Areas We Support
ADHD
Adjusting To Life Transitions
Are you facing a change in your life that is creating feelings of overwhelm, stress, or uncertainty?
Navigating life transitions can be a turbulent and complex experience. Whether it is dealing with the pain of a divorce, a move, a career change, marriage, the birth of a child, a loss, or retirement, the emotional rollercoaster of these transitions can be overwhelming. With support, these experiences can be navigated with more ease and understanding. Therapy can help you process the emotions you are experiencing, manage your stress levels, and skillfully cope with the challenges associated with ever-shifting life circumstances. We can help you feel more confident in your ability to handle and navigate life transitions with less overwhelm, and have more clarity about the path ahead.
Adjustment Challenges
Anger Management
Do you or your child experience intense anger, lash out often, or have difficulties controlling reactions to external triggers or stress?
Anger is a normal and necessary human emotion for protection and survival. However, if your anger is leading to conflicts in your relationships, health issues, problems at work or school, etc, then you or your family member may benefit from specialized support. Therapy offers a safe and supportive environment to understand the root causes of anger and to start developing more intentional and adaptive responses to anger. Learn to control intense emotions and your responses to them, so that your emotions aren’t controlling you.
Anxiety Treatment
Is anxiety keeping you from living the life you want? Does anxiety cause you to doubt yourself and what you are able to handle? Is it constantly having you live in the future, resulting in you not being fully present for your life?
Anxiety is often experienced as excessive and recurrent worry, dread, or fear. Specific types of anxiety, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), manifest in unique ways but share the common thread of persistent anxiety that interferes with daily functioning. It can cause additional symptoms like fatigue, racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, hyperactivity, performance issues, and perfectionism.
Anxiety can also move us away from doing things that bring joy and meaning to life to avoid fear or discomfort. It can cause us to live in “auto-pilot” mode and engage in default patterns of behaviors to try and prevent or alleviate pain, emotional discomfort, or feared outcomes. Anxiety leaves us feeling out of control and stuck in cycles of worry, rumination, stress, and fear.
Our team of specialists will help you learn how to break the cycle of anxiety and get unstuck. With the right tools, strategies, and support, we can help you take control of your anxiety and get relief, so you can get back to living life with more confidence, courage, and intention.
Communication & Boundary Setting
Does saying no make you uncomfortable or lead to ruminating thoughts?
Setting boundaries in your personal and professional life can be challenging and overwhelming. It can feel uncomfortable to say ‘no’ or to establish limits with others, because you don’t want to upset or disappoint. This is particularly common if you tend to avoid conflict and have people-pleasing tendencies. When you don’t set healthy boundaries or assert your needs in relationships, you default to prioritizing the needs of others rather than yourself. This can lead to feelings of overwhelm, resentment, and a deep sense that you are being taken advantage of. If you are often prioritizing the needs of others over your own, you may also feel undervalued and unloved in your relationships.
Boundaries are an important part of any healthy relationship, be it with yourself or others. Our therapy team can help you learn how to communicate and set boundaries in a way you feel confident about, and feels aligned with your values and how you want to be showing up in the world. Together, we can explore the reasons why it is difficult to set boundaries, the internal default programming that may be driving your responses and develop skills and strategies to set healthy boundaries in the future. Learn to say ‘no’ with assertiveness, courage, and compassion.
Depression
Do you struggle to experience joy and happiness in daily life?
Depression symptoms can manifest as recurrent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of energy or interest in activities that were once enjoyable. Physical symptoms can include changes in appetite, fatigue, decreased motivation, irritability, isolation, and trouble sleeping. Emotionally, depression can leave you feeling lonely and disconnected from the world. Therapy can be helpful in treating depression by understanding common patterns of thinking and behaviors that reinforce depressive symptoms. We can help you learn effective ways to improve your mood, decrease negative thoughts, and create a greater sense of hope and well-being.
Grief & Loss
Are you struggling to move forward after a loss or finding that your grief can feel like too much to handle on your own?
