Rising Hope Counseling is a group private practice agency that offers individual and couples counseling for a variety of issues, including: trauma, depression, anxiety, interpersonal and relationship problems (monogamous and non-monogamous), addictions, grief and loss, LGBT concerns, and life transitions. The mission of Rising Hope Counseling is to work with you on these issues and help you achieve a happy, healthy life.
Common Issues
Trauma
Trauma refers to an experience that is emotionally painful, distressful, or shocking, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects. An event could be considered traumatic if:
You were unprepared for it.
You felt powerless to prevent it.
It happened repeatedly.
Someone was intentionally cruel.
It happened in childhood.
It happened unexpectedly.
Emotional and physical symptoms of trauma include:
Shock, denial, or disbelief
Anger, irritability, mood swings
Guilt, shame, self-blame
Feeling sad or hopeless
Confusion, difficulty concentrating
Anxiety and fear
Withdrawing from others
Feeling disconnected or numb
DEPRESSION
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts that affects the way a person eats, sleeps, and feels about oneself; including the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with a depressive disease cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression.
Symptoms of depression may include:
Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
Fatigue and decreased energy
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
Irritability, restlessness
Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
Overeating or appetite loss
Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal thoughts or intentions should be taken very, very seriously. Do not hesitate to call your local suicide hotline immediately. In Fort Collins, the numbers are: (970) 494-4200 or (970) 221-5551. Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) -- or the deaf hotline at 1-800-799-4TTY (1-800-799-4889).
ANXIETY
Anxiety is the experience of fear or apprehension in response to anticipated internal or external danger. It commonly occurs in conjunction with depression.
If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won’t go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.
Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge?
Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities?
Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can’t shake?
Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren’t done a certain way?
Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they make you anxious?
Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic?
Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner?
Physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety may include:
Feelings of apprehension or dread
Trouble concentrating
Feeling tense and jumpy
Anticipating the worst
Irritability
Restlessness
Watching for signs of danger
Feeling like your mind’s gone blank
Pounding heart
Sweating
Stomach upset or dizziness
Frequent urination or diarrhea
Shortness of breath
Tremors and twitches
Muscle tension
Headaches
Fatigue
Insomnia
ADDICTION
Addiction issues include drug and/or alcohol use that is problematic or creating negative consequences in any area of your life.
Symptoms of addiction issues may include:
Being worried, or someone else in your life being worried, about your drug and/or alcohol use
Attempting to stop or cut down without success
Withdrawal symptoms
Recurrent use where you are putting yourself in hazardous situations
Legal problems
Building a tolerance
Giving up important areas of your life to use drugs or alcohol
Spending a large amount of time obtaining and using drugs or alcohol
Continued use despite physical and/or emotionally negative consequences
GRIEF AND LOSS
Grief is a natural response to loss. It’s the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Losing someone or something you love is very painful. After a significant loss, you may experience all kinds of difficult and surprising emotions, such as shock, anger, and guilt. Sometimes it may feel like the sadness will never let up. While these feelings can be frightening and overwhelming, they are normal reactions to loss. Accepting them as part of the grieving process and allowing yourself to feel what you feel is necessary for healing.
Complicated Grief:
The sadness of losing someone you love never goes away completely, but it shouldn’t remain center stage. If the pain of the loss is so constant and severe that it keeps you from resuming your life, you may be suffering from a condition known as complicated grief. Complicated grief is like being stuck in an intense state of mourning. You may have trouble accepting the death long after it has occurred or be so preoccupied with the person who died that it disrupts your daily routine and undermines your other relationships.
Symptoms of complicated grief include:
Intense longing and yearning for the deceased
Intrusive thoughts or images of your loved one
Denial of the death or sense of disbelief
Imagining that your loved one is alive
Searching for the person in familiar places
Avoiding things that remind you of your loved one
Extreme anger or bitterness over the loss
Feeling that life is empty or meaningless
INTERPERSONAL ISSUES
Interpersonal and relationship issues are characterized by feeling isolated from people and/or not knowing how to create meaningful, emotionally intimate connections with others. Below is a list of relationship issues that people frequently bring into counseling. It can be helpful to improve your awareness of these issues, and it can be reassuring to know that you're not alone!
Communication
Loneliness
Relationships
Sexuality
Trouble with work colleagues
LIFE TRANSITIONS
Life transitions include struggling over finances, job transitions and new life chapters, just to name a few. You may feel scared of the new change or be resistant to something new.