Therapy for the Emotion-Driven Life

“…To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate…Those who are at times described as being a ‘hot mess’ are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world.” Anthon St. Maarten

Emotional sensitivity feels exquisite one moment and excruciating the next. On top of that, the causes of feeling emotionally overwhelmed and anxious can be complex and confusing. For instance, did you know that emotional sensitivity may be only partly related to personality? In my clinical experience, ADHD (or other neurodiversity) is a frequent travel companion to emotional sensitivity. Other causes can be chronic invalidation in early life, trauma, sleep apnea, substance overuse, and the fluctuation of hormones and/or thyroid disorder in females. Any of these factors can intersect with emotional sensitivity to create a pervasive sense of being unsettled and out of control emotionally. Therefore, it is important that we take a holistic and integrative approach to addressing emotional sensitivity. You don’t have to settle for the vague and often discouraging label of Emotionally Sensitive or worse, Borderline Personality. You are so much more than your emotions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is evidence-based for helping you reduce suffering and increase happiness. DBT teaches that by holding space for diverse, and sometimes conflicting perspectives on our circumstances, new possibilities for happiness and contentment emerge. By relating to emotions in a more scientific way, they become manageable. Christina’s expertise has helped many people increase their capacity for change and approach rather than avoid extremely difficult situations. Her therapy is based on intensive DBT training and behavioral analysis as well as personal use of her DBT skills every day, moment by momen