loss.

Although individual experiences of grief can differ for everyone, the process has often been categorized into stages, most commonly that of Kübler-Ross (1969) which outlines them as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Most often, the lines surrounding these stages are blurred and can incorporate many complex emotions not indicated in the model. Traumatic circumstances surrounding the death can be additional barriers to the healing process.

Initially, it is normal to be unwilling to accept that a loved one has died, feeling emotionally numb, or avoiding things related to the grief. One may feel anger directed towards life, oneself, others, and the loss itself. The bargaining stage can bring about a cyclic state of questioning about alternative outcomes or what could have been done to prevent the death. Depression manifests itself in various ways and is often accompanied by deep sadness, hopelessness, and isolation. These are normal reactions to loss.

Recognizing and processing feelings is necessary to progress to eventual acceptance. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to express one’s distress to close friends or family members. One might feel a sense of loneliness and detachment. Since this can lead to unhealthy repression, it is greatly beneficial to have a trained professional to talk to.

Persistent grief, that seems to worsen instead of improve over a long period of time, can be greatly detrimental to one’s health. Some characteristics of this typically include a separation from one’s identity, overwhelming guilt and longing, total denial and refusal of reality, or a desire to die so that one can reconnect with the deceased. In these cases, it is especially critical to seek therapy.

Counseling can provide judgement-free support to process pain and alleviate deep internal chaos associated with feelings of grief and the mourning process.

A counselor can help explain and validate difficult thoughts and emotions following the loss of a spouse/friend/family member. Therapy facilitates one’s ability to focus on positive memories of the loved one while employing healthy coping strategies.

For additional info. about grief counseling, call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com.

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Individual Counseling for Social Anxiety

Social anxiety, also referred to as social phobia, is one of the most considerable mental health problems in the world.

A person who suffers from this disorder harbors a fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people. It is this usually irrational belief, which then leads to feelings of depression, humiliation, and inferiority.

Recent surveys done in the United States show that it is the third largest mental health problem affecting their citizens, after alcoholism and depression, proving how common this affliction is.

There are two broad categories of social anxiety. In the specific social anxiety category, patients usually fear to speak in front of groups of people or avoid very particular kinds of social situations. The second type is generalized social anxiety, in which people are generally uncomfortable and anxious in all social situations. However, no matter what form of social anxiety is in question; millions of people worldwide suffer from it.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF SOCIAL ANXIETY

Social anxiety is a disorder that encompasses both psychological and physiological symptoms. Patients suffering from this condition experience extreme anxiety and discomfort in certain situations, for example when they are being introduced to new people, when they are put in the center of attention or when they know they have to talk to a group of people. While most people may experience some level of nervousness in the scenarios as mentioned above, people suffering from social anxiety go through such a high level of panic and distress that at times they cannot face the situation at all and this discomfort manifests it in physical symptoms as well.

These physical symptoms include the patient’s heartbeat becoming very fast, excessive blushing, and the twitching of muscles in the face and neck area. What needs to be understood is that patients of social anxiety realize that their fears are irrational, but are unable to make them go away. This condition is severe and needs to be treated with the help of a qualified therapist so that the patient can live their life easier by dealing with their fear of social situations.

HOW CAN SOCIAL ANXIETY BE TREATED?

A piece of good news – when it comes to social anxiety, the condition can be overcome with proper professional help and perseverance. Chana Pfeifer is an exceptionally well-qualified therapist based in Long Island who can help you with any issues you are facing and provide one-on-one therapy sessions for social anxiety.

The most common treatment used to deal with social anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is a comprehensive therapy which firstly identifies the triggers of the disorder, the negative thoughts associated with the trigger, and how these thoughts can be treated.

The human brain is a very complex and intricate organ that is capable of learning and adapting to change at any time – only a push in the right direction is needed. A qualified therapist can use CBT and other techniques to help you develop strategies that you can use when you are in a distressing social situation.

COUNSELING FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY TAKES COMMITMENT

As is the case with therapy for almost all mental issues, it will take some time for you to see results. At times, therapy can seem difficult as you have to talk about complicated feelings and face your fears, but perseverance and consistently attending your therapy sessions is very important if you are serious about dealing with your social anxiety. You also need to practice all the strategies that your therapist develops with you so that you are so well trained in applying those strategies in real life situations, so that they become second nature.

For additional information about counseling, please call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com

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Workplace Anxiety

Many people experience anxiety associated with their jobs or careers.

Job instability, office politics, deadlines, career advancement, and many other factors can cause workplace anxiety, and this can spill over into our interpersonal relationships, especially within the family unit. This can cause family strife, as the working individual injects or transfers the anxiety from their job into their family relationships.

There’s tactics you can use to mitigate & manage workplace anxiety.

Organization, good time management, and taking the time for self-care are all important tools for mitigating workplace anxiety.

It is also important to be realistic about your abilities and avoid overextending yourself. To the extent possible, avoid toxic co-workers and office gossip. It can also be useful to get a head start on projects whenever possible, and ask for help when necessary.

Most importantly for your personal relationships, you need to set boundaries. To the extent that your job permits, keep your work in the office and avoid taking work calls and emails from home.

Take advantage of your vacation time: try to use it to go somewhere that allows you to diminish your level of stress and return to work refreshed and rejuvenated.

Social Worker West Hempstead NY / Workplace Anxiety CounselorTalking about your feelings, whether with a co-worker, family member, or therapist, can help you to understand and manage your anxiety.

Even the act of sharing your feelings can be cathartic and help to diminish your levels of stress.

Sharing your feelings with family members can also be important, as this allows them to understand the pressures you are under and may even help them overlook some venting behaviors.

One of the most important things is not to let workplace anxiety affect your personal and family relationships.

This requires a certain level of self-management. If you have a long commute, spending the time it takes to get home to cool off before interacting with your family members can be a useful tool. Calling a friend or other confidante to discuss your work situation before interacting with your family can also help you arrive home in a less agitated state. You can even discuss with family members that you need a certain, reasonable cooling off period after arriving home before being asked to address family and relationship issues.

All these tactics can help prevent workplace anxiety from harming your personal relationships.

If you find that workplace anxiety is persistent, irrational, or consistently overwhelming, you may suffer from an anxiety disorder. Speaking to a therapist can help you to diagnose such an issue and develop tools to manage your condition.

Even if your workplace anxiety does not rise to the level of a disorder, speaking with a therapist can help you to understand the sources of your anxiety and learn how to effectively manage it.

For additional information about counseling, please call (516) 592-1107 or email Chana Pfeifer at TheHappierMe.LCSW@gmail.com