CAREER DESIGN/REDESIGN IS counseling, also known as career guidance, is counseling designed to help with choosing, changing, or leaving a career and is available at any stage in life. One’s career is often one of the most important aspects of adulthood, and embarking on a new career, whether for the first time, the second time, or any time thereafter, can be a stressful event, especially when economic difficulties such as recession are a factor. A career counselor can help by outlining and discussing one’s potential career options.

WHY CAREER DESIGN/REDESIGN?

You will spend a third of your life working according to studies, but a 2014 study showed that only 52.3% of Americans report being satisfied with their jobs. A fulfilling career can help prevent job stress, anxiety or depression and is important to mental well-being. When choosing the most fitting career or finding a new job when one proves unsatisfying or frustrating, Dr. Cheryl will guide you to the right career information resources, discuss your career development, and administer and interpret aptitude and ability assessments that can help anyone who wishes to change careers, leave work altogether, or explore ways to be more satisfied with a current career.

CHOOSING A CAREER

Together we assess your marketable skills, needs, and career desires in order to find a career that works for you. Researching a wide variety of potential careers may be overwhelming, and information on the skill sets and education needed for a position may be contradictory or difficult to find. Dr. Cheryl is able to provide valuable information in these areas and others.

Some of the following questions Dr. Cheryl will help you answer to narrow your focus when considering a career change:

What do I enjoy doing?

What kinds of activities are fun and fulfilling for me?

What am I good at?

What is my skill set?

What qualifications do I have, such as a degree or experience?

How much money do I need to make to feel satisfied?

What jobs are available in the place(s) I’d like to live?

Do I want to travel?

What are my values?

Is it important to me to be of service to others?

Am I looking for intensely challenging work or something relatively easy?

Am I willing to do what others tell me without question, or would I rather make most decisions on my own?

To what degree do I need stability and security?

HOW DR. CHERYL CAN HELP

A typical career design/re-design session with Dr. Cheryl, helps you explore your individual skills and strengths, consider education levels and give advice about continuing education, and determine interests and personality type. Dr Cheryl can and may administer an IQ test or an aptitude test such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator that also been shown to be useful at helping individuals determine possible careers based on personality traits.  Your session will include all or some of the following:

Particular skills or talents. In which careers might they be useful?

The educational commitment required of various careers.

The potential earnings of various careers.

The daily working environment. Some people enjoy working in an office, while others might be more successful in a fast-paced or outdoor environment.

The opportunities for change or advancement in a particular career. Some careers are more flexible than others. Lawyers and doctors, for example, may shift their focus or area of specialty but will generally remain lawyers and doctors. Other careers or education paths might more allow mobility between positions in a given field.

The necessary skills/education for a desired career.

Dr. Cheryl is also able to offer advice on how to improve one’s position at a job that is, for the most part, enjoyable. For example, possible ways to earn a promotion or the best methods to negotiate a salary adjustment could be discussed.

LIFE TRANSITIONS

Has your life been touched by a major event such as a death, divorce or layoffs at work? Are you having a hard time moving through and past the emotional turmoil? Do you feel completely stuck and like you need guidance getting back on track?

There’s no denying that life often presents us with our fair share of challenges, usually in the form of sudden change. These life transitions, even the positive ones, can throw us into a tailspin and leave us feeling stressed, confused and vulnerable. But with the right tools and mindset, you have the power to not only overcome any adversity but also transform into a more authentic and confident version of yourself.

Change Can be Beneficial

Change, even difficult change that is neither wanted or expected, can influence personal growth. Change gives us the opportunity to see what we’re made of; to become stronger, more confident, and better prepared for what life throws at us next. With each new challenge, we develop new personal skills and obtain a greater awareness of ourselves, our family and our communities.

Common Life Transitions

Some of the most common life transitions we help clients navigate are:

• Moving away to college
• Adjusting to university life or your first professional job
• Getting married
• Having a new baby
• Parenting
• Empty nesting syndrome
• Breakup, separation or divorce
• Infidelity recovery
• Retirement
• Job loss or major change in career
• Relocation
• Financial gain/loss
• Serious illness or disability
• Issues pertaining to aging
• Death of a loved one
• Questioning the meaning of life
• Questioning your faith/spirituality
• Questioning your sexual/gender identity

Is it Time to Speak to Someone?

Sometimes we can handle change and adversity by ourselves and sometimes we need a little help. I’m here to lend that helping hand and offer a warm and encouraging environment where you can speak candidly and receive care, compassion and guidance.

If you or someone you love is struggling with a life transition and would like to explore treatment options, please be in touch. You don’t need to struggle alone.

MINDFULNESS-BASED THERAPY is designed for people who suffer from repeated bouts of depression or chronic unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness.

Recent research has shown that people who have been clinically depressed three or more times in their life find that learning mindfulness-based skills help to considerably reduce their chances of depression returning.

What does MBCT help treat?

• Depression and anxiety
• Food and eating issues
• Low mood and negative thoughts
• Body sensations such as weariness and sluggishness
• Psychosis

If you can relate to any of the above issues, mindfulness-based therapy may be right for you. MBCT helps people separate themselves from their thoughts and moods, and teaches them how to recognize their sense of being. It also aims to give participants the necessary tools to combat depressive symptoms as they arise.

Evidence indicates that mindfulness-based therapy may reduce the rate of depressive relapse by 50%. If you or someone you know may benefit from mindfulness-based therapy, please contact me today for a free consultation. I would be happy to speak with you about how I may be able to help.

WOMEN’S ISSUES

Have you lost much of the joy you once felt? Are you struggling in an abusive or toxic relationship? Have years of living with low self-worth resulting in a less-than-desirable life?

Throughout the ages, women have been called “the fairer sex.” And yet, were you to ask women about their life experiences, many would admit their life’s events haven’t always seemed so fair.

Women may experience certain environmental, psychological and biological challenges related to gender that have a significant impact on their mental health and well-being. If not addressed properly, these challenges can turn into burdens that often lead to anxiety, depression and a lost sense of self.

Are Women More at Risk of Developing Mental Health Issues?

Daniel Freeman, Oxford University clinical psychologist analyzed 12 large-scale studies and concluded that women may be between 20% and 40% more likely to develop a mental illness than men. According to Freeman, “Women tend to view themselves more negatively than men and that is a vulnerability factor for many mental health problems.”

Some common mental health issues experienced by women include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Postpartum depression
• Postpartum psychosis
• Posttraumatic stress
• Eating disorders
• Borderline personality
• Mood-related challenges
• Low self-worth
• Self-harming behaviors

Why Seek Therapy for Women’s Issues?

Women’s issues can take a serious toll on a woman’s emotional, physical, and mental health. The effects can be mild to extreme, and in many cases, women are not able to cope with their issues on their own.

By seeking therapy, a woman can get the help she needs in overcoming an issue she has been struggling with.

There are several therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), that can offer coping tools and new perspectives. Seeking therapy can be an empowering first step on the road back to YOU. And while each step you take may, at times, feel challenging, uncertain and scary, you will have someone right there with you listening and encouraging you to cross that finish line.

If you or someone you know would like to explore treatment options, please get in touch with me. I would be honored to walk with you on your journey.

SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER COUNSELING

Do you experience intense anxiety or nervousness when faced with social situations?