Chicago Anxiety Therapy & Supervision

11/09/2026

You may leave work, but does work ever really leave you?

The laptop is closed, but your mind is still racing. Deadlines, unfinished tasks, and tomorrow's responsibilities follow you home.

You want to be present with your partner, but you are emotionally exhausted. Suddenly, even a simple conversation feels overwhelming.

Over time, work stress can quietly create distance in the relationships that matter most. ❤️

In her latest blog, Dr. Sonila Sejdaras explores how professional stress affects emotional well-being and relationships, and shares practical ways to establish healthier boundaries, communicate your needs, and reconnect with your partner.

Remember: Being successful at work should not come at the cost of your emotional well-being or your relationships.**

📖 Read the full article: *When Work Stress Follows You Home: How to Protect Your Relationship and Emotional Well-Being*

🔗 https://www.chicagopsych.org/blog/when-work-stress-follows-you-home-how-to-protect-your-relationship-and-emotional-well-being

Learn how work stress affects relationships, emotional well-being, and communication. Discover practical ways to set boundaries, reduce stress, and reconnect with your partner.

10/15/2026

“Mom, I’m bored. What should I do?” 💭

Remember when boredom meant finding something creative to do? Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that every free moment should be productive.

As adults, even our downtime can come with guilt. We feel pressure to finish chores, achieve goals, or make the most of every minute. But what if rest and play didn't have to be earned?

In our latest blog, “Mom, I’m Bored. What Should I Do?”, Emma Wondra explores how childhood experiences shape our relationship with unstructured time, why doing nothing can feel uncomfortable, and how reconnecting with our inner child can help us embrace rest without guilt.

✨ Maybe the question isn't “What should I do?” but “What do I want to do?”

📖 Read the full blog and discover how to make room for rest, creativity, and play.

https://www.healthwellnesscenter.org/blog/mom-im-bored-what-should-i-do

💬 When was the last time you did something simply because you enjoyed it?

Discover why free time can trigger anxiety and guilt. Learn how to overcome productivity pressure, embrace rest, and reconnect with your inner child.

10/14/2026

What if slowing down makes you feel more anxious instead of relaxed?

Yoga is often recommended for stress and anxiety, but for some people, focusing on their breath, sitting in stillness, or reconnecting with their body can feel uncomfortable, especially after experiencing trauma.

💚 Healing isn't about forcing yourself to relax. It's about finding what feels safe and supportive for you.

In our latest blog, Dr. Charmaine Dodd, Psy.D., RYT, explores how trauma-sensitive yoga, body awareness, and personal choice can support emotional well-being.

📖 Read our latest blog: When Slowing Down Makes You Feel Anxious: On Yoga, Trauma and Learning to Be in Your Body.

https://www.chicagopsych.org/blog/when-slowing-down-makes-you-feel-anxious-on-yoga-trauma-and-learning-to-be-in-your-body

📞 FREE 15-minute consultation: (872) 529-1982
📧 [email protected]

Discover why yoga can sometimes increase anxiety, how trauma affects body awareness, and how trauma-sensitive yoga supports a gentler approach to healing

10/14/2026

🌍 Finding Belonging Between Two Worlds: Internationals Group

Moving to a new country brings opportunities, but it can also come with homesickness, loneliness, cultural adjustments, and questions about belonging.

💜 You don't have to navigate these experiences alone.

Join our 6-week virtual support group designed for adults navigating immigration and cultural transitions in the U.S.

✨ Connect with others who share similar experiences, explore your identity, and build a sense of belonging across cultures.

📅 Starting October 19 | Mondays at 7 PM
💻 Virtual Sessions

👥 Facilitators: Brikena Gjylameti, MSc & Sasha Momot

💳 Accepting BCBS PPO and Aetna PPO
💰 $60 per session (self-pay)

📢 **We are currently interviewing potential group members!**

📞 (872) 529-1982
📧 [email protected]

Your journey is unique, but you don't have to walk it alone.💜

10/13/2026

🌿 Burnout or Depression? Do You Need a Vacation, Medication, or a Different Life?

Ever felt so exhausted that even a vacation or extra sleep doesn't help?

Burnout and depression can share similar symptoms, including fatigue, irritability, and emotional exhaustion. But while burnout is typically linked to workplace stress, depression can affect every aspect of your life.

❤️ Sometimes, what you need isn't just a break. It's understanding what's really behind your exhaustion.

Our latest blog explores the differences between burnout and depression, when rest may not be enough, and how therapy, medication, or lifestyle changes can help.

📖 Read the full blog to learn more:
https://www.chicagopsych.org/blog/burnout-vs-depression-do-i-need-a-vacation-medication-or-a-different-life

📞 FREE 15-minute consultation: 872-529-1982
📧 [email protected]

Learn the key differences between burnout and depression, recognize common symptoms, and explore when rest, therapy, medication, or lifestyle changes may help.

