Stress Relief Services
Based in Florida ❇ Serving 39 States
Stress Management Therapy for Women
You are a woman who is juggling it all and is at her wit’s end with the stress of life’s challenges. It has been hard for you to manage the emotional toll of all the demands upon you. The pressures never seem to let up and you rarely have a moment to stop and catch your breath. Each day you feel like you are being stretched a little bit thinner and you wonder how long you can go on like this.
You have been overwhelmed with stress for so long.
And now you’re looking for a compassionate and highly credentialed psychotherapist to help you feel confident in your ability to manage stress and even feel calm again.
You weren’t always this stressed out. Whatever life threw at you, you dealt with it on your own. It was not like you to be staring at the ceiling late at night wondering how in the world you will keep your cool through all the hassles of the next day. In fact, you used to feel unshakable in the face of stress. Bring it on as they say.
Yet, somewhere along the way, you started to feel that underneath your strong exterior was a fragility that would break from the weight of a feather.
Most people would never guess how difficult coping with stress was becoming for you because for so long you were able to just push on through. But those closest to you started noticing that you were getting increasingly irritable with seemingly small things and then taking it out on them. And then you began noticing how much you regretted letting the stress boil over and have a negative impact on those who you love the most.
Now here you are afraid you’re never going to feel calm, cool, and collected again. That’s not to say you were breezing through life without ever feeling frustrated with a situation or annoyed by someone’s behavior before the serious struggles with managing stress started. Everyone has their good days and their bad. And, of course you realize that you’re no exception.
You never could have predicted though that the emotional toll of stress would get to the point where you’re spending the few moments you have to yourself each day crying alone in the bathroom. Tears that are swiftly wiped away followed by a quick makeup touchup because, honestly, who has time for tears?
You realize that leaving this level of stress unaddressed has the potential for negative consequences that extend beyond your emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. You know that unmanaged stress is also linked to physical health concerns like muscle tension, headaches, increased blood pressure, stomach issues, and being more susceptible to getting sick with the cold or flu. Perhaps another medical professional has already advised you of the importance of getting your stress level under control for similar reasons.
Sometimes we handle stress on our own just fine. Other times we would benefit from professional help with stress management.
When You Seek Therapy for Stress
with Dr. Jennifer McManus, Licensed Psychologist
You will find a safe and non-judgmental space to process your thoughts and feelings about the stressful life events you are experiencing, which forms the foundation of therapy for stress.
You will delve into the stress you are experiencing and be encouraged to identify aspects of the stress that are under your control and then collaborate on problem solving in those areas to get some beginning stress relief.
You will learn calming strategies informed by scientific research in the area of stress management treatment that are tailored to your personal preferences. Stress therapy solutions include coping skills such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation.
You will explore the value of showing yourself compassion by reframing unhelpful thoughts. Years of research in the field of psychology has shown that changing negative self-talk helps with stress management and moves us to take positive action. As such, it is an essential piece of stress management counseling.
You will develop the skills needed to set healthy boundaries that honor your need for life balance, which is an important part of stress reduction therapy.
Stress Relief Services: The Stress Management Therapy Process
Stress Management Treatment is intended to help you build a repertoire of coping skills so you can better understand and manage stress as well as feel less burdened, more content, and even calm and relaxed.
Here’s what to expect:
Stress Management Therapy: Initial Consultation
To begin the process, I offer a complimentary 20 to 30-minute consultation to get a broad view of your concerns about stress and your reasons for seeking stress management therapy. I also provide complimentary consultations because I want potential therapy clients to get a sense of what it is like to work with me and to form a beginning impression of our therapeutic fit.
Psychological research studies have repeatedly shown that the best indicator of positive outcomes in psychotherapy is the therapeutic alliance. What this means is that the quality of the relationship a client has with the psychotherapist has a major impact on the helpfulness of stress therapy. If we both agree we are a good fit, we will schedule the first full appointment.
Stress Management Therapy: Intake Assessment
The first full appointment after the complimentary consultation is considered a therapy intake assessment and it tends to feel more like the therapy client is being interviewed than the more collaborative nature that future therapy sessions will have. The therapy intake assessment appointment allows both the psychologist and the therapy client to gain clarity on the issues the client wishes to address in stress reduction therapy and, if applicable, to establish any mental health diagnoses.
Getting precise upfront with concerns to explore in therapy and any diagnoses informs the plan for your stress management therapy. This is when we chart that course for change.
Stress Management Therapy: Psychotherapy Sessions
Together you and I will work to reduce the impact of stress on your quality of life. You and I will meet once per week for approximately 45 minutes to an hour for at least 6-8 weeks in order to learn how to handle stress more effectively.
I like to offer some initial stress management and relaxation strategies that could bring you some beginning stress relief. As we build upon the therapeutic relationship, we can then go deeper and explore underlying causes contributing to the difficulty with stress management.
My integrative style of psychotherapy is based on science with a heavy emphasis on self-compassion. I incorporate person-centered, psychodynamic, and cognitive behavioral therapy approaches.
More specifically, I treat my clients with unconditional positive regard to create a safe and non-judgmental space to fully process the issues that bring them to therapy with me. Many people find that this type of support helps them to feel understood, that their feelings matter, and that they are not alone in their pain and struggles with stress management.
I recognize that we all have a past that may influence how we interact in the world today. Through therapy, clients can gain insight into how unaddressed past emotional pains may be affecting their current quality of life and important relationships.
Once my clients feel validated and begin increasing their self-awareness into the “why” of certain patterns in their lives, I help my clients with strategies that bring them closer to the lives they truly want to lead. We do this by looking at the connection of our thoughts to our feelings and actions. This aspect of therapy is not as basic as replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. That would be unrealistic because life has its ups and downs. We can, however, explore the types of thoughts that are associated with painful emotions and reframe them to be more helpful and kind.
