- Call or Text (248) 717-1232
- hello@riveroakspsychology.com
- Fax (248) 717-0150
You matter.
You’re never alone.
We care about you.
We can help with a LOT of hard things.
But most importantly, we’re here for ANYTHING on your mind.
It’s like drowning. You tread water for a long time but you’re exhausted. You sink below the surface, hold your breath for as long as you can, but you’re trapped under deep waters. The sea is filled with anger, sadness, guilt, shame, dread, even physical pain. Everything hurts. And yet sometimes, you feel absolutely nothing at all. Eternal emptiness. Numb. Isolated from the world. Stuck, disconnected, a thousand pounds crushing your body. As though someone has reached in and ripped your soul out. Depression HURTS. You need a lifeguard. Someone to help you reach the surface again and feel the light touch your skin. Depression gets better with the right support. It is possible to feel alive again, and we’re here to help you.
It’s like having a thousand bumblebees swirl around you at all times. The constant buzzing of unsteadiness, nervousness, fearfulness, a whirlwind of emotions that extend far beyond mere worrying. Like 80s television static, super intense bouncy balls flailing in your mind, a merry-go-round that just keeps spinning faster and faster and faster and you can’t get off. A pit in your stomach. Impossible to relax. Constant jitteriness. Sweating, racing thoughts, stomachaches, like your central nervous system is always on turbo speed. Anxiety can have you spinning rapidly in circles yet it can also be paralyzing. Without the right skills and strategies to control anxiety, it can easily take over your life. It doesn’t have to be that way. We want to help you reclaim control.
It’s like carrying a backpack. We all have some items to carry, but sometimes life shoves more and more items in. Family stress. Life transitions. Job burnout. Toxic relationships. Social struggles. Disappointments. Problems that seem unsolvable. Barriers, letdowns, and burdens to carry. Sometimes even the positive events bring heavy stress into our lives, like weddings, graduations, moving, having a child, or retiring. When it feels like we are carrying the weight of the world on our backs, life stops being fun. Managing stress is a fundamental skill that must be mastered in order to thrive through every stage of life. We want to help you understand your stress triggers, lighten your load, and develop a personalized plan for maintaining relief.
What happened will never be okay. You didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t your fault. You needed someone to protect you. You needed a different experience. You needed love and nurturing and safety. The terribleness of it all has left insurmountable pain and the associated suffering that has continued long after the initial trauma may even feel worse than the initial pain. Your trauma is valid. And for those who may not recognize it, trauma is not always visible like the stereotypical depictions of trauma (car accident or combat experience). Most of the time, our trauma can present as emotional neglect, a low sense of belonging, chronic invalidation, unrealized dreams, or poor social treatment that we may have harmfully normalized. We can help you heal from trauma and regain your sense of empowerment.
It can be really hard to describe grieving. It is one of the most complex, most painful human experiences and it embodies all parts of ourselves: the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Sometimes only one person is missing and the whole world seems empty. Grief cuts so deeply, stealing pieces of ourselves and transforming our existence. Feeling abandoned. Confused. Never prepared. It’s a type of catastrophic sorrow that is truly immeasurable. Beyond loss of people or pets, grief of any kind can sweep us into darkness. Loss of experiences. Loss of abilities. Loss of relationships. Loss of normalcy. Surviving grief takes enormous strength. Don’t face it alone. Let us gently walk along this journey with you, compassionately honoring your loss while simultaneously guiding you to restore wellness.
It’s like a hurricane that breaks wherever pain is present. Boiling blood rushing through your veins. Unleashed resentment, rage, and disgust. A storm lashing out furiously, brutally crushing your balance. So. Much. Heat. For some people, anger is an erupting volcano that bursts in the midst of being mistreated or wronged. For others, there is a deep chronic anger that lingers internally like a persistent fire that just won’t extinguish. Anger can explode from our bodies to poison our environments or it can implode in a self-destructive manner. It’s difficult to control and even harder to confront. And anger is often only the tip of the iceberg. We can help you understand your relationship with anger. We can help soften this pain. You deserve to live a life free from the burdens of anger. You deserve to be well.
It’s really not about the food. Shame, trauma, perfectionism, fears, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, toxic relationships, neglect, unavailable or inconsistent emotional nurturance, and more can leave many people stuck in unhealthy eating patterns. Disordered food relationship or unhealthy compensatory behaviors can evolve from attempts to self-soothe or tame unspeakable thoughts and feelings. Left untreated, eating disorders can have dangerous medical consequences that may seriously threaten one’s life. Early intervention is critical. Your experiences and feelings are valid! We see you. We support you. We want to help you regain control and revitalize your body and mind so you can lead a happier, more empowered life.
We help people love themselves. We want you to embody the kind of self-confidence that makes you feel driven, excited, assertive, empowered, and worthy. You deserves to live your most authentic, confident life. This means letting go of social judgments, challenging your self-doubt, trusting yourself enough to handle whatever comes your way. Holding self-confidence does not mean expecting perfection. Just the opposite, self-confident individuals embrace their imperfections and accept every piece of themselves with unwavering self-respect. It’s not easy to be confident in a world full of pressure, but we’re here to help you. Let’s talk about where your insecurities come from and get you to a place of stronger self-appreciation.
It’s like constantly starving even though you just ate. The craving for more never settles. There is a physiological change in the brain’s structure and function that literally drives you to consume more just to feel relief. It’s not your fault. Please stop blaming yourself. Society doesn’t understand the very real physical and mental pain associated with substance use and addiction, leading many people struggling to feel judged. You won’t be judged here. Recovery is possible but it requires a commitment to holistic treatment that addresses your entire relationship with substances, including what led to the initial use. Our treatment explores all aspects of your mental health journey so that you can sustain long-term sobriety. It is completely worth it. You CAN do this.
You matter.
You’re never alone.
We care about you.