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Social anxiety can be an overwhelming and distressing experience, making social interactions feel like an uphill battle. However, it’s important to remember that you are not alone, and there are effective strategies to combat social anxiety and reclaim your confidence. In this blog post, we explore practical techniques and empowering mindset shifts that can help you overcome social anxiety and embrace social situations with greater ease.

Challenge Negative Thoughts

Social anxiety often stems from negative thoughts and self-doubt. Challenge these thoughts by questioning their validity and considering alternative perspectives. Replace self-critical beliefs with more realistic and compassionate ones. Remember that others are not scrutinizing you as intensely as you may perceive, and everyone experiences moments of insecurity.

Gradual Exposure

Gradual exposure to social situations can be an effective way to desensitize yourself and build confidence. Start by exposing yourself to mildly anxiety-provoking situations and gradually work your way up to more challenging ones. Celebrate each step forward and be patient with yourself throughout the process. Over time, you will develop resilience and feel more comfortable in social settings.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness, can help calm the body and mind when faced with social anxiety. Incorporate these techniques into your daily routine and utilize them in moments of heightened anxiety. Regular practice will enhance your ability to manage stress and promote a sense of inner calm.

Challenge Assumptions and Catastrophic Thinking

Social anxiety often involves catastrophizing and assuming the worst-case scenario. Challenge these assumptions by asking yourself for evidence to support them. Remind yourself that your predictions may not be accurate and that the outcome is often less severe than feared. Focus on realistic expectations rather than getting caught up in hypothetical negative outcomes.

Seek Support

Don’t hesitate to reach out for support. Consider talking to a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders. They can provide guidance, teach you coping strategies, and help you explore the underlying causes of your social anxiety. Joining support groups or engaging in social activities with understanding friends can also provide a sense of community and encouragement.

Embrace Self-Care

Taking care of your overall well-being is crucial in managing social anxiety. Prioritize self-care activities that promote relaxation, reduce stress, and boost self-confidence. This may include engaging in regular exercise, getting enough sleep, practicing mindfulness, nurturing hobbies, and maintaining a balanced diet. When you prioritize your well-being, you lay the foundation for managing social anxiety more effectively.

Practice Social Skills

Improving social skills can significantly impact how you navigate social interactions. Role-play or practice conversations with a trusted friend or family member to build confidence and refine your communication abilities. Seek out social opportunities, such as joining clubs or attending events where you can practice your social skills in a supportive environment.

Overcoming

Overcoming social anxiety is a journey that requires patience, self-compassion, and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. By challenging negative thoughts, gradually exposing yourself to social situations, practicing relaxation techniques, challenging assumptions, seeking support, embracing self-care, and refining social skills, you can combat social anxiety and thrive in social settings. Remember, progress may be gradual, but every small step forward is a victory. With perseverance and a commitment to personal growth, you can reclaim your confidence, connect with others, and live a fulfilling life free from the constraints of social anxiety.

How can one “be happy”? Happiness is a universal pursuit that transcends cultures, ages, and backgrounds. While it may seem elusive at times, there are therapeutic and psychological insights that can guide us towards a more fulfilling and joyful life. In this blog post, we delve into the essence of happiness from a therapeutic perspective, exploring practical strategies rooted in psychology to help you cultivate inner joy and embrace a more vibrant existence.

Practice Self-Compassion

A crucial step towards experiencing happiness is to cultivate self-compassion. Self-compassion involves treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance, especially during challenging times. Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your imperfections, embracing self-care, and engaging in positive self-talk. By cultivating self-compassion, you create a nurturing foundation that supports your overall well-being and contributes to long-lasting happiness.

Focus on Gratitude

Gratitude is a potent tool for enhancing happiness. Take time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for, whether big or small. Maintain a gratitude journal to record moments of joy, acts of kindness, or positive experiences. By shifting your focus to the positive aspects of your life, you train your mind to notice and appreciate the blessings that surround you, fostering a deeper sense of happiness and contentment.

Nurture Meaningful Relationships

Human connection is fundamental to our well-being and plays a vital role in our happiness. Cultivate and nurture meaningful relationships with family, friends, and loved ones. Engage in open and authentic communication, actively listen, and express your emotions. Surrounding yourself with supportive and uplifting individuals creates a sense of belonging, acceptance, and joy, enriching your overall happiness.

Engage in Positive Activities

Engaging in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment is a powerful way to boost your happiness. Identify your passions, hobbies, and interests, and make time for them regularly. Whether it’s pursuing a creative outlet, participating in sports, or engaging in mindfulness practices, these positive activities provide a sense of purpose, flow, and happiness. Explore new experiences and embrace the opportunity for personal growth and self-expression.

