Marisa Kling (She/Her)

Feeling a certain level of anxiety over big stressors or certain life events is totally normal. However, if you find that your fear or worry does not go away and, in fact, gets worse over time, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. If you are finding your anxiety unmanageable, can’t identify the cause of your anxious feelings or if you are suffering from physical symptoms (such as heart palpations, fatigue, sweaty hands, upset stomach, or insomnia), it may be time to get help.

Gender identity issues, sometimes called gender dysphoria or gender conflict, occur when an individual feels an inconsistency between their physical gender and the gender they truly feel or identify with. This most commonly exhibits itself as a physical discomfort with the gender one was assigned at birth, including the feeling of being in the wrong body. Gender dysphoria comes with it an increased risk for depression, anxiety, self-esteem issues, and bullying.

Just like any other group, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) community faces mental health issues and unique challenges. However, LGBTQ individuals are almost 3 times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety. Additionally, more than half of individuals who identify as transgender experience depression or anxiety.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy, first developed in the 1980s, to treat patients suffering from borderline personality disorder. Since then, DBT’s use has broadened and now it is regularly employed as part of a treatment plan for people struggling with behaviors or emotions they can't control. DBT is a skills-based approach that focuses on helping people increase emotional and cognitive control by learning the triggers that lead to unwanted behaviors.

Integrative therapy is the integration of elements from different schools of psychotherapy in the treatment of a client. An integrative therapist will first assess their client and then match proven treatment techniques to their unique situation. As it is a highly individualized approach, integrative therapy can be used to treat any number of issues, including depression, anxiety, and personality disorders.

Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach that seeks to help people identify their values and the skills and knowledge they have to live these values, so they can effectively confront whatever problems they face. The narrative therapy approach views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, abilities, values, commitments, beliefs and competencies that will assist them in changing their relationship with the problems influencing their lives.

Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach that seeks to help people identify their values and the skills and knowledge they have to live these values, so they can effectively confront whatever problems they face. The narrative therapy approach views problems as separate from people and assumes people have many skills, abilities, values, commitments, beliefs and competencies that will assist them in changing their relationship with the problems influencing their lives.