Ashley O'Connor-Licensed Professional Counselor
My Services
01.
Perinatal Postpartum Counseling
As someone who recently had a child at the height of the pandemic I truly know and understand the unique stressors mothers today are facing. Feeling isolated, managing family relationships, fear of loss and loss , birth trauma, infertility, life changes, as well as postpartum depression and anxiety. We can understand that this new motherhood time can be the "best time of our life" but it also can be a time of intense fear, guilt, loneliness and shame surrounding issues related to being a mother. Goals for therapy would include decreasing mental health symptoms related to the perinatal period through supporting your unique issues with coping skills and understanding.
I would be honored to be able to lead you through this challenging time and offer you a safe space to share your emotions and offer coping skills to manage your unique symptoms. You are not alone and there is a way to navigate through this difficult time together.
Specific issues I can assist with include:
-Infertility & Loss
-Postpartum Anxiety & Depression
-Loss of Identity & Self-Esteem
-Body Image Changes
-Birth Trauma
02.
School Stress: The last year of highschool and your first years of college can be some of the most exciting and rewarding times of your life. One of the biggest challenges that you may face could be balancing your school work with sports, having a social life and doing the self care activities that make you happy. I can assist in discussing these issues and providing you with support and emotional skills necessary to cope with the unwanted stress that this balancing act may cause.
Career Stress:"I don't want everyone to find out that I have no idea what I am doing!". This is one of the most common phrases I hear when talking with people who are just starting out in their careers. Imposter Syndrome is the feeling that some people with anxiety or depression feel when they are struggling with self-confidence in the workplace. I know it can be scary to transition from student to a professional who is expected to achieve results in your new field. I work with people to assist them is discovering their passions, increasing self confidence, and creating realistic goals and expectations for themselves.
Personal Development: There are a lot of transitions that happen in life. These may include moving away from home and starting college, transitioning to a new career, the loss of a loved one, divorce, or illness. I understand that as promising as these changes can be they can also be extremely difficult and draining. You may be facing your own insecurities and struggling to find yourself and navigate through this new part of your life. You may be having issues deciding which college to choose, what major you should pick, and ultimately what you want to do for a career. You may be looking for advice, comfort, support or a direction to start your new path in life. I can assist you in discovering your authentic self and navigating the world and all of the changes it brings.
03.
CBT is a form of therapy that teaches individuals to understand that our thoughts are connected with our emotions. CBT is a treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. It is based on the belief that our thoughts have a huge impact on our behaviors and emotions.We are always talking to ourselves throughout the day. Whether it is making a mental to-do list, assessing various situations, or having to make a decision, we all have an internal dialogue. The problem with this always occurring discussion is that we become used to it and often don't realize the things we are saying to ourselves. Sometimes the things we think are positive, but unfortunately for those with anxiety or depression these thoughts can quickly become overly negative and disparaging. Many people are unaware of why they become anxious or depressed and often think that it occurs at random or because of something external or environmental. Much of the time we a worry thought and then we convince ourselves that our worry thought is true or a fact.
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on having the individual work on recording their thoughts in order to increase an awareness of what they are saying to themselves on a daily basis. Once the thought is recorded other things such as connected emotions, situations, and consequences can also be recorded to identify triggers to thoughts and behaviors.
I work to assist clients in developing the skills necessary to better understand their thoughts and ultimately understanding themselves. This may include discussing past negative experiences which may have impacted core beliefs, going through family history and interpersonal relationships, and other significant struggles within your day to day life. You will develop concrete skills to assist you in managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger, and more.
04.
Adolescent Counseling
I understand that many of the issues that adolescents are facing these days may have a negative impact on their happiness, school work and family life.
School Stress: An increasing amount of homework and academic pressure from schools and worry over obtaining "perfect" grades can cause a large amount of stress for both adolescents and parents. If your child is struggling with issues related to school, I will be a support to assist you in communicating with the school. This may include working towards assisting your child with specialized academic or emotional accommodations, testing, and PPT meetings. I can also help adolescents in understanding how to practice better time management, proper sleep habits, and learning how to improve their focus and attention skills. Often times when a child is struggling with a mental health issue their attention and focus can be negatively impacted. Identifying and addressing them may positively impact their school performance.
Family Stress: As children get older it can create a environment of boundary restructuring and testing. As a parent it may be difficult to navigate these changes as your child grows. Maybe you have tried having the same conversations over and over again to no avail, or you are finding it hard to follow through on set expectations such as phone or social media guidelines or grade expectations, you also may feel as though your adolescent does not hear you and you are struggling to understand them as well. I focus on involving parents in treatment in order to facilitate healthy communication skills, developing concrete expectations of boundaries and behaviors, and providing a safe therapeutic environment to discuss sensitive family issues.
Social Media, Friendships and Bullying: Technology has become very prominent in society and our lives it can be hard to find an appropriate way to manage how your uses technology and how much time is too much. I stay up to date on the latest social media applications and social trends in order to truly understand the issues that adolescents discuss in therapy. Social media is often used as a means for children to socialize with one another, share moments in their lives and develop friendships. Friendships can sometimes also cause stress and social media can make these issues worse. Social ostracizing or bullying can significantly impact your child's self esteem and confidence. Social anxiety may result from interpersonal conflicts in the past or a negative self-image. I can work with your child to address these issues through discussing how social media can impact them and creating boundaries which increase their happiness with themselves and their relationships.