According to Elizabeth Sukys-Rice, LCSW and psychotherapist, every individual is unique and the way they process information is also unique. When one experiences stress, it can be a combination of physical—experiencing the stress primarily in the body, and/or mental— where some individuals experience their stress with mental reactions. One third of individuals experience their stress in both body and mind.

 

Rice is now offering private, one-on-one telehealth video sessions. Most therapy sessions are 50-minutes and can be conducted short-term (only a few sessions dealing with immediate issues) or long-term (several sessions dealing with more complex issues). The goals of treatment and arrangements for how often and how long to meet are planned in a collaborative effort between Rice and the patient.

 

Here is a simple breathing exercise to use right now, reducing within seconds any held stress:

 

1.     Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose while counting to four slowly;

2.     Hold your breath inside while counting slowly to four (try not to clamp your mouth or nose shut);

3.     Begin to slowly exhale for four seconds;

4.     Repeat steps 1 to 3 at least three times.