Anxiety Archives | Frisco Christian Counseling

Avoidance Anxiety in Children: When a Child’s Resistance Isn’t Just a Phase

Avoidance Anxiety in Children: When a Child’s Resistance Isn’t Just a Phase

D. Nicole Ready, Kate Motaung2026-03-17T06:10:14+00:00March 17th, 2026|Anxiety, Christian Counseling for Children, Family Counseling, Featured, Individual Counseling|

If you are the parent of a young child, you’ve probably seen resistance before. Perhaps they’ve started to become reluctant to go to school. With some questions, you learn that it’s not only school that makes them upset. There are changes in the things they enjoy, or you notice things you thought they’d outgrow. Maybe your child refuses to go to a birthday party, has a meltdown before swimming lessons, or suddenly forgets how to do a simple chore they’ve done a hundred times. Your nighttime routine that was working so well isn’t anymore. It is becoming harder and harder for your child to do anything without you by their side. At first, you may brush this off as a bad mood, tantrums, or stubbornness. But if it happens more than a few times, it could be something more. Sometimes, when a child says no to things or avoids something repeatedly, it may be more than them just being stubborn. It could be avoidance anxiety, a type of anxiety when a child feels nervous or unsure about something and tries to stay away from it altogether. Avoiding something might help them feel better in the moment, but it usually makes their worry grow stronger later. This kind of anxiety is harder for parents to understand because it may or may not involve tears or big outbursts. The child simply seems defiant, needy, or unmotivated. Still, it is always worth paying attention to, because the earlier you notice it, the easier it is to help. What is avoidance anxiety in children, and why does it happen? Avoidance anxiety is a way children try to protect themselves. When something feels too scary, confusing or hard, they look for ways to escape and avoid. That could mean pretending to be sick, refusing [...]

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The Rising Popularity of Virtual Reality Therapy for Men

The Rising Popularity of Virtual Reality Therapy for Men

Grace Mavindidze2025-07-29T11:23:26+00:00July 29th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Men’s Issues, Trauma|

Therapy for men has always been a tough and rather uncomfortable topic. For most guys, the very idea of sitting down and talking about personal problems isn’t exactly something they are eager to do. You probably know what I mean; it’s just awkward. There’s always this feeling that therapy is unfamiliar or maybe even a little unnecessary. But things are changing now. More and more men, young and old, are beginning to realize that therapy doesn’t have to be like that. It’s getting easier and more relatable, especially with the rise of technologies like virtual reality (VR) therapy. VR therapy offers something different and feels more like a practical tool than an intrusive conversation. So now, there is some light at the end of the tunnel with an interactive way to address issues like stress, anxiety, and trauma, and it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to take control of your mental health. Finally, the kind of therapy that feels like it’s made for every guy. Men’s Traditional Views of Therapy Society has a way of telling guys to be tough, handle things on their own, and avoid showing vulnerability. For a long time, therapy just wasn’t something men felt like they had the luxury of getting into. So even when you’ve been stressed from work, your relationship drama, or just feeling down, as a man you’ve always been expected to ‘be a man’ about it, rather than ask for help. For this reason, in the past, therapy just wasn’t something men turned to unless they were seriously struggling. Most guys didn’t think of therapy as a tool for general well-being but more of a solution only for the serious stuff. On top of that, traditional therapy has always seemed to focus a lot on seemingly superficial [...]

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Steering Away from Materialism Toward Meaningful Minimalism

Steering Away from Materialism Toward Meaningful Minimalism

Kate Motaung2025-04-18T07:13:34+00:00February 26th, 2025|Anxiety, Featured, Personal Development, Spiritual Development|

When is enough, enough? It could be said that we have an insatiable appetite for more in just about every area of our lives. We desire to break existing records and go faster, further, longer, or bigger. We desire to see more, be more, do more, have more. There’s a proverb that says, “Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes” (Proverbs 27:20, NIV). That thirst for more drives us to innovate and invent creative solutions to existing problems. It allows us to understand God’s creation, including ourselves, better. However, the flip side is that our desire for more can lead us to try to satisfy it inappropriately, like trying to satisfy our thirst with foul water or our hunger with spoiled food. One of the ways we try to satisfy our deep thirst and hunger for more is through materialism. Materialism Materialism is when we prioritize owning or possessing things as a high or the highest value. It is measuring your self-worth by external markers such as your bank account, the luxury items you own, or whether you satisfy societal beauty standards. You are validated and worthwhile to the extent that you possess certain objects and material possessions, and this is often at the expense of other qualities. Materialism can be subtle, showing up in small ways such as feeling as if you don’t belong somewhere because you aren’t dressed as well as the other people around you. Or it could be the thought that if only you possessed this or that item, you’d be happy and fulfilled. Materialism can also be full-blown, overtaking your life and becoming the focus of your energies and sense of self. Frisco Christian Counseling can help you explore these patterns and realign your values with what truly matters. How Materialism Can [...]

