IVANA SZAKAL BA. MA.                       MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Awareness of mental health and well being has been increasing in recent years, general access to this service is very limited. Stigma infects every issue surrounding mental health and frequently with the worse consequences than the illness itself. Don’t be shy anymore and talk about your feelings, thinking and emotions.

Ivana S Szakal, BEd. MA. is a counselor with over 15 year experience in education, counseling and mental health. She skillfully applies tools obtained in training in various counseling modules that include Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Guided Imagery, Applied Behavior Analysis, Mindfulness, Relaxation, and Solution Focused Intervention. She helps number of clients to conquer stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, challenges related to immigration, interpersonal and life issues. She created a 12 Step Recovery Action Program to access a comprehensive treatment that blends effective techniques, client centered approach and motivational tools to regain control over mental health that influences physical and life functioning. The program is structured, it implies consistency and it is created to inspire lifelong changes. While her services are not covered by OHIP they are covered by extended health care plans.  

Visit the website to read more about mental health care.

 LOCAL PROGRAMS OFFER RELIEF FOR MENTAL HEALTH

12 STEP RECOVERY PROGRAM (RAP)

 Everyone deserves a chance to work through whatever holds them back and affects their health in a safe, supportive environment. Recovery Action Program uses solution focused experiential methods, evidence-based practices, and, most importantly, easy self-help tools inspiring long-term change.

Benefits and key elements of RAP:

Gain essential information: Learn about the consequences related to mental health to better cope with confusing conditions. 

Change challenging behaviors: Leave behind unhealthy actions. 

Improve mental functioning: Change the memories and redirect focus.

Restore emotions: Reprocess emotions and stop escalation of symptoms that lead to unpleasant feelings. 

Improve social life: Stop pulling away from people and start reconnecting.

Increase self-esteem: Work through guilt and blame to restructure beliefs about self and the world.

Improve ability to relax: Counteract dysfunctional emotions and and calm the mind.

Learn constructive ways of thinking: Replace irrational views with more accurate and balanced views. 

Improve physical health: Deal with the core of constant distress, change it, and lesson physical symptoms.

Regain control: Restore sense of control and power in everyday life.

You suffer POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) but we help.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder develops differently from person to person; symptoms may appear within hours or days of the event, or they may take weeks, months, or even years to develop. Symptoms can arise suddenly, gradually, or come and go over time. There are three main types of symptoms: re-experiencing the traumatic event (flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive memories of the traumatic event, horrifying images, sounds, and recollections of what happened), avoidance (reminders of the trauma thoughts, feelings, conversation, places, detachment from people, emotional numbness), and heightened anxiety (irritability, lack of concentration, insomnia, hypervigilance, being on constant guard, jumpiness, exaggerated startle response). 

We can assist you to boost your LOW SELF-ESTEEM.

Self-esteem is a persons’ overall emotional self-evaluation and own worth and it relates to personal experience in life development and influence of society. Signs of low self-esteem are: heavy self-criticism and dissatisfaction, hypersensitivity to criticism, exaggerated fear of mistakes, perfectionism, chronic indecisiveness, guilt, excessive will to please others, hostility and general defensiveness, irritability without any cause, envy or resentment. A person with low self-esteem often takes it personally, is very critical of self, and depends on approval of others for own evaluation of self-worthiness.  

You might experience STRESS but you are not alone.

Stress is an individual response to abundant physical, emotional and intellectual demand.  The human body is equipped to handle short term extreme pressure but the level of stress above the acceptable norm over time incapacitates and causes gradual damages. Stress prompts unhealthy life choices and addictions. Signs of stress include: decreased mental functioning (attention, focus, executive functions), exhaustion and lack of energy, insomnia, risky behaviors (addiction), weight loss or weight gain, depression, increased level of cholesterol, high blood pressure, lower level of sexual hormone, increased secretion of acidic juices and stomach pain, increased need of glucose, decreased immunity and cold sores, back pain, digestive problem and irritable bowel syndrome, and migraines. 

We can help you to overcome EXCESSIVE FEAR and ANXIETY.

Anxiety is persistent fear related to imaginable threat. Anxiety is dysfunctional, persistent and most likely overwhelming fear that interferes with life, relationships and activities. Psychological symptoms: trouble concentrating, apprehension, irritability, restlessness, feeling tense and jumpy, anticipating the worst, feeling like “mind is gone blank”, irrational alertness and expectation of danger. Physical symptoms: sweating, pounding heart, upset stomach or dizziness, muscle tension, frequent urination or diarrhea, shortness of breath, insomnia, headaches, tremors or twitches.

We can help you with the bleakness of DEPRESSION.

The hopelessness of depression is insistent and overwhelming. Some people describe it as living in a black hole, inability to escape unhappiness and despair. Some people with depression don’t feel sad at all and they feel lifeless, empty and unable to experience pleasure and joy. Psycho-somatic symptoms of depression include: Low mood, markedly diminished interest in daily activities and pleasure, lost in thoughts, loss of self-confidence, feeling of worthlessness, increased irritability, inability to concentrate, guilt, indecisiveness,   frequent crying, suicidal thoughts (not always), loss of weight / gain weight, overeating / loss of appetite, fatigue, tiredness, concentration problems, constipation, headaches, pain, insomnia or hypersomnia.

You might have a child with AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) and you need help.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder. Effective parenting strategies, psycho-educational intervention, and supportive environment are the major factors to successfully decrease impact of symptoms. In your child you watch for 3 areas: inability to develop communication & social skills, lack of understanding spoken & unspoken language, restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behavioral patterns. Generally a child fails to create and maintain age appropriate social interactions, socially and verbally doesn’t reciprocate, and appears “socially and behaviorally aloof”. The child might meet developmental milestones before the age of two but regression and symptoms always show up before the age of three.

Services are not covered by OHIP and are covered by extended health plans.