Tips to Help Calm and Manage Anxiety

Many of us experience anxiety on a regular basis. Anxiety can show up in various ways and times and sometimes at really inconvenient moments! Most individuals can identify with the physical and emotional symptoms that can be associated with anxiety, such as feeling overwhelmed, unable to think clearly, feeling panicky, shortness of breath, racing heart, difficulty sleeping, restlessness, shifts in mood, eating more or less than usual, irritability, to name just a few of the ways anxiety can manifest.

While learning to understand your anxiety with the help of a professional (where the anxiety may stem from and what it means), there are ways to help limit anxious feelings or symptoms when they arise. Acknowledging the presence of anxiety is an important place to start. Be mindful that you are feeling anxious and that the anxiety does not have to define you in the moment. While it may feel overwhelming, there are several tips to help you manage and take more control over anxiety producing situations. 

Tips to help manage anxiety in the moment:

-Deep breathing techniques--can be done in any place at most any time (take a deep breath in through your nose or mouth for as long as you are able and then push that breath out until you feel the need to breath in again; repeat for 10 long breaths in and out, counting each inhale and exhale as a completed deep breath. Continue as long as necessary until feeling more calm.

-Talk to someone-it can be helpful to talk about how your anxiety makes you feel and help you to feel not so alone in it.

-Distractions- turning your attention to something else is helpful to take you away from the anxiety; such as playing video games, Sudoku, word-finds, coloring books, listening and singing along to music, taking a walk outside.

While anxiety can be uncomfortable it does not have to stop you from enjoying your life to its fullest. If you find yourself struggling with anxiety and would like to see if meeting with a professional counselor could be helpful for you reach out to us at Gaithersburg Counseling Center 240-274-5680, admin@healingllc.com or www.healingllc.com.

How to Reduce Overeating and Start Loving Yourself!

A wonderful article from our friends - Judith Matz, LCSW & Ellen Frankel, LCSW, who emphasis acceptance and compassion around eating and body image:

What if there was a simple practice to help you build your positive experiences with attuned eating? We've been so impressed with the work of Rick Hanson, and we've applied his strategy of "Taking In The Good" at our workshops. Take 30 seconds to give this a try the next time you have an attuned eating experience!

Frequently, people who struggle with issues of overeating use all or nothing thinking, so that a "bad" experience may lead to a belief that nothing is going well in your relationship with food. As with other aspects of life, it's important to deepen and embody your positive experiences as they occur. In our updated edition of Beyond a Shadow of a Diet, we adapt them as follows:

1. With your eyes closed, think about a time you were hungry, ate exactly what you were hungry for and stopped when you were full.
   
2. Now, savor the experience as you hold it in your attention for the next 10, 20, or 30 seconds rather than getting distracted by something else. Soften and open to the experience; let it fill your mind; give over to it in your body. The longer something is held in awareness and the more emotionally stimulating it is, the more neurons that fire and thus wire together, and the stronger the trace in implicit memory.
   
3. Intend and sense the experience seeping into you, perhaps as a warm glow spreading through your chest.

As Rick so eloquently explains, "any single time of taking in the good will usually make just a little difference. But over time those little differences will add up, gradually weaving positive experiences into the fabric of your brain and your whole being." This is a wonderful technique to use on your journey to become an attuned eater.

Wishing you a light and breezy season,

All the best,
Judith and Ellen

Judith Matz, LCSW judithmatz@dietsurvivors.com www.judithmatz.com

Ellen Frankel, LCSW ellenfrankel@dietsurvivors.com www.authorellenfrankel.com

www.dietsurvivors.com

For more help with loving your body, decreasing your critical inner self, and increasing positive eating and body image experiences, talking to a counselor today can help! We have wonderful psychotherpists at our counseling and wellness center, Another Look at Healing, LLC. For more information, contact us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com, or 240-274-5680 or visit our website at www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director & Psychotherapist

Another Look at Healing, LLC

The Keys to Happiness - Learning to feel good about you!

Last month we looked at  some suggestions on how to identify your strengths and how that can lead to more happiness and fulfillment in your life!

A few suggestions on how to identify strengths:

1. There are a number of free inventories on line that can be a great starting point (VIA, etc: https://www.viame.org/survey/Account/Register)

2. Call a close friend or invite your spouse and set a coffee date. Try this little exercise: Take 10 minutes and write down 3 situations in your life that you worked on or helped with and of which you are proud. Then, take 10 more minutes and tell those stories to your friend. Think about: What was it like to tell those stories?  How did it feel?

2b. To take it one step further, you can ask your partner or friend help you out. Ask your partner listen for different strengths that emerge through your stories and ask them to share with you about your areas of strength? You can also offer to do this exercise for them if they want to share stories of their proud moments.