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3 key coping mechanisms for stress

3 key coping mechanisms for stress

Jennifer Kooshian2025-10-11T06:48:26+00:00September 30th, 2024|Anger Issues, Anxiety, Depression, Featured, Personal Development, Psychological Testing|

What is stress? We encounter many situations in life where we feel under pressure or under threat. Those situations can be as varied as having a lot of work to do and working under tight deadlines, experiencing relational distress such as when there’s conflict in your family, going through a divorce or separation, experiencing a serious illness, being bullied, going through job loss or financial difficulty, or the loss of a loved one. Sometimes, even what we would typically consider positive life changes and events, such as going for a vacation, finding and moving into a bigger house, getting married, or getting a promotion at work can be significant sources of stress. When we experience these and many other things, we can become stressed. Speaking with a professional at Frisco Christian Counseling can help you navigate these stressors and find healthy ways to cope. One way to understand stress is to see it as how we react when are under pressure or feeling threatened in a situation that seems beyond our ability to manage or control. When you feel stressed, your body produces stress hormones that trigger the ‘fight or flight’ response and activate your immune system to enable you to respond quickly to dangerous or threatening situations. This ‘fight or flight’ response causes respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous system changes, such as giving you a temporary burst of energy, making you breathe rapidly, making your heart beat faster, or making you sweat and your muscles tense up. The problem emerges when this stress response is triggered frequently and without relief. When that happens, stress can harm your mental health. One important aspect of stress is that we all deal with it in different ways. In fact, what we consider stressful will vary between individuals, as does the ability to [...]

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OCD and Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Managing Intrusive Thoughts

OCD and Anxiety: Practical Strategies for Managing Intrusive Thoughts

Stephanie Kramer2025-04-18T06:07:54+00:00August 30th, 2024|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, OCD|

Intrusive thoughts, which are common in OCD patients, are involuntary, unwanted thoughts, images, or impulses that can be disturbing and distressing. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurring, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform. Intrusive thoughts often revolve around themes of harm, violence, or other negative content. It is important to note, that simply having them does not mean that you will act on them or that they are true. These thoughts do not reflect a person’s desire or intention, or what is true about a situation. Instead, they are a common experience in anxiety disorders and OCD patients where the mind fixates on potential threats and catastrophes. Practical Strategies for Overcoming Intrusive Thoughts There are many behavioral-based approaches that therapists use to help those who suffer from intrusive thoughts. A therapist from Frisco Christian Counseling can offer personalized recommendations to their clients based on their unique needs. Here are a few practical strategies that can also help you manage them. Thought stopping This technique involves consciously interrupting the intrusive thought process by mentally shouting “Stop!” or visualizing a stop sign. While this is not a long-term solution, it can provide immediate relief. For people who follow Christ, speaking the name of Jesus whenever an intrusive thought comes to mind is also an effective method. Memorization and meditation Memorize and meditate on the Bible to help combat intrusive thoughts. Write out and try to memorize scriptures that focus on the goodness of God to help retrain your brain to focus on Him rather than your intrusive thoughts. Cognitive defusion This mindfulness-based technique involves distancing oneself from intrusive thoughts by observing them as external events rather than internal truths. For instance, instead of thinking “I am [...]

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Practical Tips for Dealing with Existential Anxiety

Practical Tips for Dealing with Existential Anxiety

Sandra Stein2025-05-21T06:26:20+00:00February 6th, 2024|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Anxiety is a normal part of the human experience, as are concerns about existential topics such as death, aging, world events, why we are here, and what the future holds. For some people, pondering these things serves as motivation to find their purpose and grow as they work toward specific goals. For others, it can be a source of stress and anxiety. Frisco Christian Counseling can help individuals explore these concerns and manage anxiety in a healthy, constructive way. Existential anxiety, also known as existential angst or dread, is a chronic feeling of unease or panic triggered by thoughts of mortality, the lack of meaning and purpose in life, and that nothing is certain other than the inevitability of death. Although existential anxiety can appear at any stage of life, it is often sparked by a major life event, transition, or time of uncertainty, that leads to a loss of security and causes you to question your beliefs and who you are. Common signs of existential anxiety. Frequent thoughts about the finite nature of life. Feeling panicky when you think about death. Wondering why you are here and what the point of anything is if you’re ultimately going to die. Feeling that life is pointless and your existence is meaningless. Having trouble making decisions, setting goals, or planning for the future. Feeling hopeless and empty. Lack of motivation or interest in activities you used to enjoy. Feeling as though getting through each day is a struggle. Panic attacks. Having regrets about your past and wondering what your life would be like if you had made different choices . Engaging in risky behaviors such as substance abuse or promiscuity . Trying to escape your anxiety through compensating activities such as excessive shopping or use of media. Questioning your faith and/or [...]

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13 Helpful Bible Verses About Anxiety

13 Helpful Bible Verses About Anxiety

Sandra Stein2025-05-16T08:30:25+00:00June 6th, 2022|Anxiety, Featured, Individual Counseling, Spiritual Development|

If you worry a lot and are anxious about many things, this article will provide you with helpful Bible verses about anxiety. Anxiety is one of the weapons Satan uses to overwhelm and paralyze you, and keep you from experiencing the full life God intended for you to have. However, take heart. God has equipped you with His spiritual armor with which to defeat the foe. Frisco Christian Counseling can help you stand strong in this battle. The most powerful piece of this armor is His Word, the sword of the Spirit, which is “alive and powerful, and sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword” (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). Praying and declaring Scripture over your struggles and circumstances can protect you from every scheme of the enemy by countering Satan’s lies with the all-powerful truth of God’s Word. Jesus, Himself used it when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). By following His example, you too can be victorious in your battle against anxiety. Bible verses about anxiety Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7, NIV It’s easy to feel anxious when life throws you a curve ball such as ill-health, the loss of a job, or a growing pile of bills you don’t have money to pay, but when you surrender your anxious thoughts to God through prayer, with thanksgiving, He promises to replace them with peace that surpasses understanding. And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, [...]

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