Problems
& Disorders
Help from San Francisco Therapist Patricia Hecht
Life has its ups and downs-and most of us face problems from time to
time that can seem overwhelming. San Francisco, Bay Area therapist Patricia Hecht has the skill and experience
to help you cope with life's challenges. To learn more about the kinds
of issues Patricia helps clients with regularly, click on the links below:
Self-esteem issues
People with self-esteem issues often:
- Have self-defeating thoughts that undermine their success
- Don't accept themselves
- Feel bored and shy-and avoid social situations because of these feelings
- Worry too much about what other people think about them
- Feel they're not smart
- Do things that undermine and hurt themselves
- Self-esteem therapy
Relationship
problems
People with relationship problems often:
- Don't get along with their partner or spouse
- Don't agree on parenting with their partner or spouse
- Don't agree on financial issues with their partner or spouse
- Have problems and boundary issues with children, parents, grandparents
and other extended family members
- Face the challenge of helping aging parents with health, finance or
lifestyle changes
- Live with a difficult partner who's critical, unhelpful or irresponsible
- Have problems with parenting-disciplining their children, setting
boundaries, etc.
- Want to be more successful at making friends or finding activity partners
- Relationship therapy
Depression
People with depression often:
- Feel sad, hopeless-like a failure
- Don't want to do things they used to find interesting or fun
- Don't look forward to anything-nothing in life excites them
- Feel worthless-like no one would miss them if they were gone
- Are pessimistic and have a negative outlook
- Obsess about regrets in life
- Aren't motivated to do anything
- Can't concentrate
- Don't feel interested in sex
- Feel guilty about their actions
- Have crying spells
- Feel isolated from friends and family
- Avoid interacting with people
- Have a hard time making decisions
- Depression therapy
Anxiety,
stress or guilt
People with anxiety, stress or guilt often:
- Feel nervous
- Can't concentrate
- Feel anxious when they have to "perform"-speak in public, take a test,
have a job evaluation or interview
- Are afraid of making decisions and taking risks
- Are worried and afraid about things-life in general, criticism, etc.
- Have worries and fears that keep them from progressing socially,
professionally and in relationships
- Need constant reassurance
- Feel out of control
- Doubt themselves constantly
- Can't handle stressful interactions with others
- Feel helpless in stressful situations at home, at work or in social
settings
- Have panic attacks-heart racing, cold sweats, dizziness-that may even
send them to the emergency department
- Stress and Anxiety therapy
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder often:
- Have compulsions which are persistent, upsetting thoughts
- Perform compulsions, which are rituals to control anxiety about the compulsions
- Compulsions may include hand washing, checking locks repeatedly, or combing hair
- Are upset about performing the rituals
- Only get temporary relief from anxiety by performing the rituals
- May be preoccupied with order and have difficulty throwing away things
- Have rituals that interfere with daily life and are distressing
- Understand their compulsions and obsessions are senseless
- Can also have eating disorders, anxiety and depression
- May have difficulty in the workplace or at home
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder therapy
Anger Management Problems
People with anger management problems often:
- Don’t regulate their reaction to anger appropriately
- Over-react to an imagined threat of harm
- Sometimes are aggressive to others in public
- May engage in inappropriate physical altercations
- Lose their ability to self-monitor their own behavior and actions
- Blame their anger on outside forces and not themselves
- React angrily and inappropriately to normal frustrations in life
- Lose their jobs due to excessive anger
- Can have problems maintaining a relationship with a partner or spouse
- Act abusively to loved ones
- Benefit from anger management classes
- Have poor self-esteem by blaming themselves because of their anger
- Anger management therapy
Parenting issues
People with parenting issues often:
- Are afraid they'll lose their child's love if they say no
- Don't know how to be assertive with their child without being critical
- Have a child who doesn't get along well with others-playing, making
friends, respecting others
- Have a child who doesn't always function effectively in school
- Have a child whose social skills are underdeveloped
- Have a child who needs help learning how to deal with teasing or bullying
- Family therapy
Procrastination
issues
People with procrastination issues often:
- Can't-or won't-make a decision
- Are perfectionists-they wait to do something until they can do it
perfectly
- Are afraid of doing something because they might fail
- Are afraid of getting a project started
- Can't get rid of thoughts that get them stuck even before they start
- Don't know how to get organized-how to break a large problem or task
into small, manageable steps
- Can't get rid of household clutter
- Procrastination therapy
Problems picking a
mate or partner
People with problems picking a mate often:
- End up stuck in "dead-end dating" - dating but never finding someone
who's a candidate for a relationship
- Worry that they're being too picky or critical
- Have a narrow set of physical and personality types they're attracted
to
- Are afraid of rejection
- Are afraid of being abandoned
- Are afraid of being intimate and vulnerable
- Have a hard time accepting potential partners for who they are
- Relationship therapy
Assertiveness issues
People with assertiveness issues often:
- Feel they don't have the power to change
- Have a hard time communicating effectively with others
- Avoid potential conflicts
- Worry a lot about what other people think of them
- Are afraid of sticking up for themselves
- Assertiveness therapy
Controlling bad habits
People who are trying to control bad habits often:
- Are worried about overspending
- Want to quit smoking
- Overeat and use food as a comfort mechanism
- Bad habits therapy
Working family issues
People with working family issues often:
- Struggle to balance work and family
- Have a hard time managing schedules to make time for their children
- Are unclear about how to share parenting responsibilities
- Feel they don't get enough help with the children
- Parenting therapy
- Family therapy
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