Photo of Margaret Van Ackeren, MA, LMFT, Marriage & Family Therapist
Margaret Van Ackeren
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified Verified
Anaheim, CA 92808
Be a better you. People seek out therapy for several reasons. Self-exploration, growth, change, and learning new coping strategies are just a few reasons. Finding a therapist to guide and support you along the way will make these tasks simpler and possibly even enjoyable. I treat individuals, couples, and families looking to find relief from emotional and psychological troubles and become their best self. While treatment for Asperger's Syndrome, Anxiety, Trauma, and Depression are my specialties, I also work with people who struggle with addiction, relationship problems, sexuality uncertainties, and low self-esteem.
Be a better you. People seek out therapy for several reasons. Self-exploration, growth, change, and learning new coping strategies are just a few reasons. Finding a therapist to guide and support you along the way will make these tasks simpler and possibly even enjoyable. I treat individuals, couples, and families looking to find relief from emotional and psychological troubles and become their best self. While treatment for Asperger's Syndrome, Anxiety, Trauma, and Depression are my specialties, I also work with people who struggle with addiction, relationship problems, sexuality uncertainties, and low self-esteem.
(714) 613-0841 View (714) 613-0841
Photo of Ixchel Tellez Fonseca - Serenity Journey LLC, PsyD, LMFT, CATC-IV, CCTP, Marriage & Family Therapist
Serenity Journey LLC
Marriage & Family Therapist, PsyD, LMFT, CATC-IV, CCTP
Verified Verified
Anaheim, CA 92808  (Online Only)
Dr. Ixchel Tellez Fonseca is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over eleven years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults who have endured trauma who are adjusting to life stressors such as relational issues, family changes, life transitions, bullying, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, school, and work stressors. Additionally, she has worked with adults struggling with mood disorders and dual diagnoses through various treatment modalities. She strives to provide services that focus on each individual’s natural resilience and believes that positive change is possible.
Dr. Ixchel Tellez Fonseca is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over eleven years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults who have endured trauma who are adjusting to life stressors such as relational issues, family changes, life transitions, bullying, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, school, and work stressors. Additionally, she has worked with adults struggling with mood disorders and dual diagnoses through various treatment modalities. She strives to provide services that focus on each individual’s natural resilience and believes that positive change is possible.
(714) 844-5015 View (714) 844-5015

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Bipolar Disorder Therapists

What is the most successful approach to treating bipolar disorder?

Living with bipolar disorder can be challenging, and a number of therapies have been found effective in providing support to patients as they gain the skills to understand and manage the disorder. Family-focused therapy is often helpful for children and teens (the majority of cases develop before age 19); it aims to minimize mood cycling by improving family communication and reducing conflict. It also helps young people navigate the developmental challenges the disorder can create. Cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) and variants such as Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)help patients manage the thoughts and feelings that influence bipolar mood swings as well as develop specific behavioral strategies to counteract them.

What happens in therapy for bipolar disorder?

Because the patterns of mood switching and its triggers differ for each person and can change over time, mood tracking or monitoring becomes a basic way patients learn about the nature of their condition. One of the most common features of therapy is finding a workable method of mood monitoring, in which patients track their daily activities and rate their moods, then use the findings to adjust routines accordingly. Patients learn ways of handling the many stresses that arise in life so that they do not trigger mood swings.

What kinds of problems does therapy help with?

Like many other mental health disorders, BPD is heavily influenced by stress; therapy provides skills for coping with stressors of all kinds. Therapy is extremely important for helping individuals identify the situations that may trigger mood switching, so that mood swings can be prevented. Therapy may especially target recognition of the early stages of mood change so that they can be managed. In addition, therapy helps patients deal with the significant amount of turbulence the disorder can create in relationships and in work life.

What is the goal of therapy for bipolar disorder?

Therapy helps patients set up their lives to maintain stability so that their mood isn’t constantly threatened by daily events. Perhaps the first task of therapy is to educate people about the nature of the disorder. At the same time, a primary goal of therapy is to enhance adherence to drug treatment. Extended periods of mood stability can prompt patients to discontinue medication, triggering relapse, while the early phases of manic episodes can feel so energizing that patients stop medication, ushering in full-blown mania and the altered self-perception that can lead to destructive behaviors. Another major goal of therapy is to understand one’s mood patterns so as to minimize both the frequency and intensity of mood cycling.