Anxiety & Stress

Anxiety and Stress Counselling and Therapy

Everyone experiences anxiety and stress sometimes. Stress comes from demands placed on us, whether physical, intellectual, or emotional. Anxiety often arises as a response to stress, making us feel uneasy, worried, or fearful. As a short-term coping mechanism, stress can give us the push we need to overcome the challenges and obstacles we face (an exam, moving to a new house, running a marathon, etc.)

However, if stress and anxiety persist to the point where they interfere with your daily life, you may have an anxiety disorder. If you are constantly worried, irrationally fearful, or experiencing extreme anxiety (it may be related to a traumatic event or it may be about regular day-to-day things), you should seek professional guidance to help you learn to understand and cope with your condition.

Anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Characterized by uncontrollable worrying, such as worrying bad things will happen to yourself or your loved ones, or worrying with no apparent cause.
  • Panic disorder: Characterized by moments of extreme fear and panic attacks involving physical symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Characterized by flashbacks and anxiety relating to a specific traumatizing experience. Learn more about trauma therapy at LCC.
  • Social phobia: Characterized by intense anxiety in situations requiring social interaction (e.g. parties, going on a date, spending time with friends, etc.)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Characterized by repetitive anxious thoughts fixed on specific things and ritual actions to decrease the anxiety (e.g. excessive handwashing, flicking light switches, checking and rechecking)

The physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of an anxiety disorder can include:

  • Trembling or blushing
  • Rapid breathing and fast heartbeat
  • Sweating
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Fatigue
  • Sleeping difficulties
  • Headache, nausea, stomach ache, and/or diarrhea
  • Change in appetite
  • Dizziness
  • Frequent urination
  • Muscle tension
  • Feeling of impending doom
  • Panic and nervousness
  • Difficulty being in social situations
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irrational anger
  • Restlessness

LCC Provides Anxiety and Stress Counselling

If you are experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress, therapy can provide a safe space to help you find relief and provide you with the tools you need to move forward with your life.

Your LCC therapist will:

  •  Help you understand your unique circumstances and why your condition may have developed
  • Help you understand your specific condition and create personal goals for recovery 
  • Work with you to provide strategies and tools for coping with your condition and overcoming obstacles
  • Provide ongoing support and a safe space for you to express your feelings
  • Enable you to learn specific skills to help you manage stress effectively
  • Help you identify times when your thoughts do not lead to logical or rational conclusions
  • Work with you to change how you think and react to certain situations

Your counsellor and therapist will support you as you develop and strive towards your goals for change. In time, you can learn to relate differently to your emotions of stress and anxiety, achieving a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle that is not controlled by unwanted thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.

Contact Us

If you are experiencing problems with anxiety and stress, we invite you to contact us for a confidential and complimentary 15 minute consultation. We will assess your needs, understand your concerns, and match you with the right therapist. Call 905-231-2273 or submit the form on the right of this page.

 


 

 Counsellors In This Speciality

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