Your therapist and coach trained in systemic therapy with a masters in psychology - Registered Counsellor: Independent Practice / Private Practice

Crisis management, anxiety, depression and burn-out prevention

Your experience and adventures as well as your goals are my top priority

Mental and emotional stress

In the current times of uncertainty, more people are experiencing anxiety and stress, not knowing what to do or where to start to improve their mental health. I offer support through these challenging times, anxiety treatment and specific help to work on your health.

Life is a balancing act and change and challenges are normal for most of us. But sometimes it feels like you're out of balance – like you're sitting in a deep hole with no idea how to get out of it. We all experience such crises in our lives.

From crisis to depression

Crises describe the loss of mental balance and are characterized by the fact that we do not know whether and how we can overcome them. We quickly feel powerless – and all attempts that are made to change something either go wrong or seem to make the situation worse. Crises exceed our practiced change strategies or coping mechanisms – in such moments it is important to find new and creative ways forward.

But it’s not easy to admit that you’re overwhelmed or in a crisis right now – because we often expect ourselves to always function or feel like we’re failing when we’re so stuck. In such moments we quickly become insecure, anxious and often feel not good enough or even ashamed. Therefore, crises quickly lead to us questioning our decisions, our path in life or ourselves.

Crises have a variety of triggers:

Surprising, shocking and sometimes traumatic events: The loss of a loved one – through an unexpected separation or sudden death, an accident or violent crime, an illness or similar.
New stages of life that present us with completely new challenges: such as puberty, the menopause, the beginning of an apprenticeship, entry into working life, separations and deaths, but also new exciting events such as starting a family or a new job.
Situations in which our dreams, plans and life plans lie in front of us like shards: Financial or material losses if we work towards a goal that doesn’t happen for a long time or if we were wrong about a person or an organization.

And all of these events are bad and very difficult – and yet people have an amazing ability to move on and come to terms with the new situation. Therefore, crises are not permanent – overcoming a crisis or dealing with losses are as individual as we humans are. Professional support or therapy can give you a starting point to deal with the change, give your feelings space and regain courage. It is an opportunity to use the crisis as the first step of a new path and your personal development.

This crisis process can be divided into four phases (according to Verena Knast) – these phases describe which topics are important in the processing – this does not mean that all people will or must go through the phases chronologically.

Shock:A situation triggers so much chaos and pain in our lives that we don’t want to or can’t admit it and deny the reality.
Emotions:When we become aware of reality, we experience painful and chaotic emotions – including anger, fear, powerlessness, and threat. Self-doubt, guilt and shame or a feeling of losing control can arise. In part, we also react to these emotions with defence mechanisms.
Editing:The way out of the crisis begins when we increasingly accept the situation and give it a meaning that we can deal with. We are looking for new, creative solutions and trying out which ones will help in this difficult phase. We still experience strong emotions, but we are no longer so helplessly exposed to them and are increasingly finding ways to deal with them.
Reorientation and new beginnings: We accept the change or our loss as a new reality and can then turn our attention back to our environment. In this phase we are also open to redesigning our lives, trying out new behaviour patterns, entering into new relationships and developing a new attitude.

Phases of being overwhelmed are often associated with fears and depressive emotions up to and including burnout.

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Fears

Fears are part of life – we feel them in relation to certain dangers in our environment, in relation to the future or in relation to possible losses. Fears are often very exhausting – they are worrying when they take up a lot of space in our lives, keep us from valuable experiences or important tasks, limit our quality of life or get out of control. Then they become a burden – even an anxiety disorder. Fears are always a physical reaction – we feel a racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, nausea, chest tightness or even dizziness.

That is why we always look at both the physical and the emotional level when it comes to fears. Anxiety disorders can be treated with therapy or medication. And the best treatment depends not only on the type of anxiety disorder, but also on the personal preferences of the client.

Depressions

Most people don't even realize they're developing depression – it's actually very hard to see. Because depression develops in the same way as a little sister grows – a little bit every day without really noticing a change, until all of a sudden it's really big. One thing is clear – depression is very advanced by the time you have trouble sleeping, eating, or physical symptoms and pain. Initial signs are a feeling of listlessness and lack of drive and the realization that you haven't been really happy or carefree in a while. If you notice these signs in yourself, it's important to seek help early to break the downward spiral. In the case of severe depression, medication or inpatient stays in clinics are very helpful. Outpatient therapy or counselling sessions are a good way to find out how serious the depression is and what we can do about it.

Burn-Out

Many people actually experience burnout as the name describes – their flame has gone out, they have no drive and no more energy. You often get to a point where nothing works anymore – not even the simplest things, e.g. shopping or filling up the car. In these moments you feel very clearly that you can no longer go on like this. The symptoms of burnout are very similar to those of depression. It is important to understand that burnout is a consequence of our body's ongoing stress response – and therefore a physical reaction – which also explains why nobody is immune to burnout and even a positive attitude, motivation or feeling is to cope, can't arm ourselves.

My approach

Life crises, fears, depression or burn-out represent a high burden and are usually very painful. In these moments we feel very clearly – it can't and shouldn't go on like this.

