Chantal Daley, LMFT #140885
Do you find yourself having a difficult time coping with anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, and confidence? Do you have a hard time communicating and setting boundaries with others? Life is full of obstacles and hardships that may be difficult to overcome without the right tools, resources, and guidance, leading to the manifestation of these symptoms.
The first step is seeking help, and this can be one of the hardest steps to take. I am here to make that step easier. My focus is to make you feel comfortable and create a safe place for you to explore your thoughts and feelings at your own pace. While these symptoms can feel heavy, I can assure you I am here to help you explore and process anything that comes up for you.
Depression:
Feeling down and depressed can have a tremendous impact on the ability to feel motivated and confident in yourself. It can also make you feel that there is nothing you can do to get out of feeling the way you do, and that can be discouraging and feel too overwhelming to address. Through utilizing a cognitive behavioral therapy approach, we are able to work together to identify these negative thoughts, catch them early, and reframe the distorted thoughts into more positive ones. In doing this, you will learn to change the way you think and understand how to have a more adaptive approach to these feelings.
Anxiety:
Anxiety can be debilitating and cause fear. It can make you feel as though you are not in control of your own body or reactions, which can be difficult to process and understand. Oftentimes, there are triggers that become clear while working through the anxiety and when it occurs. These triggers can be explored in session in order to first examine the anxious thoughts and feelings, then identify the frequency, and lastly find ways to decrease the interaction with or change the relationship with those triggers, therefore decreasing the anxiety.
Self-esteem and Confidence:
A lack of confidence and self-love can contribute to feelings of low motivation and increase the desire to become more withdrawn. Self-esteem and confidence play large roles not only in how you see yourself, but how you see others. When someone feels down on themselves and lacks confidence, it may also feel more comfortable to isolate and decrease interactions with others, but this may contribute to a more significant feeling of not belonging causing increased insecurity in social settings. It can be difficult to alter negative thoughts about yourself, but through using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other evidenced-based behavioral modalities, we are able to work through these negative thoughts and build the self-love and confidence needed to feel more secure in your own skin. Everyone is worthy of loving themselves and feeling confident, and I believe that is an attainable goal using these approaches.
Trauma:
Childhood trauma and tumultuous relationships early in life have the ability to affect your interpersonal relationships as an adult. Oftentimes, these relationships produce traumatic events and memories that can lead to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After experiencing something traumatic such as intimate partner violence, abuse of any kind, or sexual assault, it can be difficult to want to share your feelings and trust others. It can feel overwhelming to talk about these events and explore the emotions underneath the pain you carry with you. My approach is to move at your pace and assist you in unraveling these emotions in a safe space. In this way, you are able to embrace your own power and work towards strengthening your own voice. It is important to understand the connections you feel within your close relationships, and examining these relationships can be beneficial for shifting your perspective, setting boundaries, and leading a more fulfilling life while also moving past the trauma.
Psychodynamic:
I specialize in working with adults, couples, and adolescents using a Psychodynamic approach to explore unconscious thoughts and behaviors. In doing this, we are able to collaboratively recognize patterns and actions that may be contributing to emotional disruptions that are hindering your daily functioning.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy:
I also specialize in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Changes and transitions can be challenging, causing difficulties with coping. Using ACT, I can assist you with accepting difficult emotions while living in the present moment in an effort to move forward without constantly focusing on the possibility of negatives. If you are looking for an action-oriented approach, this may be the right one for you. In learning to embrace your thoughts and feelings instead of avoiding them, you will feel empowered and inspired to create your own path.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
I specialize in using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through exploring the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, it is possible to catch negative thoughts you may have about yourself or others and shift your feelings and thoughts to more positive ones, therefore leading to less maladaptive and reactive behaviors. This approach helps you to identify your negative thought patterns and break them down slowly in order to create more manageable feelings that will no longer lead to increased anxiety, stress, or conflict.
Mindfulness:
Our thoughts affect the way we behave in ways that we may not always be conscious of. Through utilizing mindfulness strategies such as meditation and grounding techniques, you are able to be more cognizant of the ways in which your thoughts are affecting your everyday life. Through mindfulness, you are able to reframe your thoughts and consciously pay attention to them without creating space for judgment about what those thoughts might be. Through grounding exercises and breathing exercises, you are able to center your thoughts and not allow them to cause you further anxiety. Mindfulness works well when you sometimes feel that you allow your thoughts to spiral or get to a point of negativity. In being able to catch those thoughts and take a moment to explore them, you learn how to better control your reaction to them.
Couples Work:
When working with couples, my approach is to prioritize each person’s voice and make sure both people in the relationship feel heard. I like to use pieces of the Gottman method to facilitate open communication and understanding for moving forward. It is important to set goals and identify needs in order to give one another the opportunity to meet them, so therapy with me focuses on accomplishing these goals to change the trajectory of your relationship for the better.
If you would like to explore using Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to process your trauma and learn to create healthy, stable relationships, Please do not hesitate to contact me for a free 20-minute consultation.
Individual therapy sessions are 50 minutes/$170 per session and couples sessions are 50 minutes/$190 per session.
Phone: (424) 235-5468
Email: chantaldpsychology@gmail.com