anxiety therapy

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social anxiety

How CBT and Exposure Therapy Can Help You Break Free from Social Anxiety

social anxiety

If you’re dealing with social anxiety, you probably already know how exhausting it can be.   You may find yourself overthinking conversations before they even happen to make sure everything sounds okay and that no one will judge you or become upset.  You constantly replay conversations, especially if you get a sense that someone judged you or you said something wrong.  Sometimes you may avoid social situations all together so that you do not feel any […]

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Anxiety

The Emotional Cost of Masking Anxiety in Daily Life

Anxiety

Many people living with anxiety become experts at hiding it. They show up to work, attend social events, and carry out daily responsibilities while quietly struggling inside. Masking anxiety allows someone to appear calm and capable even when they are overwhelmed.  And often times when that person is alone, the mask is off, and they silently struggle. While masking can sometimes help people navigate stressful situations, constantly hiding anxiety can come with a significant emotional

Two women having an intimate conversation on a sofa in a cozy indoor setting.
Anxiety

Anxiety: Practices to Help Untangle Fear From Fact

Anxiety

Anxiety has a powerful way of blurring the line between what might happen and what is actually happening. If you struggle with generalized anxiety, you probably know this feeling well. Your mind moves quickly.  It scans for danger, predicting outcomes, replaying conversations, and preparing for worst-case scenarios. Even when there isn’t clear evidence of a problem, your body can react as if something is wrong. The heart races. Muscles tense. Sleep becomes harder. And over

A woman sits on a green sofa looking stressed, holding her head with her hands.
Anxiety

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: What It Is and Ways to Treat It

Anxiety

Anxiety is a word that is known to many, possibly too many. A common question I get is “Why do I have anxiety?” Sometimes it is not always clear. Anxiety can come from genetics, life stressors, environment, and even facing a traumatic event. Anxiety can, at times, be very crippling. Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety are struggling with sleep, struggling to concentrate, becoming irritable, and of course, constantly worrying. Many clients will

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Anxiety, teens

Teenagers: Coping with Anxiety

Anxiety, teens

More and more often, both as a licensed clinician and as a high school counselor, I see so many teenagers plagued with anxiety. Since I started counseling over 10 years ago, I feel that the numbers of teenagers having symptoms of anxiety has increased. What I see even more are teenagers who do not have strong coping skills. When you mix these two characteristics, lack of coping skills and heightened levels of anxiety, you can

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social anxiety

How To Help Your Teen With Social Anxiety

social anxiety

Social anxiety disorder affects many of our young adolescents and teenagers. Often times you will notice that your teen is very nervous about a presentation they have to do in class or reluctant to ask a teacher a question. Outside of school, you may realize that your teen will not order their dinner when out to eat or will not ask a store employee a question. At times, I have heard parents say that they

A teenager in a hoodie having a therapy session with a female therapist on a sofa.
Anxiety, OCD

Difference Between OCD & Anxiety

Anxiety, OCD

Two of the most commonly confused disorders are Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). One of the main reasons why is because they have symptoms that overlap which can make it more confusing to tell the difference. Many of times GAD worries are based off of reality whereas OCD worries are more bizarre, but this is not always the case, which is why it can make diagnosing these disorders correctly even harder. While both involve anxiety,

Young woman feeling stressed while studying at home with a laptop and coffee cup.
Panic Disorder

Understanding Panic Disorder and How Therapy Can Help

Panic Disorder

Have you ever felt like you were having a heart attack but you actually were not?   I cannot even begin to tell you how many clients that have gone to the ER thinking they were suffering from a heart attack, when it actually was a panic attack.  They happen suddenly and can be very scary, especially if it is your first one.  The symptoms can be described as overwhelming and can include your: heard racing,