Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety in its natural form serves as a protective mechanism that helps us stay alert and react to potential dangers. However, when anxiety becomes excessive and persistent, it can cause distress and interfere with daily life.

The Problem Clients Often Face

Chronic anxiety can take a heavy toll on both mental and physical health. Many individuals describe feeling:

• Constant worry or dread that won’t go away

• Racing thoughts that make it hard to concentrate

• Irritability and restlessness that affect relationships

• Sleep disturbances, leaving them exhausted and overwhelmed

• Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, headaches, or stomach issues

Over time, these experiences can feel isolating, discouraging, and even frightening—making everyday tasks and connections more difficult.

How We Can Help You Cope

At Arms Open Counselling, we work alongside you to bring relief and build healthier ways of managing anxiety. Together we can:

• Teach practical grounding and relaxation techniques to calm the body and mind

• Explore thought patterns and help shift unhelpful cycles of worry

• Strengthen coping strategies that restore a sense of control

• Provide a safe, supportive space to share what you’re experiencing without judgment

• Support lifestyle changes (such as sleep, movement, and routines) that reduce symptoms

Anxiety doesn’t have to define your days. With support and tools tailored to your needs, it’s possible to feel calmer, more in control, and better equipped to face life’s challenges.

ADHD Support
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is not a mental illness—it’s a neurodevelopmental condition rooted in differences in brain structure and function. These differences lead to struggles in holding attention, impulse control, organization, and time management. While ADHD often begins in childhood, many people are now diagnosed later in adulthood.

Challenges Clients Often Face
Living with ADHD can affect many parts of daily life. Clients have described:

• Feeling scattered, distracted, or unable to focus no matter how hard they try

• Struggles with forgetfulness, disorganization, missed deadlines at work or school

• Acting impulsively followed by feelings of regret or shame

• Challenges with relationships due to interruptions, restlessness, or emotional outbursts

• Low self-esteem from years of being misunderstood or told they’re “lazy” or “not trying hard enough”

These difficulties are NOT a reflection of lack of effort or worth.

How We Can Help You Cope and Thrive?
At Arms Open Counselling, we understand the unique challenges ADHD brings—and the unique strengths too. Our team offers:

• Practical strategies for focus, time management, and organization

• Support for managing emotions and building healthier communication patterns

• Guidance for parents, partners, or family members who want to better understand ADHD

• A safe, compassionate space where clients can process frustration and rebuild confidence

• A strengths-based approach that highlights creativity, problem-solving, and resilience

With the right support, people with ADHD can thrive in school, work, relationships, and beyond. You don’t have to navigate this journey alone—we’re here to walk alongside you, one step at a time.

Grief is a natural and personal response to loss. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a major life transition, grief can touch every part of life. Grief can affect your mind, body, and spirit in ways that may feel overwhelming.

The Challenges Clients Often Face
Many people experiencing grief describe:

• Intense sadness, anger, guilt, or even unexpected feelings of relief

• Physical symptoms such as exhaustion, headaches, sleep problems, or changes in appetite

• Trouble focusing, forgetfulness, or feeling “numb” and disconnected

• Pulling away from social connections, feeling isolated or misunderstood

• Questioning their identity, purpose, or the future after their loss

These experiences can leave people feeling alone or unsure on how to move forward. It’s important to remember—grief is a natural response to love and loss.

How We Can Help YCope and Heal
At Arms Open Counselling, we provide compassionate, non-judgmental support for individuals and families navigating grief. Together, we can:

• Create space to process emotions at your own pace, without pressure or expectation

• Normalize and validate your feelings so you don’t feel “wrong” for grieving the way you do

• Explore healthy coping tools to manage overwhelming emotions and physical symptoms

• Support you in finding meaning, rebuilding routines, and reconnecting with life after loss

• Offer guidance and encouragement as you navigate relationships and changes following grief

While grief may never fully disappear, healing is possible. With support, you can begin to carry your loss in a way that allows both remembrance and renewed hope. You don’t have to face this alone—we’re here to walk alongside you.

Faith-Based Counselling
For many people, faith and spirituality are not just beliefs—they are the foundation of identity, purpose, and resilience. When life feels heavy, faith can provide comfort, guidance, and meaning. Yet, during times of grief, anxiety, or personal struggle, individuals may feel disconnected from their spiritual practices, question their beliefs, or wonder how to align their healing with their faith.

The Challenges Clients Often Face
Clients who value their faith deeply may struggle with:

• Feeling guilt, shame, or confusion when their emotional struggles seem at odds with their beliefs

• Wondering where God or their spiritual foundation fits in the midst of suffering

• A sense of isolation if family, friends, or community don’t understand their spiritual perspective

• Difficulty finding counsellors who respect and affirm their faith as a source of strength

These struggles can leave people feeling unseen or misunderstood in traditional therapy settings.

How We Can Help
At Arms Open Counselling, Angela and Dawn offer faith-based counselling that honours the whole person—including spiritual life—as an important part of well-being. In sessions, we:

• Create a safe space where faith and mental health are integrated, not separate

• Affirm clients’ values and beliefs as strengths, not barriers

• Encourage meaning-making and resilience through faith traditions and spiritual community

• Build a therapeutic relationship rooted in compassion, empathy, and deep respect for personal beliefs

For clients who hold faith at the center of their lives, this approach can make counselling not only more effective but also more transformative—helping them draw strength, hope, and healing from both therapy and spirituality