I support my clients in reaching their goals for stress management counseling by continuously building a connection, leading to deeper trust. I have profound compassion for the struggles my clients are experiencing. I draw upon my expertise in clinical psychology to provide support in the interest of alleviating that suffering.
Compassion coupled with strategies informed by science helps therapy clients take the steps that can culminate in life changing transformations.
More about stress management therapy
with Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Jennifer McManus:
As a licensed psychologist, I help you bring peace and contentment back into your life through integrative psychotherapy. I work with my clients to apply strategies informed by psychological research to reduce the negative impact stress can have on their quality of life.
The online psychotherapy practice of Dr. Jennifer McManus strives to help busy women who are juggling it all go from feeling overwhelmed by stress to feeling less burdened, cleared minded, calm, and balanced. My mission is to provide evidence-based psychotherapy without sacrificing genuine care and concern for my clients.
I am passionate about helping women feel like themselves again so they can live their lives to the fullest. You can learn more about my professional background and qualifications here: Dr. Jennifer McManus, Licensed Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
Learn more about the complimentary consultation in the below video.
Who Benefits Most from Therapy for Stress?
Stress Management Therapy is best for those who are struggling to handle stress on their own and feel like it is time for professional help. Stress management therapy helps you improve your stress management skills and experience a better quality of life.
You will benefit from Stress Management Counseling if:
You are feeling stressed out, burdened, and overwhelmed.
You are having difficulty coping with an unexpected and unwelcomed change in your life. Even positive life events that can be stressful like moving, starting a new job, or getting married.
You are experiencing irritability, worry, or depression as a result of your stress level.
You are having physical symptoms like muscle tension, headaches, stomach issues, or high blood pressure that your medical doctor has told you are due to stress.
You have exhausted your own stress management capabilities and are ready to seek professional support.
There are times when Stress Management Counseling might not be the best fit. These include:
You are looking for help with intense emotional pain following a recent romantic breakup. Information on support for this very specific stressful life event is available on the Heartbreak Therapy page.
You are struggling with work/life balance due to professional burnout. If your stress stems from this unique challenge, please explore the Professional Burnout Support page.
You are consumed by worry and having panic attacks. If this is true for you, please visit the Anxiety Treatment page.
Although there are many benefits of online counseling, like any form of treatment there are also risks and it is not the best mode of therapy for everyone. Given this practice operates exclusively online, fit for Telehealth Therapy is discussed during the complimentary consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stress Relief Services
How long is each session and much does stress management therapy cost?
Ongoing psychotherapy appointments last for 45 minutes to 1-hour and cost $200 per session. The first appointment is the therapy intake assessment, which can last up to 2 hours. The therapy intake assessment has a flat fee of $300.
How long does stress management treatment last?
I recommend meeting once per week starting with a 6–8-week commitment to begin seeing positive results from stress management therapy. Please bear in mind, however, that according to recent psychological research studies, some people do not start seeing considerable results from psychotherapy until the 15-20 session mark.
Duration of stress management treatment depends on many factors including the type of stressful life event or events one is experiencing, the severity of the impact of stress on one’s quality of life, how long the stress may have gone unaddressed, and other contributing dynamics. Everyone responds to stress in their own unique way and progresses in stress management therapy at their own pace.
How do I schedule my first stress management therapy appointment?
You are welcome to visit the complimentary consultation page and select a time from the calendar. The initial consultation is held at no cost to you and does not constitute a commitment to continue in therapy with me.
Do you accept my health insurance for stress management counseling?
The online psychotherapy practice of Dr. Jennifer McManus operates exclusively as a self-pay private practice and does not directly accept any type of health insurance. Some clients are able to use out-of-network benefits to be seen at this practice.
How do out-of-network benefits work for stress management treatment?
Every health insurance plan varies, so it is important for you to talk with your health insurance company to fully understand your out-of-network benefits and how much you can anticipate being reimbursed after paying the practice for your sessions. The practice provides a superbill receipt for services paid directly to the practice that clients can then submit to their health insurance companies for reimbursement.
Can you prescribe medication to me for stress relief?
Although medication can be an important part of stress management treatment, especially if depressed mood or anxiety is involved, licensed psychologists in Florida are not authorized to prescribe medications. Psychiatrists are the medical doctors who specialize in prescribing medication for mental health concerns.
I am happy to refer my clients to psychiatrists who I know provide quality care if I am of the clinical opinion that medication should be considered as part of your stress management treatment; however, as a result of stress management counseling, many people learn to manage stress effectively without the use of prescribed medications.
I am looking for stress management near me. Where are these stress relief services available?
My psychotherapy practice operates exclusively online so I can offer therapy for stress to all residents and visitors of Florida as well as 38 additional states. This means no matter where you are located in Florida, that my stress management counseling services are available to you! In the northern part of the state? Jacksonville, Gainesville, or Tallahassee? I got you! Orlando, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, or Miami? I got you, too. Tampa, Bonita Springs, or Naples? This practice can provide stress relief services to you.
The practice is also pleased to offer tele-psychological services in the following PsyPact states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Stress Management Therapy: Your Next Steps
It is possible to regain peace, calm, and balance. Right now, this level of contentment feels far off, but that does not mean you cannot start taking the necessary steps to reduce the negative impact stress is having on your quality of life.
You can start to feel like yourself again. Ultimately, you will find a way to move past the overwhelming burden of stress and start feeling more confident in the face of life’s challenges.
If you’re ready to get started with Stress Management Therapy, then follow these 3 easy steps:
Click the below “I’m Ready” button
Select a time from the calendar for your complimentary consultation with me
Keep your eyes on your inbox for your secure video invitation for the complimentary consultation at the time you selected
