Therapist for Anxiety

I am Lisa M Kelly, a registered psychotherapist in downtown Toronto, providing therapy for anxiety in Ontario. Anxiety and stress can arise in response to internal as well as external factors, leading to challenges with sleep, motivation, self-esteem, work and relationships. Anxiety can be mild to debilitating and can persist for a wide variety of reasons, all of which can be unique to each person.

Anxiety often wanes when its roots are identified and explored in therapy with a caring therapist. I would like to hear about how your anxiety evolved and how you are affected. You might be hoping to explore options for handling situations which trigger anxious feelings. I can help you establish routines intended to create calm and strengthen resilience.

If you struggle with Social Anxiety or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, know that a therapist can help you develop greater self-awareness, self-compassion, self-appreciation and self-confidence. Therapy can support your efforts to create self-care plans, identify life goals, establish boundaries and relate more authentically.

Consider therapy for anxiety if you

  • Anxiety Therapywant to explore what your anxiety is trying to tell you
  • need support for a life transition or relationship break-up
  • feel self-doubt with an authority figure or romantic interest
  • feel inadequate in a relationship or at work
  • find it hard to express your feelings, focus, complete tasks
  • experience restlessness, insomnia,  or other anxiety symptoms
  • have social anxiety when dating or on phone or zoom calls
  • feel socially anxious when speaking in meetings/ public
  • catastrophize, self-isolate, procrastinate

Anxiety: Therapists can help you

  • understand the roots of your anxiety
  • process difficult experiences and validate your feelings
  • identify and explore your anxiety triggers
  • acknowledge the impact of your worries on you, your career and relationships
  • integrate more support, self-care and resilience strategies into your routines
  • explore, express and act on your true feelings, wished, needs and values

For a free consultation call re therapy for anxiety and stress, please email me, Lisa M Kelly, RP - Gestalt Therapist in downtown Toronto and online.

Self-Esteem: Therapist

A therapist might define self-esteem as our own evaluation of self-worth. If we have intrinsic self-worth - the sense that we are lovable in spite of shortcomings - our self-esteem will likely hold up in the face of career or relationship challenges. However, if our intrinsic self-worth is low, self-esteem might wane. We might then try to shore up our low self-confidence externally - with achievements, educational credentials, 80-hour work-weeks, designer clothes, luxury homes and hot dates. Trouble is, bolstering self-esteem in these ways is ultimately a losing strategy: What worked yesterday doesn't necessarily work so well today.

Until we learn to value our deepest self, stress - and the ways we cope with it - may take a corrosive toll. Do you lack intrinsic self-worth? Is your self-confidence dependent on others' opinions of you? Are you self-critical? I would like to understand how you got to where you're at - how you see and experience yourself and your world. If you are interested in exploring the road to increased confidence, self-care and resilience, I welcome you to contact me, Lisa M Kelly, RP - a Gestalt therapist in downtown Toronto providing online therapy throughout Ontario. It would be a sincere pleasure to help you with self-esteem, anxiety and stress management.

Self-esteem may improve when we

  • connect more deeply with ourselves and others
  • gain the skills and support to act on our true feelings, needs and values
  • learn to better support ourselves - especially during a life transition
  • gain a sense of control over important aspects of our lives
  • get physically active for the joy of it
  • engage in genuinely fulfilling activities

Anxiety Psychotherapist

Self-confidence might increase if you

  • set achievable goals broken into manageable steps
  • celebrate your efforts, skills and progress
  • regularly do things you enjoy and do well
  • teach somebody something, help someone, volunteer
  • list your strengths, qualities and achievements
  • list three things each day that went well
  • recite five self-affirmations daily
  • collect and regularly read inspiring quotes
  • post photos of people you love, respect and admire
  • spend time with people who value you and treat you well
  • ask friends to describe your special qualities
  • exercise, walk in nature, dance, garden, walk a dog or clean
  • pursue and develop skills in an area of genuine interest
  • confront and tame the critical voices in your head
  • give yourself the compassion and positive regard you give to others
  • self-soothe: breathe deeply, light candles, have a hot bath, sip tea

Online Therapy for Anxiety and Self-Esteem

I provide online therapy in Ontario for anyone seeking anxiety and self-esteem counselling. Given the pandemic and other tragic global events, people are feeling understandably concerned and vulnerable. Whether you live alone or with others, stress may be running high. Perhaps now would be a good time to try online counselling with a virtual therapist based in Toronto, Ontario. Support can make a world of difference to one's well-being.

The following are adaptations of clients' comments: Identifying details have been altered to protect confidentiality. Any similarity to a particular client is coincidental.

"For as long as I can remember, I have been a worrier. I always compare myself to other people and just can’t seem to relax. It's like my Dad's criticisms follow me around. I worry other people notice my anxiety...and that makes me even more anxious."
I dread hearing my phone ring or having to make a call. I just sit there like a scared rabbit. Since I worry about being judged by people I don't know well, I only answer the phone if it’s family or a close friend. Now I am trying to date and find a life partner. I wish connecting with people was easier.
Anxiety and Low Self-Esteem
JP broke my trust and I had never felt more anxious. He wasn’t interested in couples counselling, so I saw a therapist by myself. In therapy, I started to realize how JP's drinking and moods affected my self-esteem. I started making connections between my life with JP and my childhood, when I felt quite alone. I began to focus more on my self-care and friendships and less on JP and things I could not control.
Fearful of conflct and hungry for acceptance, I was always a people pleaser. I could not imagine telling my partner how I really felt about anything. I couldn't even say what I wanted for dinner. I felt resentful - always doing what others wanted. Or guilty, doing what I wanted. Therapy helped me get some insight into myself and be more real out there in the world.
I tried something I normally wouldn’t do. Therapy. And the reason was simple. Life was getting stressful. The job, my partner, the constant responsibilities and few breaks. I needed someone to listen to me - to really listen and care. I started to realize my relationship with my partner wasn't going well. Problem is s/he had no clue and I didn't know how to make things better. Feeling inadequate, I looked elsewhere. My affair became an agonizing secret. Therapy gave me a place to talk, helped me understand myself better and find better ways to cope.
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