Some things don't make sense on the surface. You're having a pretty normal day. While going through your typical motions, you notice something. This something could be a smell, sound, or sight. You start to feel different than you did a few seconds ago. Maybe you feel nervous, frustrated, or anxious. Whatever you're feeling, you know it's not right. It's overwhelming and doesn't seem to make sense. You replay the previous events trying to find the thing that made you feel this way. And maybe you find the thing. Likely, given the context, it doesn't make sense. And this happens pretty often. You write it off as "one of those things that don't make sense on the surface."

Therapy for Chronic Stress in Daphne, Fairhope, and the Eastern Shore Area

This is likely a response you're having to a traumatic event or chronic stress. Maybe you're aware of this, or maybe you're not. Most of my clients who benefit from a trauma approach did not come to me for that. They come for help with feelings of being “stuck,” exhausted, overwhelmed, or feeling “on edge.”

What is Trauma? Can Trauma Cause Chronic Stress?

Think about a natural disaster. For example, a hurricane. A hurricane rips through a beach town and it's destroyed. Roofs are missing, windows are broken, family homes are unrecognizable, and the locals are displaced. Over time, the town is almost entirely rebuilt, and normal life resumes. . . for the most part. But, each time there's a heavy storm, the locals are fear-stricken. They take to their doomsday-like bunkers to, quite literally, wait out the storm. While the storms come with heavy rain and occasional hail, they aren't that bad. Not as bad as the hurricane. Regardless, the locals feel like they are in a hurricane every time it rains.

It never gets easier and they live with this fear.

In this metaphor, the hurricane is a traumatic event. The local’s response to rain is an example of how trauma affects us even after the event is over. The fear they feel is real regardless of the actual threat of a hurricane. Because of their experience, many aspects of their life are different. Ultimately, some things are harder than they should be. Traumatic events can come in all shapes and sizes. This includes a loss, chronic stress, abandonment of a parent(s), emotionally void parenting, or abuse including sexual, emotional, or physical.

My Approach to Dealing with Chronic Stress in Daphne, Fairhope, and Eastern Shore, AL

My clients come to me feeling a variety of different ways. Many come in feeling depressed or anxious. After taking a deeper and closer look, we get some clarity. We talk through what's happened or some patterns you've noticed. You and I will look into the contributing factors. We often find things that happened in our lives that we brushed off and decided to stop thinking about. It didn't seem like a big deal, right? You had other things to worry about. Unfortunately, it was a big deal. The overall effects have been stored in your mind and body. This feeling is your mind and body's response.

With each client, I use an approach that I know will work. Commonly, I use EMDR with my clients to help get them through their trauma responses. EMDR stands for eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy. The goal is to help you process painful feelings related to some memories you have. To learn more about my approach, check out my EMDR page.

My clients begin to feel emotional freedom within the first few sessions. Their bodies are not as tense. They don’t worry or stress as much. They have the courage to be more compassionate with themselves. Additionally, they feel confident in who they are and able to enjoy day-to-day life.

Ready to Begin Therapy for Chronic Stress in Fairhope, Daphne, and the Eastern Shore?

You're stressed out and overwhelmed. Frequently, you want to rewrite the story that life always has to be hard, and that's something I can help with. When you're ready, just follow these three simple steps:

1. Set up a free 15-minute phone consultation to learn more about my services

2. Get to know me, Julia W Stone, as your new chronic stress therapist

3. Brave the storm and begin your path toward healing from your stress.

Other Services Provided in the Fairhope, Daphne, & Eastern Shore Area

It’s impossible to go through life without hitting some bumps in the road. To help with this, I offer a variety of services at my counseling clinic in Fairhope, Alabama. If you find yourself feeling stuck or uninspired, you may benefit from anxiety counseling. Additionally, I offer EMDR therapy that is effective for trauma. For those struggling with trauma, my services include trauma and PTSD as well as trauma from childhood. I also provide Single Session Therapy for those looking to address their specific issue and begin healing faster. If you would like to explore other resources, check out my blog to learn more.