How Therapy for Stress Can Help You Find Relief
In a rapidly changing world that may be seeing some unprecedented shifts, peace and peace of mind can be difficult to find. Stress is everywhere: economic instability, fluctuating markets, travel anxiety, and political uncertainty all add steam to this pressure cooker. These external factors can leave us feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Therapy for stress offers proven strategies to help you cope with today’s overwhelming pressures.
Therapy offers a space to process these stressors, build resilience, and regain a sense of agency. In this blog, you will learn about how therapy can be an incredibly helpful tool in handling feelings of stress.
The Impact of Economic Stress on Mental Health
Hannah Schaeffer, psychotherapist for Prasad Counseling and Training explains, “Economic stress, whether from job instability or market volatility, increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.” The uncertainty of these factors can create feelings of helplessness, frustration, and fear. When changes feel beyond our control, it’s easy to shut down emotionally.
However, individual or group therapy provides a way to engage with these overwhelming feelings. By processing emotions in a safe space, individuals can regain emotional regulation, which helps them navigate life’s challenges. Hannah adds, “Learning to regulate emotions allows us to not just feel better but also function better.”
Hope-Based Therapy: Building Resilience Amid Adversity
Hope-based therapy is a powerful tool in uncertain times. Hannah highlights, “Hope therapy focuses on how we can increase our capacity to hope, even during adversity.”
Research shows that fostering hope can improve mental and physical well-being, promote goal setting, and enhance problem-solving skills. By using hope as a framework, therapy helps clients move forward despite stress.
Other ways to battle stress:
- Get involved in a political or social justice group. Don’t stand on the sidelines, stand up and be heard
- Stop doom scrolling. Thumbs down on the thumb that scrolls too much. Endless reels of desperation can cause increases in anxiety and in feelings of hopelessness
- Get prospective by reading, attending lectures and workshops
- Avoid getting stuck on what you can’t control. Focus on what or who you can influence
- Find purpose in life and grow that purpose at home
Managing Travel and Flight Anxiety
Travel-related stress, particularly flight anxiety, has become increasingly common due to a spate of airplane mishaps.
Thomas Fryar, psychotherapist for Prasad Counseling and Training, suggests, “Instead of flying, consider a road trip to a nearby state. The journey itself can become part of the vacation, creating fond memories without the stress of airports.”
Focusing on what you can control, like planning a road trip instead of flying—can reduce anxiety and still provide a fulfilling experience.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: The Need for Security
Economic and travel stressors can interfere with basic needs like safety and emotional security, leading to anxiety.
When these needs are compromised, it’s difficult to maintain stability. Therapy can help clients regain a sense of control over their emotional and physical well-being.
How Therapy Helps
Therapy offers tools to process emotions, regulate stress, and find solutions.
Hannah concludes, “Therapy helps you not eliminate stress but manage it better, so you can function and stay resilient in tough times. Seeking therapy is not a sign of failure but a courageous step toward healing and emotional well-being.”
Therapy for Stress: Professional Options in Houston, TX
If stress is taking a toll on your daily life, know that you don’t have to face it alone. At Prasad Counseling & Training, we offer compassionate, professional support for individuals of all ages.
Whether you’re navigating life changes, managing anxiety, or simply looking for a place to feel heard and understood, our team of licensed clinicians is here to help you build resilience and restore your peace of mind.
Whether you’re seeking therapy for stress, anxiety, or major life changes, our clinicians are here to support you. Reach out today to learn more about our counseling services and discover how we can support you on your path to greater well-being.