And as a result, these very difficult phases in life are also an opportunity – an opportunity for a change in our lives. It has often been clear to us for a long time that we have to change something and yet we often delay it and only tackle it when we have no other choice or the psychological strain has become too great.

And at the same time, these difficult phases are always a sign that we need a break. They clearly show us our need for understanding, self-care and support. And this creates an opportunity to find a new way of dealing with ourselves, which can lead us to a new life with more emotional stability, lightness and joie de vivre.

As a therapist, I accompany this process – and am particularly grateful when people turn to me and place their trust in me in the most difficult times.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

What phases do people experience in a crisis?

Coping with a crisis or dealing with losses is as individual as we humans are. This crisis process can be divided into four phases (according to Verena Knast) – these phases describe which topics are important in the processing – this does not mean that all people will or must go through the phases chronologically.

Shock: A situation triggers so much chaos and pain in our lives that we don’t want to or can’t admit it and deny the reality.
Emotions: When we become aware of reality, we experience painful and chaotic emotions – including anger, fear, powerlessness, and threat. Self-doubt, guilt and shame or a feeling of losing control can arise. In part, we also react to these emotions with defence mechanisms.
Editing: The way out of the crisis begins by increasingly accepting the situation and giving it a meaning that we can deal with. We are looking for new, creative solutions and trying out which ones will help in this difficult phase. We still experience strong emotions, but we are no longer so helplessly exposed to them and are increasingly finding ways to deal with them.
Reorientation and new beginnings: We accept the change or our loss as a new reality and can then turn our attention back to our environment. In this phase, we are also open to redesigning our lives, trying out new behaviour patterns, entering into new relationships and developing a new attitude.

How long does a mental crisis last?

Crises are not permanent – but it is very difficult to predict how long they will last. We move through a crisis when we engage with our emotions, seek support and feel strong enough to accept the new situation and try different behaviours, rituals and solution strategies to help us feel better again. We procrastinate when we question ourselves completely during the crisis, withdraw because we are ashamed or get stuck in our anger, fears or depression.

What are the symptoms of an anxiety disorder?

Physical symptoms include heart palpitations, sweating, tremors, shortness of breath, nausea, chest tightness and dizziness, but also sleep disorders and a change in our eating habits. On an emotional level, there are problems concentrating, a certain overwhelm and hopelessness or even depression. And fears are also reflected in our behaviour – we withdraw and increasingly avoid situations that challenge us or that we fear.

There are different types of anxiety disorders, which express themselves very differently:

Panic disorder: sudden attacks of anxiety, panic attacks.
Fear of claustrophobia: Fear of narrow spaces, crowds, wide open spaces.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Long-lasting fears and worries that lead to tension, anxiety, and nervousness
Social phobia: Fear of being judged negatively by other people.
Specific phobia: Fear of specific things or situations that are not inherently dangerous, such as spiders, syringes, or flying.

What is the trigger of an anxiety disorder?

It is often difficult and almost impossible to find out where our fears come from. Fears are also part of life and we all experience a variety of fears. You should seek help when fear gains the upper hand and the following symptoms apply to you:

I spend more than half the day thinking about my fears.
I am severely restricted by the fears in my quality of life and freedom of movement.
My fears make me completely apathetic or depressed.
I’ve had suicidal thoughts because of my fears.
I often fight my fears with alcohol, drugs or tranquilizers.
Because of my fears, my partnership or my job is in serious jeopardy.

What are signs of depression?

Depression can express itself in many different ways – it is reflected in the changes in our physical and emotional experience as well as in our behaviour, which increasingly robs us of lightness, joy of life and confidence. The following symptoms are specific signs that we can observe in ourselves that indicate depression:

Depressed mood – even in moments that you would have been happy about in the past.
Difficulty concentrating and motivating – even after trying different strategies.
Loss of interest – even in things you used to be enthusiastic about.
Self-doubt, insecurity and fears – even if we do some things well or we get good feedback.
An altered sleep pattern – persistent tiredness or insomnia.
A change in eating habits – loss of appetite or hunger pangs.
An altered posture – especially a hunched posture or sunken shoulders.
Physical pain – for which there is no clear explanation.
Hopelessness – and deep doubts whether our life has any meaning at all.
Suicidal attempts and suicidal thoughts – or simply the desire for each day and each week to be over as soon as possible.

How does depression start?

Noticing the onset of depression is indeed very difficult. Depression develops just like a little sister grows – a little bit every day without really noticing a change, until it’s big all of a sudden. One thing is clear – depression is very advanced by the time you have trouble sleeping, eating, or physical symptoms and pain. Initial signs are a feeling of listlessness and lack of drive and the realization that you haven’t been really happy or carefree in a while.

In most cases, the triggers of depression cannot be clearly identified. Partly it is a genetic predisposition or changes in brain metabolism. Mental injuries, trauma, stress or negative thought patterns can also contribute to the development of depression

What is the typical course of a depression?

There is no typical course of depression – many sufferers notice an improvement after a few weeks and feel quite well again after a few months. Sometimes depression becomes chronic and comes on at a regular rhythm for a few weeks or months – in some cases there is no cure and the depression worsens. The chances of recovery depend crucially on whether you have access to medical and psychological treatment, experience support in your own environment and have the opportunity to organize your own everyday life.