Normal Anxiety vs. an Anxiety Disorder

11/21/2021 - Melanie's thoughts

Anxiety is normal, but not all anxiety is the same and it is important to know the difference. When anxiety starts to interfere with daily activities, consider reaching out for support. Read below to understand the difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder.

When The Therapist Takes Her Own Advice

11/10/2021 - Melanie's thoughts

Whenever I am in session with a client, and I hear the panic of stress in their voice, they also sound defeated, overwhelmed, and suffering from pure exhaustion. My “go-to” response is to make a list with my client and prioritize what needs to be done. Together we decide what is absolutely necessary and what […]

Stress Or Anxiety?

8/31/2021 - Resources

I am closing out our posts on stress management and transitioning to talking about anxiety with this week’s blog post video. Back in July, when I sent out my survey, anxiety was the second-highest rated topic you guys wanted to get more information about. I want to start the talk about anxiety by identifying the […]

Stress Management Tips, Part 4

8/13/2021 - Skills

When we are stressed, we feel overwhelmed by our circumstances, thoughts, and feelings, leaving us stuck and confused. In today’s post, I am sharing a method you can use to help organize your thoughts, gain some clarity, feel lighter, and ultimately feel less overwhelmed. Write this out on paper for the most benefit, but you can […]

Stress Management Tips, Part 3

8/13/2021 - Video

When we are stressed, our body responds with muscle tension, leading to pain and discomfort. When we ignore how we feel and what we think, we enter into a continuous stress spiral. Progressive Muscle Relaxation helps break the stress cycle by increasing awareness of physical discomfort related to stress, reducing muscle tension, and easing general […]

Stress Management Tips, Part 2

8/2/2021 - Skills

Stress is not just a physical response in your body. It can affect how you think and process information. Sometimes it can feel like your mind is torturing you. From constantly thinking negatively to worrying about the worst-case scenario, our thoughts can become all-consuming. Let’s talk about what questions to start asking yourself when you […]

Stress Management Tips, Part 1

7/27/2021 - Skills

One of the most important things to remember about stress is knowing how you react to it. It is normal to have stressful things occur in life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a change in your mood, behavior, or body. Stress can be managed by regulating the emotion at the moment when […]

Acute Stress Response and Chronic Stress Response

7/19/2021 - Video

What I found to be most interesting from this video is that the number of stressors you have in your life does not matter as much as how you respond to those stressors. Before we focus on managing stress in a healthy way, it is vital to know when your stress response is triggered and […]

Understanding Stress

7/13/2021 - Uncategorized

What is Stress Stress is an unavoidable reality of life. It is the feeling of being overwhelmed and struggling to cope. More specifically, stress is the brain and body’s physical and emotional response to an environmental threat. That physical and emotional response that is triggered is the fight-or-flight response.   Stress can happen as a result […]

You Cannot Do It All Stressed

6/28/2021 - Melanie's thoughts

In last week’s post, I talked about identifying your non-negotiables in times of stress to help you feel in control and grounded. As life would have it, I found myself talking a lot about stress management in sessions with clients this week. In every conversation, it came down to a very similar statement, “I should […]