Mood Disorders & Emotion Regulation

Understanding Mood Disorders

Anxiety and depression often show up in ways that go far beyond just thoughts, they also impact the body, relationships, self worth, and your sense of safety in the world. Many people describe feeling stuck between overwhelm and exhaustion, racing thoughts and numbness, high pressure and low motivation.

These experiences are not personal failures. They are often rooted in nervous system dysregulation, chronic stress, attachment wounds, trauma, or early relational environments where you didn’t receive the emotional support you needed. Through therapy you can work towards understanding the deeper patterns behind your mood, while also giving you practical tools to regulate your body, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and build steadiness.

Anxiety

Anxiety often feels like:

  • Constant worry or overthinking

  • Difficulty relaxing or sleeping

  • Feeling “on edge” or hyperaware

  • Racing thoughts or irritability

  • Physical symptoms like tension, nausea, or restlessness

Depression

Depression often feels like:

  • Low motivation or energy

  • Feeling numb, disconnected, or “shut down”

  • Hopelessness or heaviness

  • Loss of interest in things you once enjoyed

  • Self criticism, guilt, or shame

  • Difficulty concentrating or moving through daily tasks

Emotion Regulation Difficulties

Emotion regulation challenges often show up as:

  • Feeling overwhelmed by emotions

  • Emotional sensitivity or reactivity

  • Trouble pausing before responding

  • Intense highs and lows

  • Difficulty naming or understanding feelings

  • Shame or self-blame for emotional responses

My Approach

My approach is integrative, combining depth oriented relational therapy with practical, evidence-based strategies. This includes:

  • Somatic therapy to help regulate the body’s anxiety, shutdown, or overwhelm

  • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to address negative thought patterns, cognitive distortions, and depression/anxiety loops

  • DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) to build emotional regulation, grounding, distress tolerance, and mindfulness skills

  • Parts-informed work to meet the parts of you that feel scared, hopeless, or overwhelmed

Who This work is for

This type of therapy can support you if you experience:

  • Anxiety or chronic worry

  • Depression or low mood

  • Mood swings or emotional overwhelm

  • Panic, irritability, or racing thoughts

  • Feeling numb or disconnected

  • Difficulty coping with stress

  • Low motivation, fatigue, or burnout

  • Trouble expressing or understanding emotions

  • Perfectionism, shame, or self criticism

  • Feeling “too sensitive” or like emotions take over

In therapy, we move gently and at your pace. We explore your thoughts, emotions, and body based responses while building tools that you can use outside of sessions.

Together, we work to:

  • Understand the root causes of your mood patterns

  • Build nervous system regulation and self soothing skills

  • Identify triggers and emotional cycles

  • Challenge unhelpful thoughts using CBT

  • Strengthen emotional regulation using DBT skills

  • Develop mindfulness and grounding techniques

  • Reconnect with meaning, joy, and self worth

  • Create more stable, predictable emotional responses

  • Build internal safety

What To expect in session