10/05/2026

🌊 When life changes, our instinct is often to hold on tighter.
A new city. A new career. A new stage of life. A heartbreak. An unexpected ending.
Change can leave us feeling anxious because we naturally crave certainty and familiarity. But what if we thought about life the way we think about the ocean?
Every wave rises, changes, and eventually crashes—but the ocean remains.
In our latest blog, “The Wave and the Ocean: Dealing with the Immutability of Life,” Federico Tamborrel explores how this metaphor can help us understand anxiety around major life changes and the fear of the unknown.
Sometimes, moving forward isn’t about eliminating uncertainty. It’s about learning that we can change with our circumstances without losing ourselves in the process.
💭 Just because the wave has crashed doesn’t mean the ocean has disappeared. And just because your circumstances have changed doesn’t mean you have disappeared, either.
Read the full blog to explore a different perspective on change, uncertainty, and learning to flow with life rather than holding tightly to what has already changed.

https://www.healthwellnesscenter.org/blog/the-wave-and-the-ocean-dealing-with-the-immutability-of-life

Learn how major life changes can trigger anxiety and uncertainty, and discover how embracing change and letting go of permanence can help you navigate transitions with greater perspective, flexibility, and emotional resilience.

10/01/2026

Are you breathing your stress?
When stress takes over, our breathing often becomes shallow without us even realizing it. Instead of taking full, restorative breaths, we may begin breathing primarily through the chest, keeping the body in a heightened state of tension.
In this video, Dr. Sonila Sejdaras explains the powerful connection between breathing, stress, the mind, and the body and why something as simple as slowing down and paying attention to your breath can help your body begin to settle.
Our minds and bodies are deeply connected. When we live in a constant state of stress, our bodies feel it too.
🌿 Pause for a moment.
Breathe in slowly.
Breathe out fully.
And give your body permission to slow down.
Sometimes, caring for your mental health begins with something as fundamental as taking a breath. ❤️

09/29/2026

Does work ever feel like a performance?
A meeting feels like an evaluation. Feedback from your supervisor immediately triggers self-doubt. You have an idea to share but your mind starts asking:
What if I say something wrong?
What if they think I’m not competent?
What if everyone notices how nervous I am?
For people experiencing social anxiety in the workplace, everyday professional interactions can carry an exhausting amount of pressure.
In our latest blog, Jessie Beebe, LCSW, explores a different way of approaching workplace anxiety not by waiting for anxiety to disappear, but by becoming curious about where it comes from and learning how to move forward even when it is present.
🌿 Understand how past experiences can shape present-day anxiety
🌿 Notice the roles you may feel pressured to play at work
🌿 Create distance between anxious thoughts and facts
🌿 Take small, courageous actions aligned with who you want to be
One of the most important reminders from the article:
Confidence doesn’t always have to come first. Sometimes we act with courage while anxiety is still present.
Being successful at work doesn’t require being perfectly confident, saying the perfect thing, or never feeling uncertain. Sometimes growth means discovering that you can be seen, imperfect, uncertain and still be okay.

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.healthwellnesscenter.org/blog/when-work-feels-like-a-performance-coping-with-social-anxiety-in-the-workplace

Learn how social anxiety can affect meetings, feedback, presentations, and workplace relationships, and discover practical ways to manage anxious thoughts, build confidence, and show up more authentically at work.

09/27/2026

“What AI will not have is a soul.” ❤️
As technology continues to evolve, Dr. Sonila Sejdaras shares a reminder about something deeply human that cannot be replaced: the power of the heart, genuine connection, and our capacity to care for one another.
Not every meaningful interaction needs to be transactional. Sometimes we choose to show up simply because something matters, because another person needs to be heard, because a conversation can create connection, or because we believe it can contribute to healing.
Negativity may capture attention quickly. But compassion, kindness, and authentic human connection can create something much more lasting.
When we nurture our hearts and lead with genuine intention, we have an opportunity to reach people who may be searching for healing but don't yet know where to begin.
Technology will continue to change the world. Let’s make sure we continue nurturing what makes us human. 🙏❤️

09/22/2026

Success can look calm on the outside while anxiety is working overtime on the inside.

You may be meeting deadlines, solving problems, supporting your team, and continuing to achieve, while internally you’re replaying conversations, worrying about mistakes, thinking about what comes next, or feeling guilty whenever you slow down.

This experience is often described as high-functioning anxiety. Because achievement can mask distress, it isn’t always easy to recognize.

You might notice:

✨ Constantly thinking about the next task or potential problem
✨ Difficulty relaxing without feeling guilty
✨ Overpreparing, overchecking, or striving for perfection
✨ Replaying conversations and questioning yourself afterward
✨ Physical tension, racing thoughts, or difficulty sleeping
✨ Feeling exhausted but unable to truly switch off

One important reminder: the fact that you are functioning does not mean you aren’t struggling.

Ambition and dedication can be meaningful strengths. The question is whether you can step out of achievement mode and allow your mind and body to rest.

Our latest blog, “High-Functioning Anxiety: When You’re Successful but Constantly on Edge,” explores how anxiety can hide behind productivity, the cycle between anxiety and overworking, and practical steps toward creating a healthier relationship with achievement.

🌿 You don’t have to choose between success and well-being.

📖 Read the full blog: https://www.chicagopsych.org/blog/high-functioning-anxiety-when-youre-successful-but-constantly-on-edge

If anxiety is making it difficult to slow down, be present, or enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to achieve, professional support is available.

For a FREE phone consultation:
📞 872-529-1982
✉️ [email protected]

Discover how high-functioning anxiety can hide behind success, productivity, and perfectionism, and learn practical ways to manage worry, reduce stress, and create a healthier balance between achievement and well-being.