Practice Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

Mindfulness and self-awareness are essential elements of happiness. By cultivating present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations, you can experience a deeper sense of inner peace and contentment. Incorporate mindfulness practices into your daily routine, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindful walks in nature. This intentional focus on the present moment helps you develop a greater sense of self-awareness and appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.

Set Realistic Goals and Celebrate Progress

Setting realistic goals and celebrating your progress along the way is crucial for fostering happiness. Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps, allowing yourself to experience a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction as you make progress. Recognize and celebrate even the smallest victories, as they contribute to your overall sense of well-being and motivation. By embracing a growth mindset and acknowledging your efforts, you cultivate a positive outlook and enhance your happiness.

In the End

Cultivating happiness is a journey that requires self-reflection, intentional practices, and a commitment to personal growth. From nurturing self-compassion and gratitude to fostering meaningful connections and engaging in positive activities, these therapeutic insights offer a roadmap to inner joy. Embrace the power within you to cultivate happiness, and remember that it is an ongoing process that requires patience, self-love, and a willingness to embrace life’s beauty. By integrating these psychological strategies into your daily life, you pave the way for a more fulfilling and joyous existence.

When a person enters into a hopeless state where they feel there is no way out, suicide can enter their mind as a desperate resort. Suicidal ideation is different from suicidal intention**. Ideation refers to thinking about suicide and contemplating it without having a plan to actually act it out. Suicidal intention refers to a person who has a plan and the means to carry out that plan.

Sometimes, a person may experience an extremely embarrassing moment, and the thought, “I wish I was dead” may run through their mind. This is not suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation usually occurs alongside moments of severe depression or self-harm when in a state of extreme emotional distress.

Suicidal ideation is typically an indicator of significant underlying issues that should be addressed as soon as possible. These issues may include environmental, behavioral, and even chemical components that need treatment to prevent the person from moving toward planning to act out a suicide.

Every person is worthy of life. The dark spaces that come alongside suicidal ideation can be treated. Behavioral interventions and medication are both methods used to successfully treat the issues that cause suicidal ideation and help people move toward healthy, fulfilling lives.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you are experiencing suicidal ideation and this is not an immediate emergency, give me a call or set up a free 15-minute consultation through our online portal.

**If this is an emergency, you are actively suicidal, or you are experiencing extreme emotional distress, please call 9-1-1 or the suicide hotline at 800-273-8255 for immediate, 24-hour assistance**

Self-harm refers to purposefully harming oneself in a physical way. Believe it or not, this coping mechanism occurs as a form of relief. People engage in self-harm to escape extreme states of emotional distress.

When a person is physically injured, their brain releases endorphins and adrenaline to help. These chemicals help us feel good to combat the pain. When a person engages in self-harm, they are utilizing these natural body responses to help them escape emotional pain. Sometimes, on some level, they may even be attempting to turn emotional pain into physical pain.

Although it may help to some degree in the moment, self-harming becomes a vicious cycle that harms in more ways than just physical. Self-harm most often occurs as cutting, burning, or hitting oneself. These behaviors obviously cause physical damage, and in extreme cases, major injury and even death can occur.

Self-harming is not a mental disorder in and of itself, but often occurs alongside other mental disorders such as depression. Treating the underlying mental issues alongside the self-harming behaviors is crucial. Exploring the underlying emotional distress and pattern of self-harming can help identify better coping mechanisms. Cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness exercises can help rewire brain pathways to help modify the self-harming behaviors into something more positive.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you are struggling with self-harm and need help, please call or book a free 15-minute consultation today.

Regardless of what substance a person uses, the use of substances as a means for altering a person’s mind or physiology can quickly lead to problems. While not all substance use is considered a problem, it can be difficult to come back from the problem once it begins. The essential difference between non-problematic substance use and substance abuse (or a substance use disorder) is the social, behavioral, and environmental problems caused from abuse.

Brain Chemistry

Substances include drugs and alcohol, both of which alter brain chemistry. This makes the problem much more difficult to combat, as substances mess with how we feel on a chemical and biological level. The more a person uses substances, the more their brain chemistry is influenced. The more brain chemistry is influenced, the harder it is to rewire that chemistry without the use of a substance.

This is how addictions are formed and maintained despite the negative effects of addictive behavior. Long-term treatment is often necessary for long term users, because it takes time to rewire the brain’s circuits. Some substances require alternative medications to help the user due to damage in the brain’s wiring that cannot be undone via environmental or will-powered changes.

