CFSSC Stories – Kristen – Anxiety Counselling

*The name of the client has been changed to protect confidentiality

Kristen is a college student who has endured a lot of loss in the past few years. Both her mom and uncle passed away after long battles with cancer, her dog needed to be put down, and her boyfriend was recently let go from his company.

Why get anxiety counselling?

The sense of loss and abandonment led to severe anxiety issues. Constant feelings of fear and panic were making it hard for Kristen to sleep and eat. She also began isolating herself from her friends and didn’t like to be out in public as she faced many factors that would trigger her anxiety.

She heard about CFSSC’s free walk-in counselling clinics and attended a session. After a promising anxiety counselling session, Kristen agreed to keep working with that clinician and attended several more individual counselling sessions. The clinician worked with her to identify what triggered her anxiety and came up with a plan to battle the anxiety to not let it take over her life.

Techniques to relieve anxiety

Kristen was introduced to “grounding” techniques. Grounding is a set of simple strategies to detach from emotional pain, including anxiety. Distraction works by focusing outward on the external world—rather than inward toward the self. She and the clinician came up with techniques such as singing her favorite song, counting to 100, and naming objects around her.

When her anxiety was triggered Kristen would do the recommended techniques and she began to notice that she started to become in control of her anxiety. She was aware of its presence, could calm her self down and cope instead of completing shutting down to the world.

Life after anxiety

After a few months of counselling Kristen is seeing results in her everyday life. She is doing better in school and living a healthier lifestyle. She understands the importance of “being in the moment” and controlling the anxiety when it starts to come on.

What a difference a couple of months can make. Thank you CFSSC for helping me come up with a plan and providing me with the mental tools to take control of my life again. I am finally winning the fight against my anxiety and know how to manage it. – Kristen, CFSSC client.

Get help today

The fear of the unknown is a common factor in the cause of anxiety. If you feel symptoms such as trouble falling/staying asleep, racing thoughts, heavy breathing, and loss of appetite, you should consider attending a free walk-in counselling session for anxiety at CFSSC. You can work with a clinician to address what is causing your anxiety and build a strategy to manage it more effectively.

CFSSC offers free walk-in counselling services in Barrie, Bracebridge, Collingwood, Midland, and Orillia.