Services
Stress Counseling Seattle
Written by Existential Psychiatry Staff
Takeaway: Stress can significantly affect your mental, physical, and emotional health. Working with a therapist for stress in Seattle can help you discover the root of your symptoms and find relief.
It’s not uncommon to face stress for a variety of reasons including your living situation, career, health, or relationships. However, if you feel overwhelmed and it's negatively impacting your life, consider reaching out for help. Here we’ll explore what stress is, what to look for in a therapist, commonly asked questions, and how to find stress counseling in Seattle.
Stress is our body's reaction to pressure from various life events, often triggered by new or unexpected situations that challenge our sense of control. It could be a response to issues related to your personal life, work, environment, or traumatic experiences. How you cope often varies based on genetics, upbringing, personality, and socioeconomic factors.
When stressed, your body releases hormones triggering your fight, flight, or freeze response, meant to help you in critical situations. While this can be beneficial, prolonged stress may cause you to get stuck in this fight, flight, or freeze mode, impacting your daily life and health.
Recognizing the symptoms is essential for early intervention and effective management. Knowing the signs can help you identify when you’re struggling so you can take steps to address it.
While responses to stress look different for everyone, common symptoms include:
Chronic stress, if left unaddressed, can have profound and lasting effects on both physical and mental health. It can cause you to go through life hypervigilant and drained, impacting your well-being.
Negative effects of chronic stress may include:
There are various treatment approaches used to help individuals cope with and alleviate the effects of prolonged stress. Speak to your healthcare provider about what works best for you. It may be a combination of interventions. Common mental health treatment options include talk therapies, groups, psycho-education, and medication.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a widely utilized therapeutic approach for managing chronic stress. CBT aims to identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to stress.
Through structured sessions with a trained therapist, individuals learn coping strategies and problem-solving skills to manage stressors in their lives better. CBT helps individuals develop a more adaptive mindset, allowing them to navigate stressful situations more effectively and reduce their impact.
Existential therapy is another approach that can be used to address the underlying causes of long-term stress. This method explores life's big questions and concerns, like purpose and meaning. The therapist guides the client to understand themselves better and find meaning in their experiences.
By facing these deep issues, individuals can build resilience and cope more effectively. This therapy encourages living authentically and embracing life's uncertainties while finding personal fulfillment.
Workshops and groups provide education and practical skills to help individuals cope with chronic stress. These programs often cover topics such as awareness, relaxation techniques, time management, and communication skills. Participants learn how to identify triggers, develop effective coping strategies, and establish healthy boundaries.
Workshops may involve a one-time event or a series and be offered in various settings, including workplaces, community centers, or healthcare facilities. Groups typically involve a recurring meeting run by a clinician, social worker, or mindfulness practitioner.
In some cases, medication may be prescribed to help alleviate symptoms of co-occurring health conditions triggered or worsened by stress, such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, or IBS. When selecting a medication, speak with your doctor about possible side effects, interactions with your other prescriptions, and the best way to take your medicine.
Individual outcomes will vary from person to person. However, for many, treatment offers them a safe healing environment where they can find relief when they're feeling stressed.
Potential benefits of therapy include:
With over two decades of clinical expertise, Dr. David Zacharias has dedicated himself to holistic patient care, addressing both the mental and physical health needs of his individual clients. Specializing in stress management, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, he offers evidence-based and trauma-informed interventions tailored to your strengths and needs.
Dr. Zacharias draws on his extensive experience to offer tailored diagnostic assessments, therapy, and medication management. He collaborates with you throughout the therapeutic process to create a personalized treatment plan.
Through compassionate support and guidance, he’ll empower you to navigate challenges and work towards meaningful change. If you're looking for stress counseling in Seattle, reach out for a free consultation today.
When seeking help, it's essential to find a qualified provider who can effectively address your needs. Clinicians who specialize in stress management may hold various credentials, including psychiatrists (M.D. or D.O.), licensed clinical psychologists (Ph.D. or Psy.D.), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), or licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT). Some may have specialized training in specific approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based practices, or exposure therapy. Look for a provider who is trauma-informed and prioritizes holistic care.
As a psychiatrist, Dr. Zacharias is licensed to provide both therapy and medication management, saving you time and reducing the number of providers you need to see.
When considering therapy, several modalities can effectively address your symptoms and the underlying causes. Some include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), existential therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
At Existential Psychiatry, Dr. Zacharias takes a holistic approach to therapy and draws from both psychoanalytic and "third-wave" cognitive-behavioral modalities. He works to build a strong therapeutic relationship with patients and helps them explore personal struggles, prioritizing personal growth and empowerment. He creates a safe space and supports people dealing with difficult life transitions, complex trauma, low self-esteem, panic disorder, work stress, anxiety symptoms, and more.
If you're seeking treatment in Seattle, Dr. Zacharias provides individual virtual therapy in the greater Seattle area and across the state of Washington. For those living outside of Washington, several resources are available to help you find a therapist.
Online directories like Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, and TherapyDen allow you to search for providers based on location, specialties, and other preferences. If you plan to use health insurance, you can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network therapists.
Chronic stress can be debilitating, but relief is possible. Dr. Zacharias offers therapy services tailored to address underlying causes and symptoms. By providing personalized support and trauma-informed interventions, Dr. Zacharias can help you develop effective coping strategies and regain control of your well-being. If you need stress counseling in Seattle, please reach out to schedule a consultation.