Other Effects of Substance Use

More often than not, substance use will also come along with other mental health issues. This is called a “dual diagnosis”. Many people using substances in unhealthy ways also suffer from anxiety, depression, mood disorders, suicidal ideation, schizo-typal disorders, and more.

Substance use can range from mild to severely debilitating, which is why there is no set treatment option to combat this type of disorder. Every case will require a full understanding of the user’s history, including an in-depth exploration of how and why the substance helps the person cope. The most severe cases often require inpatient treatment so the person can detox in a safe, monitored environment. Lakeside Counseling does not provide inpatient treatment and will refer severe cases to local facilities.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you are struggling with substance use, give me a call to discuss your options or schedule a free 15-minute consultation via our online portal today.

Throughout the day, our mind is flooded with countless thoughts and images as we engage in activities and interact with others. Although normal, this constant inner activity can cause excess stress over time if we are not able stop. The act of being mindful refers to paying attention to the present moment without judgement or attachment.

The practice of mindfulness dates back thousands of years, yet it remains popular today. Over the last few decades, mindfulness practice has surged in response to the ever-growing pace of our society. Now more than ever, it is important to understand, learn, and practice mindfulness as a means of combatting the constant, busy movement we encounter on a day-to-day basis.

Being mindful can occur in a variety of ways. Some use meditation to achieve mindfulness, while others achieve that ‘in the zone’ feeling while running or writing. How you accomplish a state of mindfulness is less important than how often you practice it.

In therapy, mindfulness has countless benefits including self-control, objectivity, emotional regulation, improved mental functioning, and increased abilities for relating with others. Mindfulness can help with the emotional states of depression and anxiety and is often used alongside other therapeutic models (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). Mindfulness-based techniques are also quick and easy to use at any moment during your day.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you or someone you know wants more information about being mindful, schedule an appointment or set up a free 15-minute consultation today.

For further reading, you can visit this American Psychological Association article.

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a psychotherapy that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. Francine Shapiro, the founder of EMDR, developed the therapy in the late 1980s after she noticed that her clients were reporting that their traumatic memories were becoming less disturbing after they had been exposed to rapid eye movements.

EMDR therapy is a structured approach that involves eight phases:

1. Assessment: The therapist assesses the client’s history, current symptoms, and goals for treatment.
2. History Taking: The therapist takes a detailed history of the client’s trauma experiences.
3. Preparation: The therapist helps the client prepare for the EMDR process by teaching them about the therapy and how it works.
4. Desensitization: The therapist helps the client to focus on a specific traumatic memory while they engage in bilateral stimulation. Bilateral stimulation can take many forms, such as eye movements, tapping, or listening to a metronome.
5. Reprocessing: The therapist helps the client to process their traumatic memory by identifying and challenging any negative beliefs or emotions associated with the memory.
6. Installation: The therapist helps the client to install positive beliefs about themselves and their ability to cope with the trauma.
7. Closure: The therapist helps the client to close the EMDR session by reviewing what they have learned and how they feel.
8. Reassessment: The therapist reassesses the client’s symptoms and goals to see how EMDR has helped.

EMDR therapy has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of trauma-related conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and trauma-related anxiety and depression. EMDR therapy has also been shown to be effective in treating other conditions, such as eating disorders, substance abuse, and chronic pain.

How does EMDR work?

The exact mechanism of how EMDR works is not fully understood, but it is thought to involve a combination of several factors, including:

• Bilateral stimulation: Bilateral stimulation is believed to help the brain to process traumatic memories in a more adaptive way.
• Exposure: Exposure to the traumatic memory is believed to help the client to habituate to the memory and to reduce its emotional intensity.
• Processing: EMDR therapy helps the client to process the traumatic memory by identifying and challenging any negative beliefs or emotions associated with the memory.
• Installation: EMDR therapy helps the client to install positive beliefs about themselves and their ability to cope with the trauma.

What are the benefits of EMDR?

EMDR therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of trauma-related conditions. EMDR therapy can help to reduce the symptoms of PTSD, such as flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts. EMDR therapy can also help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In addition, EMDR therapy can help to improve coping skills, self-esteem, and overall quality of life.

What are the risks of EMDR?

EMDR therapy can be emotionally challenging, and it is important to work with a therapist who is experienced in using EMDR therapy. Some risks associated with EMDR therapy include:

• Flashbacks: EMDR therapy can sometimes trigger flashbacks, which can be emotionally upsetting.
• Nightmares: EMDR therapy can sometimes trigger nightmares.
• Intrusive thoughts: EMDR therapy can sometimes trigger intrusive thoughts.
• Anxiety: EMDR therapy can sometimes increase anxiety.
• Depression: EMDR therapy can sometimes increase depression.

