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Why do we worry and what can you do stop? In this short video Dr. Sarah Allen, psychologist and anxiety expert, shares simple tips that can really reduce worry and anxiety.

Here is a summary of the information contained in this seven minute video. I hope you will find it helpful!

• Firstly, I discuss why we worry and stress over things.
• The best question to ask yourself when you are worried about something.
• The difference between useful vs useless worrying.
• What to do when you have decided that problem is in the present and not the past or future.
• What cognitive therapy is and how we can feel more in control by studying and writing down your worries.
• Why positive visualization works and how to do it.

If you prefer to read a post rather than watch a video click here The Number One Question That Helps Reduce Worry

To find out more about coping with anxiety and worrying  download my free booklet Simple Steps To Overcome Anxiety & Worrying  use the sign up form below the book.

When clients first come in to see me, the main concerns that come up again and again are:

1. How can I feel less stressed, angry and overwhelmed?
2. What should I do if I feel panicky?
3. How can I stop worrying about everything: my children, partner, friends, work, my “to do” list….

So I put together a booklet with some strategies I am always giving to my clients to help them begin to feel less anxiety and to worry less.

I hope that you will find it helpful too.

Add your first name and email address in the box below and you will be sent the steps to download your FREE book.

Please let me know if  you have any questions after reading the booklet. Also, if you would like to read more, I have several blog posts on my blog about anxiety and other issues that can affect the way you feel.

If after watching my video or reading the booklet you feel ready to start working on reducing your anxiety but need support, I can help you overcome worrying in one-on-one individual counseling sessions.

In a supportive environment with a therapist who has over 20 years experience you can learn how to reduce worrying by:

• Learning a variety of relaxation and breathing strategies which can help you reduce your overall levels of stress and help you face anxiety-provoking situations.
• Learning how to distinguish between worries that require your attention and worries that are unnecessary.
• Learning skills to manage anxious thoughts and to tackle fears that may have been holding you back.While all your worries won’t disappear, you will be given strategies to manage them better and tools to reduce the impact they have on your life.

If you feel anxiety is standing in the way of you leading the life you want to, call me on 847 791-7722 or via the email form below.

Last March I got a call from journalist Dinsa Sachan saying she was writing a piece about psychologists working abroad for The Psychologist, the professional magazine of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Since moving to the US twenty years ago, I have kept my professional membership with the BPS as well as being a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) – the equivalent professional association here in the US, which gives me the privilege of reading about current research and clinical practices from both sides of the pond.

Anyway, back to that day in March. I felt very honored to be interviewed for such a prestigious magazine and spoke with Dinsa for about an hour about the reasons I moved to the US and the challenges of transitioning to private practice when you grew up training in the National Health System (public health where patients see you for free). I also discussed what I love about practicing here and what I miss about the UK and sent off the photo she asked from me. When I received September’s issue I was pleased to see that her article was the cover story this month and pleasantly surprised to see my face on page 3 in it’s very own box highlighting my story!

Of course she didn’t write about most of what we discussed as her piece is about how foreign living shapes us, not just me but I was one of the more prominently featured British psychologists and the only one with her own box! Dinsa ended her article with the paragraph below which is very true:

“Beyond the empirical evidence, the personal stories certainly suggest that everyone has something to gain from foreign living, and that engagement with locals makes foreign experiences worthwhile. Sarah Allen (see box p. 3) says one major reason she has assimilated so well in America is because she bent over backwards to make American friends. When she was new in the country, she mostly hung out with expats. It also helps that her family loves American holidays. ‘Our house is actually on the July 4th parade route so we always have friends over to watch the two-hour long parade and have a barbecue or ice-cream afterwards,’ says Allen. ‘Our friends think it is rather ironic that British people are throwing a party to celebrate Independence Day but it’s fun!’

If you would like to read the whole article I have uploaded each page as an image because a PDF of the whole article was too large a file to upload. If you click on each image you can zoom in to actually read it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Sarah Allen has 20+ years experience and is recognized by clients, peers and other professionals for her ability to quickly help people get “unstuck” and move forward in their lives.

In her Northbrook office, in the North Suburbs of Chicago, or via telephone or online counseling she offers the most convenient way for you to access support and help.

If you have questions after reading this article or have any questions about how counseling can be useful to your particular circumstances please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.

To read more articles in The Psychologist magazine visit The British Psychological Society