You’re here because you’re looking for something. Maybe you know what it is; maybe you don’t. What you do know is that your feelings of anxiety and fear are becoming unmanageable. If you risk sharing your thoughts and feelings with other people, they tell you to calm down, relax, take it easy, don’t take everything so seriously! They tell you not to worry so much. You tell yourself that, but it doesn’t work. The “what ifs” won’t stop coming. You often feel like you’re “too much” for other people—too intense, too concerned, too apprehensive, too angst-ridden. You feel like you’re too much even for yourself. You’re intelligent, conscientious, and capable, but your fears and anxieties are calling the shots.
I help people with anxiety, fear, and trauma related to religion, spirituality, and existence. I help them to stop suffering and to enjoy lives full of meaning and purpose. I help seekers, soul-searchers, questioners, and overthinkers like you navigate the mapless areas of life, the places where you feel you’re at a dead end. Your inner GPS is constantly recalculating, and your sense of direction feels non-existent.
When you’ve come to the end of any path you knew, when you feel like your compass is broken—when you feel like you are broken—I can help. You can learn how to manage anxiety, and how to accept uncertainty. It’s not magic, and it’s not a gift only some people are born with. It’s a collection of skills that can be learned and practiced, skills that will allow you to live a more rewarding, authentic life.
As a therapist, I focus on the places where mental health intersects with religion, spirituality, faith, and philosophy. I work with people who are struggling with ultimate concerns such as freedom, meaning, purpose, identity, isolation, and death. The inescapable truth is that anxiety and fear are fundamental features of existence, but they don’t have to be the controlling factors.
I specialize in the following areas:
- Religious or moral OCD (scrupulosity)
- Religious trauma/spiritual abuse
- Religious/Spiritual Transitions
- Religious transitions (leaving a religious community, converting to a religion, etc.)
- Identity challenges
- Interfaith/Interethnic/Intercultural Relationships
I am trauma-certified and trained in spiritually integrated psychotherapy. I invite you to explore my site to learn more about me, my practice, and how I can help you. Please contact me today for a free and confidential 20-minute video consultation to discuss your concerns. No matter how long you’ve struggled, healing is possible.
Copyright 2022 Deborah Birkett