Grief and loss can be a lonely and overwhelming journey. Grief can bring up a range of emotions, including sadness, anger, guilt, helplessness, and confusion. It’s common to feel misunderstood and disconnected from the people around you. Grieving is something that is often done with community and in relation to others because we are social beings. Processing grief and other related emotions and challenges is necessary for healing. Working with a therapist in a safe and supportive environment is one way to navigate and manage grief so that you can move through it. We have a saying in therapy…you have to feel it, to heal it.
Narcissistic Abuse
Have you experienced belittlement, constant criticism, gaslighting, or emotional coercion by a partner, family member, colleague, friend, or acquaintance?
Individuals with narcissistic personality traits or disorders can have a lasting impact on your self-esteem, confidence, and mental health. The trauma can result in low self-esteem, self-doubt, depression, anxiety, isolation, and fear. Narcissistic abuse/maltreatment counseling can help validate your experiences, identify the patterns of maltreatment you’ve experienced, process trauma, develop healthy boundaries, and rebuild self-worth and self-esteem. We are here to help you reconnect with your power, strength, and voice!
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses, leading to repetitive behaviors or mental acts to ease anxiety or discomfort?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) traps you in a cycle where obsessions increase anxiety, and compulsions aim to manage it, often causing guilt, shame, and further anxiety.
At Straight Up Treatment, we understand the intricacies of OCD, including Harm OCD, Contamination OCD, Scrupulosity, and more. Our approach, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), gradually exposes you to feared situations, altering your response to break the cycle of OCD. If OCD is affecting your work, home life, school, or relationships, it’s time to seek help. Let us guide you towards managing OCD, reducing obsessions, and reclaiming your life. Contact us to start your journey towards self-acceptance and relief.
Opposition Defiant Disorder (ODD) In Children
Please note: This support is for parents of children with ODD.
Does your child experience persistent patterns of anger, irritability, or argumentativeness towards people in authority?
These behaviors are associated with ODD and typically begin during school-aged years. ODD can lead to challenges at home, school, or in social situations. A child with ODD may experience conflict with parents, teachers, adults, or other people perceived as authority figures. Although some level of defiance is common in children, ODD interferes with daily functioning and can cause strain in the home and at school. Common behaviors of kids with ODD include constant arguing with authority figures; frequent temper tantrums; challenging rules and requests; blaming others for their own misbehavior; acting out of spite; and deliberately engaging in behaviors to annoy others.
At Straight Up, we specialize in providing an evidenced-based therapy called SPACE, that can help parents of children with ODD learn to shape their child’s defiant behaviors and teach their children how to process and regulate emotions in more skillful and socially appropriate ways. Parent-focused therapy helps parents better understand the factors that drive their child’s behaviors and develop skills to set appropriate limits while maintaining a nurturing and structured environment. We are here to help you understand your child, feel more in control, and create more harmony at home.
Perfectionism
Do you have very high expectations of yourself and strive to “be the best” in all that you do? Are these standards accompanied by critical self-evaluation, fear of failure, and constant concern for how you will be perceived by others?
Setting unrealistic standards and aiming for perfection can be exhausting and overwhelming. It can decrease your self-esteem and make it difficult for you to ever feel good enough or worthy enough. Perfectionism often results in anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and burnout due to the preoccupation with hyperproductivity, performance, and busyness, Life becomes all about outcomes, achievements, and standards which decreases experiences of joy, ease, relaxation, and fun. You may lose sight of what matters most in life and feel less connected to a deeper meaning and purpose.
The Straight Up team can help you decrease perfectionistic tendencies, so you can set more realistic and meaningful standards. In addition to creating a healthier relationship with your self-worth that isn’t primarily based on what you do or achieve, but more about who you choose to be and what you strive to be about in your intentions, actions, and values in life.
Postpartum Anxiety
Are you a new mother or parent experiencing excessive worry or fear after having a child?
Although some level of anxiety is normal after having a child, some people develop a more extreme level of anxiety called postpartum anxiety. Postpartum anxiety is not as widely recognized as postpartum depression, despite being equally common.
