• Vaughan Relationship Centre: Counselling to Empower.

Toronto Anxiety Counselling

Discover how to harness your maximum potential.

We’ll find a way to help you.

Regain emotional control for a more wholesome life

It can be difficult for someone to come forward and seek therapy for anxiety, which encompasses different emotions and triggers, many of which are rooted in past experiences or concerns over what lies ahead. Our anxiety counselling services are attentive and focused on the development of a new, positive perspective.

Understanding the Causes of Anxiety

Anxiety can be present due to multiple factors, not least of which include PTSD, long-term suffering from abuse as a youth, pre-existing mental health issues that encourage it, life transitions, hormonal changes, and more. There may be shame or guilt holding an individual back from reaching out to someone willing to listen, which only leaves room for the feeling to fester and worsen.

Why Your Relationships Always Deserve Your Prime Attention

Emotional Stability and Control

Fear is the primary driver of anxiety. This can be a complicated emotion with many triggers, but they may include fear of the unknown, the future, of repeating a traumatic event, losing someone, or even change itself. Anger can come into play as well, in the form of an individual becoming frustrated with themselves that they missed out on something due to “letting” their anxiety hold them back. Or, perhaps their anxiety is the cause of someone lashing out, which can then evoke regret that they lack emotional control. Regardless, achieving stability and maintaining that control is what will help you reach new heights in life and live a more stress-free existence.

Life Events and Coping

Life Events and Coping

There are times in our lives when we are faced with tragic or unwanted circumstances. This can include moments we would rather not experience such as car accidents, illnesses, unfaithful spouses, and divorce, just to name a few. Such transitions in life can detract from our self-esteem, happiness at home or work, ability to focus, and more. The feeling can be crippling and more difficult to conquer in such instances when we are at our most vulnerable, and coping can be all the more difficult when facing it alone.

Making the Most of Your Life with Our Help

Anxiety can be influenced by social isolation or a sensation that one doesn’t belong. On the contrary, we all belong in modern society, and we all have a place where we can fit in. The trouble is, the journey of many in finding it can be met with distractions such as peer pressure, which pull us away from focusing on our own selves.

For instance, have you ever heard of FOMO? Otherwise known as the Fear of Missing Out, it represents a mindset and way of life that is shaped by someone’s anxiety in addition to outside pressure, such as from peers and relatives. We can develop a genuine fear of missing out on experiences, interactions, events and otherwise. This is why we see many individuals suffering from anxiety trying to appeal to others, feed off others’ attention, and use it to sustain themselves.

Fortunately, we’re masters at teaching the Joy of Missing Out, also known as JOMO. We believe the key to overcoming social isolation, anxiety and a lack of self-understanding is to get to know and love yourself before trying to be someone else. In that sense, it’s better to “miss out” – in other words, enjoy your life to the fullest and let others do what’s best for them. It’s a long road for many folks with anxiety to get past this as they can often feel quite outcast. However, know that we’re here to help you get through it. You can be assured of a more peaceful, content and positive lifestyle, complete with a more optimistic outlook.

 

Am I stressed? Or is this anxiety? Is there a difference?

YES! Stress and anxiety are different, and it is important to understand which is which. First, stress is a physically and/or mentally taxing reaction to the circumstances and demands of your environment. Whether it’s the kids constant fighting, too many projects taken on at work, or a lack of money to pay the bills, stress involves the struggle to keep your head above water. Physiologically, stress may involve headaches, physical ailments, tight ligaments (all that clenching and tensing!) and may even predispose anxiety. Next we look at anxiety, which is a worry about the future, and typically, circumstances for which you feel that you have no control. Symptoms of anxiety can include excessive worry, feelings of unease, and increased heart rate and mind racing. When anxiety is high, symptoms can include shortness of breath, dizziness, cold and/or sweaty palms, and even anger. Most of the time there is a reason for the anxiety, thus an important goal is to make sense of the anxiety by identifying a reasonable cause. 

In order to manage either stress or anxiety, it is beneficial to pick what works best for you. No technique is one size fits all, however some of the most common and effective ones include grounding oneself, and this can be done through meditation and/or mindfulness. Each of these methods are used in order to bring yourself back to the here and now, additionally calming your bodies physiological state to focus and maintain equilibrium. 

So, what does counselling have to offer?

Sometimes, it can be difficult to initiate these practices because they involve a non-judgmental mindset for you to clearly and calmly let your thoughts come and go. When your stressed or experiencing anxiety, the thoughts may actually have you diving deeper into your worries. This is where counselling takes effect, as it can help you identify and control your triggers along with their associated reactions, manage your “what if” thoughts (so that your mind can stop searching for answers to worried questions), and even help you to understand what is ‘normal’ regarding your feelings of stress and anxiety. Recognizing the normalcy behind your thoughts and feelings is an important part of taking back control of yourself, so this is something we strive for within sessions. 

If you find yourself struggling to manage stressors and feelings of anxiety on your own, the Vaughan Relationship Centre welcomes you with open arms to help you get back in the driver seat of your life. We want you to know that your quality of life does not have to be diminished due to stress and anxiety, and we want to show you how.

Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. – Christopher Reeve

What to Expect

If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, are living with anxiety, and feel that it is holding you back from your maximum potential, we can help. Know that, whether on your own or with a loved one, contacting us can unlock your potential and put your concerns to rest. We want to hear your story and make a positive difference in your everyday life, enabling you to develop healthy relationships, move forward in life, experience new opportunities you might have otherwise missed out on, and be happier with yourself. Our approach is to introduce newfound and wholly beneficial emotional responses as well as provide you with professional guidance on how to best communicate your emotions while maintaining firmer control. This can help evoke a more positive reflection on not just yourself, but also the world around you. We can help you identify critical triggers and address them in order to establish a suitable way forward. We will help you to develop long-term coping strategies. It would be our pleasure to get to know your story.

Contact us today to set up your first appointment with an experienced and compassionate counsellor.

Get In Touch

Contact us to set up your first appointment and learn new tools to repair your relationship.

[contact-form-7 id=”2546″]