Anxiety – you can’t live with it, you can’t live without it (lol but….really). Anxiety is our body’s alarm system. It warns us when danger is present, and prepares us to take action to keep ourselves safe. It has been around for so long that it is often an automatic response. This works well if you’re being chased by a tiger, but not so well when our brain’s predict threats that cause psychological distress.

While I’ve always been a big feeler, I haven’t always known how to skillfully experience my emotions. At their core, emotions are messengers that drive action. They let us know what is important to us. However, the message can become muddled if we don’t take the time to validate the emotion by naming it. By naming our emotions, we are able to separate from them in order to make choices that are reflective of our values instead of emotions making the choices for us. 

Purpose. Identity. Calling.

What comes up for you when you read those three words?

As a true Enneagram 4 (s/o to my fellow Individualists) and textbook overthinker, I’ve spent a lot of time searching for meaning, feeling anxious about my purpose, and longing for something more.

The more time I spent on social media, the more this anxiety increased. It appeared that everyone else in the world had somehow found their “why” and that something was wrong with me because I hadn’t. I wondered, if everyone else seems to have their life together, why don’t I? Why do I feel so stuck?

Sound familiar? You are not alone.

Making the decision to begin therapy can bring up a lot of fears. I know this because I have felt anxious every single time I have entered my own personal therapy (and I’m a therapist!)

Trusting someone to enter into your inner world, and hold space for your heavy emotions and insecurities is a big deal. So it’s totally normal to feel apprehensive about it. Below are some common “what ifs” that come up when people are on the fence about beginning therapy.

Anxiety has been a mental health “buzzword” for a few years now, and with good reason. With the amount of uncertainty and change in the world today (hello global pandemic - I’m talking to you), it’s only natural that we’ve seen an increase in anxious feelings.