Emotional difficulties: find harmony amid the storm.
Psychotherapy for adults with emotional difficulties in the Ottawa area and across Ontario
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and freedom.
-Viktor E. Frankl
Emotions play a vital role in how you navigate the world and have a strong influence on your daily life. They guide you in decision making, inform how you choose to spend your time, help navigate what relationships you engage in, and connect you to your boundaries and values. Your ability to understand your emotions can assist you in navigating life with more stability and ease.
However, managing emotions is not an easy feat, especially if, when growing up, your emotions were not welcomed. When this is the case, in adulthood, you may be overtaken by really powerful emotions and feel as though you are at their mercy. In the mist of the chaos, you may react in ways you normally wouldn’t. When the emotional storm passes, you may be hit by another emotional wave where you experience shame and remorse for how you behaved. Does this sounds familiar? Perhaps you:
Feel emotionally out of control and struggle to feel level headed
Struggle bouncing back after experiencing intense emotions
Experience persistent irritability and prone to loosing your temper
Are impulsive, and tend to act first and think second
Feel overly sensitive and struggle to maintain relationships as a result
beyond the storm: Your pathway through emotional difficulties
Wisdom Flows Through the River of your Emotions.
How therapy for emotional difficulties works
You can learn to ride the waves of your emotions.
Everyday we experience a range of emotions. At times, navigating emotions is smooth sailing. On other occasions, it can feel as though you are being pummeled by the waves of your emotions. It may feel as though you have no control or choice over how you respond, and simply have to wait it out to catch your breath and deal with the aftermath of the emotional storm.
This is not your only option! You can learn to ride the waves of your emotions.
Therapy for emotional difficulties can assist you in developing a different relationship with your emotional landscape. Together we will explore what role your emotions serve, what they are trying to communicate, and develop a greater capacity to notice, accept and tolerate your emotional experiences.
In session, we will slow down, welcome and give space to whatever emotion is wanting to emerge. The hope is, that by slowing down and observing your inner experience, you can learn to meet yourself and your emotions with curiosity and compassion, and show up in ways that promote emotional stability and calm, and become a loving presence toward yourself that you need.
In essence, you can learn to trust the wisdom of your emotions.
Therapy for emotional difficulties can help you…
Act in accordance to your values
Have the capacity to calm yourself when faced with intense emotions
Be better able to manage stressful events
Develop flexibility and adaptability when navigating difficult situations
Remain mindful, present and level headed
Be self-validating and self-compassionate
Have a greater capacity to communicate openly and appropriately
Frequently asked questions about therapy for emotional difficulties
FAQs
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Or, more importantly, what would life be like without emotions?
Could you imagine a world devoid of emotion? Love would cease to exist. We wouldn’t feel connected to anyone and be unfazed by loss. Anger wouldn’t propel us to defend or protect ourselves from threat, and fear wouldn’t help us assess for and run away from danger. Guilt wouldn’t motivate us to repair relationships. Joy wouldn’t infuse our lives with pleasure and value - art, literature and music would have little to no impact on us. Social interactions would lack warmth and empathy. In essence, our existence would be lackluster and life would loose all meaning.
Whether we recognize it of not, emotions play a crucial role in the survival of our species. Our emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, serve several functions. They:
-Communicate to and influence others
-Motivate us for action
-Communicate to ourselves
When we are better able to change the relationship we have with our emotions, they become a valuable tool. Our emotions can be a compass for life and help us navigate the world in a way where we can make choices that are aligned with our values.
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There are many factors that contribute to experiencing emotional difficulties. One main factor that can contribute to experiencing emotional difficulties in adulthood is how you were raised. Depending on how your parents responded to your emotions, you may have been taught to push certain emotions away.
Do any of these messages sound familiar:
-Don’t be such a cry baby
-You are overreacting
-Cheer up, don’t be such a wet blanket
-Boys don’t cry
-It’s not lady like to be angry
Or worse, perhaps you have been left alone to navigate your emotional experiences and were not allowed to connect to your parental figures until you had put yourselves back together emotionally.
These types of message essentially teach us to shy away, fear and avoid emotions. Overtime we learn that by connecting to ourselves and our experiences we are somehow doing something bad or shameful. That if we connect to our emotions we run the risk of loosing connection to others.
The problem is emotions don’t tend to cooperate when we attempt to ignore or silence them. Instead they will scream louder. After all, they do have really important things to say, if we learn to listen.
The good new is, we can learn the skills that were never taught to us - how to be in and with our tough and challenging emotions in the presence of another. The very act of engaging in therapy and working through your challenging inner experiences is strengthening this skill set.
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Emotion dysregulation is defined as struggles tolerating and expressing one’s emotional experiences. It can manifest in various ways, such as intense mood swings, impulsivity, difficulties calming down, or experiencing overwhelm when emotions arise. These challenges can lead to interpersonal difficulties, struggles with decision making, and can impact ones quality of life.