Stress Therapy

Learn of the various forms of stress therapies in practice today...

stress therapy

Countless books, magazines, and Internet articles explain how to manage stress in today’s society, but for many, the “do-it-yourself” route to handling stressful situations remains too difficult and overwhelming.

For some individuals, life’s major stressors, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, and trauma, induce a cavalcade of emotions that have an all-consuming energy.

For others, it’s the number of repeated stressors that occur everyday, ceaselessly, that submerge them, taking control, turning life into a battle against one problem after another.

When individuals feel as if they have no control over life’s seemingly endless irritations, complications, dilemmas, and worries, stress therapy becomes the lifeboat, an indispensible survival tool. Therapy, by a qualified, knowledgeable professional, gives individuals an opportunity to connect with someone who thoroughly understands the implications and solutions for combating stress.

But more importantly, those trained in stress therapy show individuals how to regain control, reducing negativism, and returning joy and purpose to everyday life – even within the tumult of daily stress.

Cognitive restructuring

Stress therapy consists of two goals. The first is to help individuals learn how to effectively cope with stressful situations; the second involves restructuring thoughts.

Coping

Stressful situations that become unbearable are seen as threats: the threat of economic hardship or job loss, the threat of losing someone through death, illness or divorce, the threat of harm to your children or spouse, the threat of living alone – the list of threats go on endlessly.

One goal of stress therapy is to turn threats into challenges. This involves the therapist and client taking an analytical look at each stressor or threat, and redefining it. In many cases, the stressor won’t disappear, but it doesn’t have to cause unmanageable distress.

For example, the recent U.S. recession caused high unemployment, and many individuals still fear losing their jobs. Consistently worrying about losing a job is problematic for productivity and morale, and places increased stress on marriages and relationships.

Seeing a therapist because of the stress of job loss will likely mean addressing a number of issues, a process defined by cognitive behavioral therapists as “problem solving.” (A large number of today’s therapists treating stress use a cognitive behavioral approach.) This means first having the individual logically determine the chances that job loss will actually happen.

If layoffs are occurring at the workplace, this might require the individual having a serious discussion with a supervisor or manager to gauge the likelihood of a layoff. If layoffs are few or have yet to occur, the therapist helps the individual to see how news reports might be contributing to layoff and economic fears.

After gauging the likelihood of a layoff, the therapist has the individual brainstorm. Problems and stressors are broken down into solvable and insolvable elements. Often at this stage, the number of solvable elements often surprises the individual.

The perception that the individual has control over some or part of the stressor has an enormous impact on reducing stress. For someone fearing the loss of a job, listing alternatives and prioritizing solutions returns some control back to the individual. It’s also a strategic plan that the individual follows in case of a layoff, a plan that provides a sense that pursuing alternatives is now perceived within his or her control.

The idea of problem solving with a therapist is not an immediate solution handed over to a stressed individual. It’s a way to empower individuals to take control, helping them brainstorm and find ways to live with tough situations. It’s not a cure but a positive way to manage the stress. It’s also a process, with setbacks and ways to cope with the setbacks.

The therapist helps the client develop a list of definable steps to take, and during each therapy session evaluates and redefines, if necessary, strategies that aren’t working.

The therapist also introduces the client to stress management interventions that will help the individual cope with overall stress, activities such as exercise, meditation, and deep breathing. (See article on Stress Management.)

Restructuring thoughts

During the “restructuring” part of cognitive behavioral therapy (see Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), the therapist guides individuals in analyzing their beliefs about stressful situations, what makes the situations stressful, and how beliefs themselves can turn into stressors. The goal is to have individuals “re-think” or put into perspective values and beliefs – many of which are irrational or illogical.

For instance, perfectionism is a thought pattern that can become a powerful stressor. Not only does daily work and projects have to be done meticulously, but perfectionists might require their children to produce the best schoolwork, insist that their homes and cars meet unrealistic standards of cleanliness, and try to control volunteer situations to meet unattainable standards.

But perfectionism is an ideal that no person can achieve. While a job well done always provides self satisfaction, a job “overdone” creates skyrocketing stress. This often means working and overworking projects, missing deadlines because the work is not yet “right.”

Perfectionism translates into “black and white thinking” or a right and wrong way to do everything, with nothing in between. It starts to take a toll not only on the individual but all those who work for or with the individual, family members, and friends.

Many individuals with perfectionist tendencies seem stressed at all times, yet they don’t recognize perfectionism as the root cause. A therapist employing cognitive restructuring tries to enable the individual to see how this trait stresses his or her life.

Negative self talk

Perfectionism is only one example of what psychologists term irrational “self talk.” Everyone has a constant stream of automatic self talk or chatter going through their thoughts at every given moment, and in many cases, this chatter isn’t complementary.

Individuals often need a therapist to illuminate detrimental self talk, an illumination that results in cognitive restructuring.

The discovery of irrational thoughts and beliefs takes place through discussions and sharing with the therapist. In some cases, a therapist will ask the client to keep a journal of thoughts that the client has during both stressful and non-stressful situations.

A career in stress therapy

If you want to help individuals learn how to manage and cope with stress, consider a career as therapist or counselor. These terms are used interchangeably to describe an individual with a background in Mental Health counseling.

To practice as a mental health counselor or therapist, most positions require at least a master’s degree, and states require licensing.

For more specifics on this career, request information from schools offering degrees in counseling or psychology.

A Breath of Less Stress

Nearly all stress management plans include deep breathing practices and exercises designed to slow breathing, and relax muscles. Mental health professionals recommend taking time each day to practice deep breathing, and to use the technique during especially stressful situations.

A deep breathing exercise includes the following steps:

  • Sit straight in a chair with feet flat against the floor.
  • Place hands at your sides or on your knees. Or place one hand against your abdomen if you want to ensure you’re breathing deeply.
  • Breathe slowly through your nose. Push your abdomen out – not in. (It’s common for those experiencing stress to push in their abdomen when breathing, a practice that actually makes your breath more shallow.) As you push your abdomen out, your chest should move up slightly toward your chin.
  • Open your mouth slightly, and slowly exhale. The exhale should last longer than the inhale. Your abdomen moves in automatically.
  • It’s important to not hold your breath between inhales and exhales.

If individuals make deep breathing a daily exercise, its usefulness becomes apparent when faced with all types of major and daily stressors.