Name Your Fear

Do you wake up in the morning with a sense of anxiety, a foreboding of what is to come? Many people do.

I have felt that prior to an important meeting, a confrontation I knew I needed to have with someone, or a speech I had to give.

The key is: what do we do with that trepidation? Do we let it paralyze us, or can we use it as a catalyst?

The first important step is to feel that fear and acknowledge it. Some people give it a name like Harry or Allison. "Okay Harry," we can say, "I feel you, I know you're there. Why are you bugging me today? Why are you trying to block my forward progress, why are you making me shaky and scared? What are you trying to tell me?"

There is a part of our brain called the amygdala. It plays a key role in how we generate or feel emotions, how we respond to things. It provokes fear, which sometimes really protects us, like jumping back quickly onto the curb when a fast car approaches. But sometimes, it is overactive and mistakenly warns us continually, about almost everything. This is not healthy and does not serve us well.

In therapy, we can work together to name that fear, really identify it and call it what it is. We'll talk about why you may be feeling that fear, what provoked it from our past experiences or relationships. How to garner the courage to feel it and proceed anyway with strength, knowledge, and resolve. Let's address those fears together, let's feel it and do it anyway.