30+ Interventions For Anxiety Relief
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

30+ Interventions For Anxiety Relief

Getting an idea of how intense the anxiety is feeling will be a good indicator for which types of strategies might be most helpful for you. For instance, if anxiety feels lower and more manageable, perhaps a meditation would be beneficial. If anxiety feels more intense, movement, grounding and more body-based strategies would likely help more. Ultimately, you get to be the judge of what is most helpful for you for the various levels of anxiety you experience.

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The “Why” of A Daily Gratitude Practice
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

The “Why” of A Daily Gratitude Practice

Our brain tends to focus on what could go wrong in an attempt to protect us. One of our protective mechanisms is something called the negativity bias. This is when our brain weighs “bad things” (challenges and situations which have not gone according to plan) more heavily than it weighs “good things” (accomplishments and fun experiences). Gratitude is a gentle and intentional reminder that there is more to our life than challenges and frightening “what ifs”.

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Avoidance Coping & The Anxiety Cycle
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Avoidance Coping & The Anxiety Cycle

While avoidance coping seems like a good option for fast anxiety relief, the problem with this strategy is that the relief we experience from avoidance coping is not only short lived, but this practice is actively leading to increased anxiety in the future.

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ACT - A Gentler Approach To Anxiety
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

ACT - A Gentler Approach To Anxiety

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy offers a gentle, compassionate and mindful approach to both our internal and external experiences. It empowers us to align with our values and to cultivate self-compassion as we respond to our inner world (ie. our thoughts, emotions, memories, etc.).

As we practice Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, whether it be for anxiety, depression, stress-management, self-esteem, etc., we are choosing to turn towards our experiences with curiosity and acceptance, rather than constantly trying to change them.

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Tools For Daily Anxiety Relief
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Tools For Daily Anxiety Relief

Learn about 4 simple tools for daily anxiety relief. From regulating your breathing, to grounding tips, and beating insomnia, you'll find something to assist you on your journey to a calm mind, body and soul.

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Make The Most Of Your New Year Resolution
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Make The Most Of Your New Year Resolution

While you may have already created your own resolutions to start the new year off with a bang, do yourself a favor and review the resolutions you have set. When we create any type of goal, resolutions included, it’s important for these to be SMART goals.

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How To Deal With Anxiety In 5 Simple Steps
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

How To Deal With Anxiety In 5 Simple Steps

Anxiety is our body’s natural protective mechanism, so if your hope is to completely eliminate it from your life, you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle. With that being said though, there are quite a few helpful tricks we can use every day to give ourselves the best chance at an anxiety free existence. Or at the very least, one where we feel confident enough in ourselves to manage the discomfort of anxiety in a way that actually supports our well-being.

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3 Simple Ways to Overcome The Fear Of Change & Uncertainty
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

3 Simple Ways to Overcome The Fear Of Change & Uncertainty

In a nutshell, anxiety is the fear of uncertainty. It is simply human nature to feel anxious when we do new things. Whether this is a new relationship, a new position at work, a new skill that we are building, and even when our plans change when we didn’t expect them to. Anxiety will show up because these things matter to us and it can feel quite threatening if they don’t turn out how we hope they will. In order to overcome this fear of uncertainty, we must build resilience towards new experiences and the discomfort they bring. Here are 3 simple ways you can overcome your fear of change and uncertainty starting today.

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Coping Skills For Depression
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Coping Skills For Depression

While seasonal depression is common, I’d like to do my part in preparing you with simple and effective strategies so you don’t feel like you’re drowning throughout this challenging time of year.

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Grounding Techniques For Anxiety & Lowering Stress
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Grounding Techniques For Anxiety & Lowering Stress

Grounding techniques for anxiety are meant to bring you back to the present moment and to help you reconnect with the here and now. We can do this by refocusing attention on our breath, on our body, or on the environment we find ourselves in. When we can reconnect to the present moment, to what is actually happening right now, our brain is reminded that in this moment we are safe. Once our brain recognizes that we are, in fact, safe in this moment, our anxiety begins to decrease.

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What You Need To Know About Intrusive Thoughts
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

What You Need To Know About Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are basically unwanted thoughts, images or memories that come out of nowhere and cause us some type of distress. Sometimes they spike anxiety, sometimes they lead to feeling shame or guilt. Intrusive thoughts often lead to this distress because their nature kind goes against our core self. Meaning that they likely make us question ourselves and why we had the thought.

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How To Improve Your Sleep
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

How To Improve Your Sleep

Today we are looking at how to improve your sleep. We will be covering why sleep is so important and how you can improve your sleep starting tonight.

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Rewire Your Anxious Brain With Reality Testing
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Rewire Your Anxious Brain With Reality Testing

The technique I am hinting at is called reality testing and you can thank Mr. Sigmund Freud for this one. Now I know Freud’s work has been controversial, but this technique really can be so beneficial when we struggle with unhelpful thoughts.

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Mood Boosting Natural Remedies
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Mood Boosting Natural Remedies

Research has shown that there are a number of ways to naturally improve your mental health. This is great news for anyone who struggles with any level of anxiety or depression on a daily basis and doesn’t want to take medication to help treat it.

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Spring Cleaning For Your Mental Health
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Spring Cleaning For Your Mental Health

A chaotic environment leads to a chaotic brain. You can find relief from anxiety by tidying up and getting organized. This helps our brains to feel more in control and safe in our surroundings.

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Where Does Anxiety Come From?
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Where Does Anxiety Come From?

Understanding why we feel anxious and where our anxiety comes from can play a large role in helping us to feel more in control. This understanding can also decrease the shame we may feel from feeling anxious in the first place.

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Don’t Forget Yourself This Valentine’s Day
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

Don’t Forget Yourself This Valentine’s Day

Oftentimes it can be much easier to practice kindness towards others, rather than towards yourself. If you have been curious about practicing kindness and compassion towards yourself, enjoy this brief practice to get a taste of what a self-compassion practice can be like.

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How Core Beliefs Are Formed And What You Can Do About It
Katie McLaughlin, LPCC Katie McLaughlin, LPCC

How Core Beliefs Are Formed And What You Can Do About It

Your thoughts actually come from these things called Core Beliefs, and understanding how Core Beliefs are formed through our experiences is another key component to both knowing yourself better and to feeling more in control.

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