Trauma is an emotional response to a devastating event.

Some of the causes of trauma include:

Rape

Abuse

Domestic Violence

Life changing Illnesses or injuries

Death of someone close

Witnessing violent acts or crimes

Victims of crime

Symptoms:

Anxiety

Sleep disorders

Flashbacks

Depression

Night Terrors

Some common relationship issues:
Broken communication
Incompatibility
Financial problems
Unresolved conflict
Deception
Conflict with partner’s family
Loss of love for partner

Sexual dysfunction is the repetitive problems with sexual desires, response, orgasm, erectile dysfunction and physical or emotional pain.
Sexual dysfunction can be caused by a long list of physical issues, psychologic or social issues or substance abuse.

Both males and females can suffer with sexual dysfunction.

Recurrent mistreatment of a person or an animal involving cruelty or violence.

The types of abuse include physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, verbal abuse, digital abuse, abuse of power and neglect. Children, adults, elders and animals can be victims of abuse.

It is normal for individuals to experience feelings of sadness, emotional pain and depression when dealing with losses, crisis or life challenges and struggles.

When the feelings of sadness and pain escalate and intense feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness interfere with living one’s life, the depression may have progressed to clinical depression.

Clinical depression can also have physical symptoms including but not limited to joint pain, digestive problems, sleep disturbances or appetite changes.

Sexuality is uniquely personal and covers a broad spectrum of sexual orientations. Sexuality is the part of person’s identity that provides understanding of sexual attractions and feelings we experience toward other people.

There are several types of sexual orientations people can choose to identify with.

Heterosexual/straight orientated individuals are attracted to people of the opposite sex or gender.

Homosexual/gay orientated individuals are attracted to people of the same sex or gender. Originally, the word homosexual referred to only males over time the term evolved to include both genders.

Lesbian orientated individuals are attracted to people of the same sex or gender. The term refers to females only.

Bisexual orientated individuals are attracted to people of both sexes and genders.

Pansexual orientated individuals are romantically and sexually attracted to people of any sexy, gender or sexual identity.

Polysexual orientated individuals are romantically and sexually attracted to people of many sexes, genders or sexual identities.

Asexual orientated individuals have NO sexual attractions for any sex, gender or sexual identities.

I have worked clients of all direct types of sexual orientations including transgendered individuals. Orientation is not choice. It is a person’s location on the sexual identity spectrum. No individual choose his/her sexuality, he/she identifies with it.

How you attach to other people in adult relationships replicates how you were able to attach to people when you were a child.

There are four types of attachment styles:

Secure attachment – the individual does not fear rejection and is comfortable with intimacy in a relationship and exhibits no real fear of abandonment.

Avoidant attachment – the individual is uncomfortable with closeness and is avoidant of intimacy in relationships, preferring to be independent.

Anxious attachment – the individual is very insecure about relationships and wants extreme closeness and intimacy desiring to merge with other individuals

Disorganized attachment – the individual experiences high amounts of anxiety and high amounts of avoidance and as a result is extremely uncomfortable with closeness and intimacy and insecure about other people’s commitments. This style of attachment is associated with lack of trust.

Intimacy is not only sex, sexual relations or copulation. Intimacy is the closeness between two individuals in a relationship. Intimacy can occur in all types of relationship such as friendship, family member relationships or romantic relationships. Intimacy can also occur in a variety of settings. Not only is intimacy not limited to sexual relationships or physical relationships, but there are seven different type of intimacy.

Emotional intimacy occurs in a relationship when the individuals in the relationship feel safe enough to show each other their authentic selves without fear of judgment or rejection. The relationship is secure enough for the individuals to bring down their walls and allow each other to see their vulnerabilities.

Intellectual intimacy is the process of sharing one’s thoughts about what things and experiences are important to them, the things they are truly passionate about. The individuals in the relationship tell each other their favorite books, movies, music, artwork, poems songs or anything that means something to them.

Physical intimacy occurs when two individuals want to have physical closeness. Physical closeness is about the desire to be closer to the person referring to proximity not sex. An individual’s perception of the person makes them want to share physical space with them.

Aesthetic Intimacy occurs between two individual who have the same taste in music, theater, food, furnishings, art work or any things that demonstrate aesthetic compatibility.

Spiritual intimacy is one of the most difficult types of intimacy to achieve. This type of intimacy occurs when two individuals find significant meaning in their relationship. The moments where you realize that both of them share the same values, ethics, morality and human qualities.

Recreational intimacy is the type of intimacy that an individual can experience with several of their companions. Recreational intimacy occurs when individuals find that they have enough in common with each other that they invest in spending time together and truly enjoy the time they spend.

Sexual intimacy is achieved when individuals feel safe enough together to expose their bodies to each other, share their fantasies and sexual likes and dislikes to each other and perform sexual acts together. Sexual intimacy can occur among individuals without emotional intimacy being involved. Safety in sexual intimacy is achieved when the individuals involved are open and honest with each other.

Fertility issues relate to an individual or couple having problems getting pregnant. I work with individuals experiencing fertility issues and help them to manage the stress and emotions that challenges with fertility brings into their lives. I also perform psychological assessments required of gg donors and surrogates.

Addiction occurs when an individual becomes dependant on a substance, activity or other compulsion.

The dependency creates an enslavement to the substance activity or combustion and result in an individual’s life becoming unmanageable. Many individuals in our society have dependencies on alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, masturbation, food, work and other compulsions. The addictions can begin when an individual chooses substance, activity or compulsion to help them cope with life’s challenges rather the face the challenges.

Grief is the deep sorrow and pain that occurs when an individual loses someone. Our society does not deal with grief in a healthy manner. When someone in a person’s life is experiencing grief, most people try to make the individual “feel better” or “get on with life.” Grief is an appropriate response to losing someone, when an individual is grieving he/she needs to feel the painful emotions that accompany the loss, not suppress them potentially causing more severe emotional problems. Therapy is a safe place for someone to work through their grief. The acceptance and empathy the therapeutic relationship provides allows the individuals to resolve their issues at their own pace.

When an individual is experiencing a mood disorder, his/her mood becomes distorted and is incongruent with the individual circumstances impairing the individual’s ability to function.

Examples of mood disorders are: major depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal
affective disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.