Kyle Gripped His Chair with White Knuckles
Kyle was a thirty-five-year-old firefighter, overwhelmed by the stress of a job that never used to rattle him. He’d been young and a little invincible once. The physical risk had never gotten under his skin.
Then came the best day of his life. His daughter was born. In the movies, that moment is pure, uncomplicated joy. Real life doesn’t always follow the script. Kyle was thrilled to meet his daughter, and at the very same time, gripped by a sense of impending doom.
The Pressure Began to Crush Him
Responsibility had never weighed so much. What kind of father would he be? Would he be a better one than his own, the abusive, alcoholic man who’d walked out on his family?
What if something happened to him on the job? Who would take care of his wife and his newborn then? The worry snowballed into a dark place. He stopped sleeping. His drinking crept up. He shut his wife and daughter out.
He spent weeks scrolling through therapist websites and could never quite make the call, until his wife gave him an ultimatum: get help, or get out.
Kyle Made the Call
He came in and sat down, and I asked him how he was doing. This intimidating, powerfully built man, someone for whom crying was clearly foreign territory, broke down on the spot. The emotion poured out of him like a river, and behind it were years of thoughts and worries he’d never said out loud.
Childhood memories came bubbling up. As they did, his shoulders dropped a good four inches, his grip on the armrest loosened, and the color came back into his face.
For the first time in a long while, he could actually look at his own life, and he was flooded with gratitude. The tears came again. This time, the good kind.
Getting to What’s Beneath the Surface
You can’t dig down to that layer by yourself. Taking the leap and asking for help takes real courage, but it’s the first step toward recovering the part of you that’s been buried under all the overwhelm.
Once we work through the backlog of pent-up emotion and the thoughts that keep looping, something shifts. You can take an honest account of what’s actually happening in your life. You get back in the driver’s seat.
A lot of people carry a bad impression of therapy: out of fear, out of misunderstanding, out of something somebody told them when they were young. So let me say this plainly: if anyone ever taught you that crying, or asking for help, or sitting down with a therapist is a sign of weakness, they were wrong. Everybody needs help sometimes. Everybody.
Tales of Hope and the Mental-Health Toolbelt
Awareness is where change begins. You can’t fix a problem you don’t know is there, and most of us don’t have a clear view of what’s actually fueling our struggles. You can’t know where you’re headed until you understand where you’ve been.
I work with you to face your challenges head-on and build the skills to handle hard situations and even harder emotions. We’ll find ways to put the overwhelm in context, get some perspective, and break the mental loops that keep you stuck.
My job is to help you gather the right tools, and learn to use them, so the next hard thing doesn’t knock you flat. Your life can change. Don’t wait another minute to start.
Call (561) 329-4827 today for a free consultation.
About Eric Kiner, Psy.D.
I earned my master’s in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University, followed by a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the same school, and I’ve been doing work I’m genuinely proud of since 2006.
The thing I do best is build trust. I have a knack for creating a space where people feel comfortable enough to do real, healing work. And I take a lot of pride in helping people build a life they can be proud of.
I’m also probably not the therapist you’re picturing. I’m not a stern man with a white beard and a pipe who sits you down and lectures you. Earlier in my career I spent years working in substance abuse treatment centers, and I’ve done time on the sidelines as a football coach, and both taught me the same lesson: you meet people where they are, not where you wish they were.
I’m still learning, too, always picking up new tools and approaches, because when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
My wife and I have two beautiful daughters. In my down time, you’ll find me playing guitar, listening to music, watching sports, and spending time with the people I love.
Kiner Psychology is thrilled to announce Dr. Kiner is now an official provider of the NFL Hall of Fame Behavioral Health Program, treating current NFL players, former NFL players, and their families!
