CultivatewithCris

I haven't reviewed a lot of the research on this yet but I think it's very interesting and with the initial reviews I've done, it seems like it could be a promising tool if we can figure out how to do it safely.

Talk about it right away with your therapist. Try to figure out what’s working and what’s not. You aren’t going to click with everyone and every therapist may not conceptualize things in a way that makes sense for you, your goals, and you life. If your sure it’s not working, Ask for a referral right away or keep looking!

Anxiety manifests in our thoughts, behavior, or in our bodies physiologically. So depending on how it’s manifesting for you, that tailors how we support you. If it’s in your thoughts, we need to learn thought stopping, challenging thoughts and reframing. If it’s in your body, I would suggest relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, and ways to relax the body a bit. If your finding yourself avoiding because of anxiety, some level of exposing yourself to the feared activity is warranted (exposure therapy). This is best done with the help of a therapist. Distraction and coping is always good to have a list of too- running, walking, stretching, painting, reading, journaling, etc. I hope this helps!

Hi and thank you for your question! So, the simple answer is yes. The research is showing the efficacy of online counseling to be the same as in person counseling. That said, online counseling won’t be as effective for everyone because it’s not warranted for everyone. Online counseling is not conducive to actively suicidal people, people thinking of harming others, people actively experiencing psychosis, people with severe substance abuse issues, and people in crisis situations that may need more immediate support. These are circumstances where treatment online wouldn’t be effective. I hope this helps. Your second question is one I ponder daily. The stigma around asking for help is so deeply ingrained in many of our cultural narratives that it would be naive of me to think I alone could fully answer this question. My simple answer in this regard is to know that treatment is confidential and private between you and the therapist. You are never required to disclose your attendance at therapy and likewise, as a therapist, I will not disclose your attendance to anyone unless it’s agreed upon prior. There are, of course, a few limits to this statement that a therapist will Go over with you so you both understand them well. Other than finding solace in this privacy piece, I encourage everyone to be brave in finding help that works for them. Maybe it’s not therapy, maybe that’s a blog, a self help book, or an online group.

Thank you for asking because I know other ppl struggle with this. Your not doing anything wrong. Therapy relationships are unlike any other we have in our life. This, in part, is what makes them so rich and meaningful, but also hella awkward in the beginning. And confusing. Think about how you get to know other ppl... you can ask them questions about themselves, they self disclose. Therapists don’t really do that. So the learning about them happens much slower. You learn about them as they respond to you and frame things over time. Of course there’s some variability in self disclosure with therapists and yours may or may not like that. Therapists are unique individuals and many of us care deeply. You are not a burden.