It is important to talk to your therapist about any concerns you have about EMDR therapy.

Who is EMDR therapy right for?

EMDR therapy is right for anyone who is struggling with the effects of trauma, and trauma covers a broad spectrum of issues. EMDR therapy can be helpful for people who have experienced a single traumatic event, such as a car accident, sexual assault, loss of a job, or a bad breakup or for people who have experienced multiple traumatic events, such as child abuse or domestic violence.

EMDR therapy can also be helpful for people who are struggling with the effects of PTSD, complex PTSD, or trauma-related anxiety and depression.

How do I get started with EMDR therapy?

The first step to getting started with EMDR therapy is to find a therapist who is trained in EMDR therapy. You can find a therapist who is trained in EMDR therapy by searching online or by asking your doctor or mental health professional for a referral.

Once you have found a therapist who is trained in EMDR therapy, you will need to schedule an appointment for an assessment. During the assessment, the therapist will ask you about your history, current symptoms, and goals for treatment.

After the assessment, the therapist will discuss the EMDR therapy process with you and will answer any questions you have. Our clinician, Emily Paultz, is EMDR trained and happy to assist you on this part of your journey!

If you are ready to schedule an appointment, visit the online portal today.

Mood disorders refer to mental health problems having to do with emotional states. Forms of depression and Bipolar Disorder both fall into this category due to the highs and lows associated with them.

Most people experience a bad or sad mood in their life, and some people may have moments where they feel extremely happy. These are normal responses to life events. However, these moments of sadness or elation can become disordered when they start taking over your life.

Some people experience long-term sadness, also called depression, that inhibits their ability to function. Some people have issues maintaining a stable job or relationship because they go back and forth between depression and feeling super energized and excited without any obvious external cause. When these moods prevent a person from living a healthy, normal life, therapists typically classify them as a mood disorder.

There are treatment options for mood disorders. Behavior changing interventions are often used to help a person understand their patterns and build healthier coping strategies. Sometimes medication alongside behavioral treatments can help even more to combat unstable brain chemistry.

Ultimately, there is hope and solutions for working with difficult emotional states. I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you are ready to get help with a mood disorder, call or book an appointment today.

Self-esteem refers to how we value ourselves. Do you think you are worthy of happiness? Worthy of love? Do you understand you are fundamentally good, even though you may have made some mistakes or bad choices?

While it’s normal to feel some guilt and maybe even self-doubt when we make bad choices, questioning our worth too much can lead to more severe issues. Self-esteem issues become a problem when we start doubting our ability to live a normal, healthy life or doubting our worth as a human being.

Every person is worthy of a fulfilling life and loving themselves. When we’re bullied (by our internal voices or other people), working through challenges, or even working through a traumatic experience, our self-esteem can take a hit. We may doubt our abilities or our worth in a way that makes it difficult to accomplish basic tasks and take care of ourselves.

Self-esteem issues are common and most people struggle with them at some point in their life. Fortunately, the tactics to combat low self-esteem are just as common and easy to incorporate into our daily routine. Talking about our self-doubts with a trusted confidant can help us better understand where they stem from. Changing our thought patterns with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is also a proven treatment option.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. Give me a call or book an appointment today if your self-esteem issues are holding you back from living your best self.  

Eating disorder statistics claim between 8 and 30 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life (ANAD, 2021; DMH, 2006). This means chances are you will either have an eating disorder yourself or know someone with one. Even if a person does not meet the official qualifications for an eating disorder, the diet mentality and idealized media in our culture supports a lot of unhealthy mindsets toward food and body weight.

It is common to hear the phrases “bad for you” or “good for you” in reference to food. These statements inherently create a label in our minds that classify food products in a manner that does not promote healthy habits. If I label ice cream as “bad for me”, anytime I eat ice cream I may experience guilt or shame. These seemingly small behaviors can lead to larger issues over time.

While eating disorders do revolve around food and weight, this type of mental dysfunction is complex. Eating disorders also entail aspects of control, perfectionism, self-esteem, anxiety, and many more mental issues that play into the behaviors involved. Eating disorders contain underlying emotional issues that require in-depth treatment to flesh out.

When an eating disorder threatens a person’s physical health on an extreme level, inpatient treatment may be required to save a person’s life. Lakeside Counseling does not offer inpatient treatment options and will refer severe cases to local centers specialized in working with inpatient clients.

I offer in-person therapy and counseling in Seabrook, TX and virtual telehealth therapy for Texas residents. If you have questions about whether or not Lakeside Counseling may be a good fit to help you or someone you know with an eating disorder, please reach out via phone call or schedule a free 15-minute consultation online.