You might be wondering, “If some level of anxiety is normal, how do I know if my anxiety is actually a problem?”. The line that divides normal amounts of worry from a level at which you may need support differs per person. You may benefit from therapy for postpartum anxiety if you are experiencing: constant worry or a deep feeling that something bad is going to happen; if your anxiety is impairing your appetite or sleep habits; if you experience racing or ruminating thoughts that you can’t get a hold of; or if you’re feeling physical symptoms such as nausea and faintness.
Therapy can be a valuable tool for individuals experiencing postpartum anxiety. In therapy, the goal is to better understand your feelings and thoughts, and learn to practice empathy and self-compassion towards yourself and the challenges of being a new parent. We provide a judgment-free and caring environment for you to also learn effective coping strategies and improve your physical and mental well-being during this very vulnerable time in your life.
Relationship Issues
Are you struggling with getting your needs met in your current relationship?
Relationships can be complicated and sometimes leave us feeling resentful, confused, and alone. You may be struggling with communication difficulties, trust issues, conflicts, or feeling emotionally disconnected from your partner. These challenges can impact your daily life, causing feelings of sadness, frustration, and anxiety.
Straight Up offers a supportive and safe space to work through your challenges, develop healthy communication skills, build trust, and address conflicts in constructive and values-driven ways. We also offer couples therapy for partners who want to work through disconnection and other relationship challenges that are interfering with their happiness and sense of closeness. Individual therapy for relationship issues or couples therapy for partners can help you learn to express your needs and wants assertively, set healthy boundaries, and offer the tools and support you need to create the connection you want and need.
Sleep Disorders
Is it consistently difficult to fall or stay asleep?
Sleep disorders can affect the quality, timing, and/or duration of your sleep. You may find yourself dreading bedtime because it’s going to be another long night of tossing and turning, waking up and not being able to fall back asleep, or waking up earlier than you want or need to. Sleep challenges can impact all areas of life and, ultimately, your overall health and well-being. Lack of sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.
We can help you understand what is causing your sleep problems and help you develop better sleep hygiene. Learn to gain control of your sleep cycle so you feel more rested and live a better quality life!
Social Anxiety
Do you experience fear, anxiety, or self-consciousness in new social situations? Are you sensitive to perceived and actual rejection, judgment, or embarrassment?
Social anxiety can cause you to worry excessively about being reprimanded, judged, rejected, or criticized by others and may lead you to avoid uncomfortable or new social situations altogether. It can leave you feeling nervous, self-conscious, and embarrassed, even in non-threatening situations. Our approach to helping individuals with social anxiety includes exploring core beliefs that drive worry and fear, as well as decreasing sensitivity to judgment and rejection from others. We will help you identify and challenge negative thought and behavior patterns that contribute to social anxiety. In addition to developing a more positive and confident self-image.
Stress Management
Do you feel like there’s no end in sight to the list of things you need to manage or accomplish in the day—at home and/or at work?
Overwhelming stress can bring up a range of emotions, including anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion. It’s common to feel shut down and feel disconnected from the people around you. Stress takes a large toll on life satisfaction and fulfillment, keeping us on a constant cycle of doing and going, making it hard to just be and enjoy. In therapy, we will explore the life responsibilities, habits, and other contributing factors that lead you to feel
the way you do. In addition to learning and practicing effective ways to recalibrate and reset your nervous system off of the default fight/flight stress mode and activate the rest/digest mode for more moments of calm, ease, and joy. We teach you healthier coping mechanisms, give you the tools you need to manage current situations that trigger stress, and show you how to incorporate self-care into your daily life. We will help you create positive changes and habits, one step at a time.
Workplace Issues & Career Challenges
Is the greatest source of your stress coming from outside the home?
Workplace issues and career challenges can create recurring states of stress, exhaustion, and frustration. Feeling stuck in your job, experiencing workplace harassment, a lack of fulfillment, or a transition to a new role or career can take a toll on your mental health. It’s not uncommon to feel like there is no one to turn to for help in addressing difficult bosses, finding purpose in your work, or figuring out if a career move is the right one for you.
Therapy can provide the support you need to navigate these challenges. We can help you find greater balance in your life, recognize your personal strengths, and gain clarity on how to best address difficult situations or career decisions you might be facing.