3. Think about the last few weeks, and try to remember when you were feeling the most happy and fulfilled. What were you doing during that time? Who were you with? What did that activity (or inactivity) come to be happening? Then consider adding more of this particular activity into your regular routine.

Maybe these couple of exercises helps you feel more positive, grounded and balanced. Or maybe they leave you feeling stuck. Have you considered talking to a therapist or counselor about these issues?  At Another Look at Healing, Counseling Center for women, we can help with this search for greater self-awareness and finding those strengths to help you feel happier and more fulfilled. For more information, you can email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or call us at 240-274-5680. Or for more information, visit www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC

www.HealingLLC.com

AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com

240-274-5680

What are you good at and does it make you happy? Identifying Strengths

Work, caring for small children, spouse or dating partner, “me time”, in-laws and other family members and the typical routines of life can feel exhausting at times. It can be so overwhelming that we just go through the motions, day after day without direction. It can be helpful to take some time to stop, evaluate and regroup to be sure you’re living the life you want! It can help to sort out the answers to some questions like…

What are my strengths?  

What am I good at?

What brings me satisfaction?

Of what am I proud?  

Taking time to identify some strengths and areas that bring you energy can be a rewarding exercise to pull through a slump or difficult time and get back on track to feeling happier and more fulfilled in your every day life. So, take a minute to answer these questions and spend some time feeling good about you!

Stay tuned next month for some suggestions on how to identify your strengths and how that can lead to more happiness and fulfillment in your life!

Take Good Care,

Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC

www.HealingLLC.com

AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com

240-274-5680

Why Is Going to Therapy So Difficult?

Ever feel like therapy is too hard or wished it didn't have to be so hard? Most people have that feeling at one time or another during a course of treatment and it may help to have a bit of understanding of why it is such a challenge and what is going on inside of you. So, first, applause to you for taking a step in a direction of helping yourself!  Regardless of what you might feel you need help with, actually looking at what is getting in your way of change can begin the changing process! As you already may have realized, change itself is difficult. Look how long you have been going along in your life, feeling, acting, behaving, being this certain way. Even when you have the best of intentions of changing; said change is often still quite challenging. 
We as humans are hard wired to build up defenses (essentially ways of protecting ourselves from "potential" harms way). When you come to therapy often times those defenses are no longer working effectively for you. It is likely because the defenses have become more of a barrier to those around you and yourself from feeling whatever it is that you may feel. A well trained therapist will help you to become aware of these defenses and feelings that arise during your sessions and explore what might be occurring. Your therapist wants to help you reach your goals; with time, patience, and a good fit you may just see and feel some of the change you are hoping for and working towards.Try and be kind to yourself during this process; its tough, though you are worth it.


For more assistance finding a therapist who is a good fit for you, feel free to call our office at 240-274-5680 or for more information about our therapists, visit www.HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP

When life hands you lemons…

You don’t have to make lemonade. You can make lemon bars, lemon cookies, or you don’t have to make anything at all! You can hold them, look at them, throw them, squeeze them, juggle them, give them away, peel them, or anything else you might imagine! In this day and age opportunities may seem endless, and while that might sound wonderful to some, the abundance of choices may lead others to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. So if lemonade sounds good to you, then start squeezing! Others may want to weigh out other options before deciding what to do with their lemons.

The great thing about life and choices is just that: you have the choice! YOU get to choose! So if that choice feels more like a trap ask yourself what are the possible best and worst anticipated outcomes? Usually, life falls somewhere in the middle.

If the choices feel too overwhelming or you want support dealing with stressful times, counseling can help. Email us today for more information at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.

Take Good Care,
Amy Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC Counseling and Wellness Center for Women and Families

Are you a Mind Reader? Do you wish people knew what you wanted?

The mind-reading fantasy

“He should just know how it makes me feel when he does that!”

“She should know what that look on my face means by now.”

The fantasy of mind-reading in our relationships is a real wish for many people. What is it? You know when you expect your partner, parent, or friend just knew what to do or say? Or wish she knew just what you wanted for your birthday without having to spell it out? Mind-reading is the idea that your significant other always knows just what you think/feel/want/need and how to respond accordingly. The reality is, without asking, you may not know what she wants, and without her telling you, you really may not know. What you think, and what actually is happening in an others thoughts just might be two different realities.

What this comes down to is the desire one has for another to anticipate and meet his/her own needs. Sounds pretty basic, right? Well it can be.  Mature, healthy adults are responsible for having our own needs met; oftentimes in the communication to and with our partner.

What can you do? Start by being more aware of this kind of thought process of mind reading.  Take a moment and try and take a more global picture of the situation and see if you could be jumping to conclusions based on a possible false belief. Instead of assuming you think you know, ask. Ask for clarification. Take the opportunity to learn what your loved one wants and needs from you.

