Stress Management

Worrying? Feeling overwhelmed? Therapy works for stress. Learn skills to deal with chronic stress and find relief.

Stress Management
in Houston, TX and Online

Let us help you feel like you again.

Do minor problems seem to upset you excessively?
Do the small pleasures of life fail to satisfy you?
Are you unable to stop worrying?
Do you feel inadequate or suffer from self-doubt?
Are you constantly tired?
Do you experience flashes of anger over minor problems?
Do you suffer from chronic pain, headaches, or backaches?

If you answered “yes” to most of the questions, then you may benefit from stress therapy to develop coping skills to deal with and reduce chronic stress.

In Person & Online Therapy Available

Take Back Control of Your Life With
Stress Therapy

Give us a call at 832-559-2622 to find out more about Stress Management in Houston. Or click "Get Started Now" to schedule an appointment online with our Stress Therapy counselors today. We have therapists near the Montrose, Heights & Sugar Land neighborhoods and offer online therapy in multiple states.

Get Started Now

CALL US (832) 559-2622

What is Stress?

Stress is the way that we respond physically, emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally to both positive and negative change in our lives, imposed demands, or situations in which we feel we have no control. Even imagined change can cause stress.

Stress by itself isn’t problematic as our bodies are designed to cope with stress. Stress becomes problematic when it is persistent or we don’t feel equipped to cope with the change.

This can leave our body on overdrive without time to heal and move back to equilibrium.

Over time, high stress levels can lead to premature aging, cognitive impairment, anxiety or depression, and drained energy and mental clarity, which is why it’s a good idea to talk with someone when you start feeling overstressed.

High Life Stressors

These particular events are known to be amongst the highest stress producing events in one’s life. They often create significant symptoms of stress and anxiety and can lead to depression when not processed effectively.

Losing one’s job (read more about our job search counseling)
Going through a divorce or break-up
Death or loss of a family member or close relationship
Diagnosis of a chronic or serious illness
Moving, especially to an area with no support system
Life changes such as marriage, infertility or the birth of a child
Trauma or natural disaster (read more about how EMDR therapy can help)

These are acute stress examples.

Chronic Stress

Stress is a normal response to change. However, when our bodies are in a chronic state of stress or we experience continuous stress without relief or relaxation in between, it can wreak havoc on our physical and mental health. Even more dangerous is that we can become numb to chronic stress, it becomes the “new normal.” This is particularly true in cases of childhood trauma. The body physically can be left in a state of chronic stress, which is the “normal” state.

Sometimes life is tough and you may find yourself moving from one stressful circumstance to the next. While we can’t change what occurs in your life, we can help you cope with the stress and building resilience, which can prevent more serious factors such as depression, anxiety or physical health problems from surfacing.

Other times, you may wonder if there is a dark cloud following you. Sometimes, the way that we respond to circumstances can increase our stress and create additional problems. Some examples include resisting or fighting against change we have no control over, difficulty accepting a negative circumstance that has occurred in our lives, unresolved trauma, or not believing we can handle difficulties (“I’ll fall apart.”) Sometimes, stress or the anticipation of stress leads us to avoid tackling important yet difficult issues. This can lead to a snowball effect and create chronic stress in our lives.

Therapy for Stress Relief

When stress builds up it can make it difficult for you to concentrate and feel like yourself. To start with, counseling is a place for you to express and process the stress in your life to release emotional pressure.

We all can benefit from outside help for managing stress in our lives. If nothing else, talk therapy alone reduces stress and can be a calming way to relieve tension and gain clarity about your situation.

A counselor can help you to work through the emotions that are triggered, gain different perspectives about your situation, relieve pressure, and identify stress reduction strategies.

Your counselor may even help you find new solutions to problems that have contributed to the source of your stress or current stressful situations.

The bottom line is, we can control how we respond to stress, which can significantly impact our physical and emotional health.

top therapist in houston and sugar land texas

Stress Therapy FAQ's

What are symptoms of chronic stress?

When stress hormones are repeatedly triggered, chronic stress occurs. Our body does signal us when we are we are experiencing the effects of chronic stress. Chronic stress can damage physical and emotional health.

Symptoms of a chronic stress level include:

Tension, lethargy, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, back pain, restlessness, insomnia
Digestive upset, abdominal pain, appetite change
Forgetfulness, low productivity, confusion, poor concentration, negativity, busy mind
Anxiety, mood swings, irritability, depression, resentment, anger, impatience, worrying, feeling pressured
Lashing out, decreased sex drive, lack of intimacy, isolation, intolerance, loneliness, avoiding social situations, alcohol, tobacco, and/or drug use
Apathy, loss of direction, emptiness, loss of life’s meaning, no sense of purpose

How does chronic stress affect the body?

When we find ourselves in situations that challenge us too much we react with the “fight or flight” stress response. Stress actually begins in our brains and it is expressed in our body.

Once we perceive stress our body sends our chemical messengers in the form of stress hormones to help our bodies handle the stress. When these stress hormones are persistent is when trouble starts with our health.

Stress causes physical changes to occur in our bodies. The effects of stress on physical health is significant.

Chronic stress can cause ulcers, headaches or migraines, digestive disorders, weight gain or weight loss, fatigue, muscle tension which can lead to chronic pain, insomnia and sleep disorders, weakened immune system, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

Stress can also lead to addictions such as alcoholism, compulsive eating or more severe mental health conditions such as mood disorders or eating disorders.

Mentally, chronic stress leads to reduced ability to focus, brain fog, and difficulty concentrating.