What can therapists treat me for?

There are a host of disorders or issues where therapists could help you.

Caution: therapy is not a substitute for medical care. For severe disorders you will need to be under the care of a physician (a psychiatrist, who is an MD who specializes in psychiatric disorders) and perhaps also a therapist.

A severe disorder includes schizophrenia, severe depression, suicidal tendencies, obesity, drug addition, etc.

With that in mind, therapy can be used for the following (and more, this is not a complete list!)

• Anger management
• Eating disorders
• High conflict relationships
• OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, such as compulsive handwashing and other compulsive behavior
• Divorce and separation
• Anxiety and depression such as having the same painful thoughts over and over, feelings that nothing will ever change or get better, difficulty getting out of the house or going out in public
• Phobias and fears including the fear of going out in public, the fear of public speaking, or fear of dogs.
• Marriage and relationships
• Grief, getting over the death of a loved one such as a parent, spouse or child
• Addiction to drugs, alcohol, or other substances
• Addiction to sexual behaviors that are destructive or illegal
• Grief and loss of a loved one such as a spouse, parent, child or friend
• Parenting problems with young children and teen-agers
• Step-children and adoption situations
• Panic attacks, excessive anxiety
• Sexual difficulties such as difficulty maintaining an erection, difficulty in reaching orgasm, lack of desire, premature ejaculation
• Work and career issues such as handling conflicts, aggression, lack of assertiveness, excessive shyness
• Gay and lesbian issues
• Transgender issues
• Sleep disorders, not being able to sleep because your mind races, reliance on sleeping medication
• Learning challenges/ADD/ADHD for both children and adults who have trouble paying attention and staying on task
• Trauma recovery and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) both for the victim and the victim's family