Save the mind reading for the fortune tellers…

*Free Depression/Anxiety Screenings in October*

I wanted to take a minute to let you know about a couple of our exciting Fall events. This includes a free anxiety and depression screening and low-cost therapy group that I thought might be of interest to you. Please feel free to pass the information along to anyone who might be interested.

As you may know, depression and anxiety affects many people and often goes untreated. Each year, depressive disorders affect around 18.8 million American adults, that’s 9.5% of the US population over 18. However, due to stigma and other factors, less than 1/2 of those suffering actually seek treatment.

To help fight the stigma around depression and help identify the problem, Another Look at Healing, LLC is conducting free National Depression Screening Days in October. As part of the program, participants will have the opportunity to complete brief, anonymous screenings for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Participants will be able to learn about the symptoms of depression, and how to help a friend or family member who may be at risk. Participants will also have the option of talking to a health care professional about any concerns they may have and they will receive multiple referrals to local treatment services.

Screenings will be offered from 9am to 9pm, Monday through Saturday, by appointment during the month of October. For more information about the screenings or to set up an appointment, contact Amy Hooper at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com or call the main office at 240-274-5680.

In addition to the free screenings, we also offer individual, couples and family therapy. We have added on lost-cost therapy group for individuals who want support working through their interpersonal difficulties, including, but not limited to, depression and anxiety. I have included a flyer for our upcoming Personal Growth Therapy Group, as well as details about our practice for your review.
I look forward to collaborating with you in the future!

Take Good Care,

Amy L. Hooper, LCSW-C, CEAP
Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC
www.HealingLLC.com
AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com
240-274-5680

How does Exercise Help your Mood?


Did You Know that since the early 1900's there have been over 100 studies done on the relationship between exercise and decreased depression?

Exercising releases those “feel good” brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters and endorphins. Neurotransmitters are particularly interesting because they are the chemicals in which anti-depressants are said to boost. Exercise has also shown to reduce immune system chemicals that often worsen depression.

Although the effects of exercising on mental health are not completely clear, it is definite that there is a positive effect on a person’s psychological and emotional health when they exercise. One study in particular used three groups of people. One group exercised, one group took Zoloft, and one group did both. Incredibly, the group that solely exercised did better than both of the other two groups. Read more on this study at http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/mindandbody/a/exercisedep.htm.

Stress Reduction Techniques for Everyday Practical People - One for each day this week!

Are you feeling stressed? Are you constantly worrying? Are you exhausted and just want to relax? There is a way to break this cycle and start feeling better now! Following are seven good ways to REDUCE YOUR STRESS. Try using one of these techniques for each day this week.

1. Breath. We rush around in our daily lives, between getting the kids off to school, traffic, meetings etc., we rarely “stop to smell the roses”. Perhaps this phrase is more than just to remind you to appreciate the beauty around you, but to also remember to breath! Practice deep breathing... in through your nose, and out though your mouth...
2. Practice saying “no”. Save your precious time and energy for the things you really want to do.
3. Turn off your cell phone/email/blackberry/computer/pager for some period of time each day and enjoy the quiet.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need, you might get what you want!
5. Stop trying to change that which you do not control.
6. Exercise for at least 10 minutes a day. Go for a walk with your spouse, a friend, kids or pets. Park at the far side of the parking lot and walk to the building. While watching TV, get up and do a few jumping jacks or stretches, or get up and dance during the commercial breaks etc.
7. Write in a journal. Sometimes it helps just to get the feelings out of your head so you can move on. Ask yourself, “How am I feeling” and “What am I thinking”.
   

Practice these seven techniques for one week and email me to let me know if you notice a difference! You can email Amy Hooper at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.

Or, for more helpful information, contact Another Look at Healing, LLC – A Counseling and Wellness Center today. Call our office at 240-274-5680 or email us at AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com.

Women's Wellness Workshop

Are you overworked, under appreciated, exhausted and ready for a change?
Are you a woman who puts the needs and wants of others before your own?
As a woman, do you know what your needs are and how to get them met?
Do you know how to feel good about yourself, your body and your life?

Women’s Wellness Workshop:
Strong Bodies, Strong Minds
Where are you on your to do list?

The focus of this workshop is on identifying women’s needs and meeting those needs using your inner strengths.

Topics to be Discussed:

Relaxation & Self Care
Priorities and Life Balance
Knowing Your Inner Strengths

June 20th, 2009 at 2:00pm in Bethesda, MD

Please pass the information along to any other ladies who you think might enjoy this type of workshop. And you can bring a friend or coworker for a discount!

Please register early to reserve your spot by calling or emailing:

Call: 240-274-5680
E-mail: AnotherLook@HealingLLC.com
Or For More Information On-line: www.HealingLLC.com

Sponsored by: Amy L. Hooper, Director, Another Look at Healing, LLC