Managing Anxiety & Finding Mental Health Help Now

Available for Interviews:  Dr. Colleen Cira

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

 

Talking Points on What Dr. Cira Can Say in an Interview
On How to Manage Anxiety and Find Mental Health Support:

The past two years with the pandemic have fueled a mental health crisis in the United States. Because of the ripple effects associated with this, have witnessed a surge in depression and anxiety-related disorders as a result.

How to Managing Anxiety

1) Control What You Actually Have Control Over
    • Wash your hands, work from home if you can, make financial plans, childcare plans, quarantine plans, etc.  If we focus on what we DO have control over, we can channel our worry into something more productive.
2) Do Not Check the News/Social Media a Billion Times a Day
      • Is it important to stay informed? – Yes!
      • Do you have to check a billion times a day to stay informed? – No!
      • Anything else just fuels anxiety—so turn your phone off, put restrictions if you don’t trust yourself, do whatever you need to do to limit how often you are following this
3) Do Not Spiral Into Catastrophic Thinking.
If you catch yourself doing this:
      • Ask yourself what the evidence is for these thoughts.
      • Remind yourself the facts.
      • Ask yourself if what you are saying is helpful or harmful.
      • Replace catastrophic thoughts with more accurate and helpful thoughts.

Seek Other Sources for Mental Help

Here are some additional ways on how you can get help or assist others in finding the mental support they need:

    • The best site to help you find a therapist is Psychology Today: www.psychologytoday.com. It is the best, most popular, and widely used site.
    • If you are looking for self-help resources, Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer are all great apps to help with guided meditation.
    • To check your insurance benefits, you simply call the customer service number on the back of your card and enter the prompts that coincide with outpatient therapy mental health benefits. People are often intimidated by this process, but it only takes a couple of minutes.
    • If you don’t have insurance, there are a number of therapists and practices that offer sliding scale or pro bono services. Simply give them a call and ask if that’s a service they provide.

 

Available for Interviews: Dr. Colleen Cira

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., received both her Masters and Doctorate from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the State of Illinois.  She’s the Founder and Executive Director of Cira Center for Behavioral Health, PC, a boutique group practice specializing in Women and Trauma with locations in Chicago and Oak Park.

She was named one of the “Top 100 Women in Chicago Making a Difference” by Today’s Chicago Woman.  Dr. Cira is a trauma and anxiety expert, clinical supervisor, writer, speaker, consultant, activist, wife, and Mommy to two little ones.

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