Marci Payne, Author at Talkspace

8 Ways to Make the Most of Counseling

By Marci Payne, Talkspace Therapist
August 8, 2016September 28, 2018

You’ve taken the step to schedule your first appointment with a psychotherapist or a counselor. You are nervous, though, worried you might not know what to do when you get there.

You have all these thoughts running through your head like, “Will they judge me? Will it really help?” You consider cancelling the appointment, but you’re in a crisis or trying to prevent a crisis. In the end you decide you are going.

Once you find a counselor who is a good match, you will want to get the most out of your investment in time and money. Here are some ideas on how to make the most of the counseling experience. Continue reading 8 Ways to Make the Most of Counseling

Don’t Avoid Your Worries! Manage Them With These 5 Strategies

By Marci Payne, Talkspace Therapist
July 13, 2016

When you worry, you are believing the “what if’s” you tell yourself. Your fear response is activated as if there is real danger.

If you were in danger, the stress response would help you get out of it. But without a real threat to deal with, you are left with excess energy and nowhere to put it.

When anxiety is high, you can feel like you want to crawl out of your skin. It’s understandable that people want to avoid anxiety or situations that trigger anxiety.

Avoidance isn’t the solution, though. In the long run, avoidance actually reinforces your fear that you can’t handle the situation. The worry becomes cemented and self-confidence lowers. Continue reading Don’t Avoid Your Worries! Manage Them With These 5 Strategies