Stress

How can we process inconceivable events and go about living our day to day lives? As a trauma and anxiety therapist, I am here to tell you that while it is extremely difficult, it is possible. Here are some suggestions for how to cope during these difficult times.

You could not be happier for your child/nibling/client. They’ve finally made it to grade 12 and have been wanting to leap into their future for ages. You thought now would be a quiet and calm few months as they wait to hear back, but instead it seems as though their anxiety is reaching new heights. Should you be concerned?

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through my head Emotions were stirring, many that I dread

In conjunction with the recent webinar "Holiday Parenting Q&A: Coping with Stress and Anxiety", psychologists Colleen Cummings, PhD, Susan Wilson, PhD, and Nina Shiffrin Starin, PhD, provide their top 3 tips for parents to help cope with stress and anxiety during the holidays.

Instead of beating yourself up for feeling anxious about your OCD symptoms, you can rewire your brain to help dial down self-critical thoughts and compassionately comfort the parts of yourself that are struggling.

ADAA Blog Post by Ashley Smith, PhD - Research shows that the more present we are, the happier we tend to be, even when the present moment isn’t pleasant or enjoyable. Rumination is a sneaky mental habit that zaps us of joy. This is where gratitude can be particularly helpful.

Disastrous news gets delivered in a highly emotional way – often on purpose – and while having strong feelings for the victims of war, floods, earthquakes, mass shootings or horrific accidents is justified, we also have to be logical and in tune with our own emotional processes when interpreting the news.

As the holiday season approaches, many individuals find themselves grappling with challenging memories or experiences that may evoke intense emotions.

Limit the depth of exposure to details. People can consume news in limited ways. In other words, learn what’s happening, then stop there. Avoid the urge for disaster voyeurism. If you have heard the story, you might not need to search for the images or the videos; if you have seen them, there is no need to revisit them over and over.