Anxiety

Overcoming Anxiety

Would you believe that some anxiety is good for you? We need a certain amount of anxiety to propel us to prepare for a job interview, a test, or a sporting event. And we need just enough fear to keep us safe, such as when we move out of the road to avoid an oncoming car. But those who struggle with significant, ongoing anxiety are plagued with fear all of the time, even when they are safe. They might experience a racing heartbeat, dizziness, ruminating thoughts, stomach problems, or insomnia. Working with a therapist specifically trained to treat anxiety can help reduce these symptoms. Interventions such as Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and the expressive arts can train the body and mind to tolerate uncomfortable feeling of anxiety so that it dissipates. At the Counseling Studio, we believe it is important that we not fight anxiety, but rather listen to it. Children can learn fairly quickly to “shrink their worries” and outsmart them, resulting in less rigidity, better sleep, and improved behavior.

FAQs

  • You can simply tell your child that you have made an appointment for her to meet with a counselor, and that this person can play with her and help her work through her feelings.

  • Research shows that play therapy can be efficacious for treating a wide variety of behavioral, social, and emotional problems in children. It enables them to process their experiences and understand their inner world in a way that transcends language.

  • Absolutely not! There is evidence that play and expressive arts activities offer unique access to our inner life and emotions in a way that talk therapy alone may not. The key is that the more we engage our imagination, the more connected we are to our bodies, and able to experience fuller healing.

  • While several interventions may be offered, clients are free to choose what they feel is right for them. Kids and teens naturally gravitate toward play and expressive arts activities, while adults might choose more talk therapy. Adults who do take the risk to engage in activities such as art or sand tray are often surprised at the deep insights they gain!

  • There is no “one size fits all” formula to how long therapy will last. It depends on the presenting issues, frequency of sessions, and investment of the client and family members. As a rough estimate most clients come to therapy for around 6 - 12 months, and children often get better more rapidly than adults.

  • The process starts with a free initial consult by phone with Gretchen Raley. If you mutually agree that she is a good fit for you or your child, you will schedule an intake appointment and receive a link to sign intake forms in the client portal.