What We Treat

Stress

Life can be incredibly stressful, and too often we feel pressure (or are told explicitly) to carry on in autopilot even when we are really struggling. Ignoring chronic stress can have huge impacts on mental and physical health, and lead to burnout. Our team is dedicated to listening compassionately, helping problem-solve, and helping you develop tools to create boundaries and respond to emotional challenges. Whether your stress is at work, home, or school, with family, friends, or partners, or is related to systemic issues like racism and discrimination, our team can help.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders are a group of related problems where the level of anxiety a person is experiencing causes suffering and impacts their ability to function. They are differentiated by the contexts that the person experiences the anxiety. For example, people with Social Anxiety Disorder experience anxiety about social situations, fearing rejection and negative evaluation in social and performance-related situations. In Generalized Anxiety Disorder, people experience anxiety about many experiences (work, family, health, friendships), which results in worry and painful physiological symptoms. In Panic Disorder, people have sudden symptoms of anxiety and panic that arise out of the blue and may cause concern about health.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts that result in distress and lead to compulsive behaviors that are meant to get rid of the thoughts and painful feelings. Unfortunately, like a knot that is pulled tighter and tighter, people with OCD can become stuck in this cycle, spending large amount of time and energy in the OCD loop.

Related to OCD are Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders (OCRD), which include Hoarding, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (like skin-picking and hair-pulling). More information about these difficulties can be found here.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is set of symptoms that can occur after a person has experienced a life-threatening event. These symptoms include re-experiencing the event (in thoughts, dreams, or feelings), trying to avoid remembering the event (by pushing down thoughts or avoiding places), startling more easily, and thinking about themselves and the world in negative ways. It is important to know that right after a traumatic event, most people experience these symptoms. They are normal responses to a traumatic situation. However, if these symptoms do not improve over time, then a person may need help recovering.

Gender Dysphoria

At ECAS, we welcome individuals of all gender identities. We provide therapeutic support for those experiencing gender dysphoria and/or experiencing effects of discrimination and bias based on gender identity. We also provide assessments and letters of support for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria who are seeking hormonal interventions and/or gender confirmation surgery. Using The World Professional Association for Transgender Care Standards of Care as a guide, our assessments include exploration of gender dysphoria, discussion of effects of hormonal and surgical interventions, and assessment of any relevant mental health concerns. Respect for the autonomy of each person is a core value, and we are committed to creating an environment that is safe and empowering. 

Distress Related to Oppression

Experiences of racism and oppression can lead to stress, anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Even low-levels of discrimination experienced on a regular basis can result in psychological problems. Oppression-related traumatic experiences can range from frequent ambiguous microaggressions to blatant hate crimes and physical assault. Microaggressions are subtle, pervasive acts of racial discrimination against stigmatized groups. These may be brief remarks, vague insults, or even non-verbal exchanges. Chronic fear of everyday bias may induce constant vigilance or paranoia, which over time may result in PTSD-like symptoms, or even contribute to PTSD when a more stressful event occurs.