Your thoughts are racing. Your chest feels tight. You’re short of breath. These are all signs your anxiety is back. Anxiety is one of the conditions most people can manage, but it takes focus and commitment to make it happen. Let’s look at five ways you can decrease your anxiety, alongside Las Vegas therapy.

1. Use Deep Breathing

During an anxiety episode, most people experience rapid breathing, which can lead to shortness of breath. Deep breathing can help calm anxiety as well as bring breathing back under control. Practicing it regularly will help you manage an anxiety attack that comes out of nowhere.

• Sit with your eyes closed. Don’t try to control your breath at this point. Pay attention to how the breath feels as it comes in and out of the nose.
• Breathe in deeply for a count of four. Hold for a count of three. Exhale for a count of four. Repeat this cycle.
• Concentrate on your breathing. Let everything else fade away. Your mind may be a hive of activity, but concentrate on how you’re breathing. If you find yourself thinking of anything else, go back to breathing.

2. Adopt Good Sleeping Habits

Sleep deprivation plays havoc on the brain. It ups overall anxiety and increases the brain’s need to anticipate everything. Building good sleeping habits is one of the first steps that can help avoid these symptoms.

Go to bed at a regular time. Sleep in a dark room at a comfortable temperature. Wear ear plugs or a sleeping mask if necessary. It may take a while, but over time your body will thank you for getting to sleep.

3. Reduce Caffeine, Sugar, and Processed Food Intake

Caffeine increases the heart rate. Sugar stimulates the adrenal gland. Processed foods often contain ingredients which overstimulate the central nervous system, contributing to anxiety attacks and heart palpitations.

Eliminating these items, or at least reducing your intake, helps prevent anxiety symptoms.<p

4. Exercise

Therapy professionals recommend regular, vigorous exercise to their anxiety patients. Exercise fires up the endorphins, which helps give them a sense of calm. It can help clear the mind and also promote healthy sleep patterns.

Go out for a 20-minute walk. Take a yoga or aerobics class. Take a bike ride in the evening or early morning.

5. Get Routine Medical Exams

Ask the doctor if you might have a condition or be using a medication which might increase your anxiety levels

Contact Kayenta and Schedule a Las Vegas Therapy Session

Anxiety does not have to rule your life. With the help of Las Vegas therapy and some of these coping strategies, you can reduce your anxiety and learn how to manage life without the panicky feelings that crop up unexpectedly. If you need help controlling your anxiety, call Kayenta Therapy at 702-438-7800 to schedule an appointment with a licensed therapist today

Childhood should be a carefree time when kids don’t have to worry about much. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. A large number of school-aged children experience stress. It’s detrimental for their emotional and physical well-being. If your child is stressed and needs help, Las Vegas family therapy may be the answer.

How Family Therapy Can Help a Child’s Stress

1. It encourages your child to face their fears. Avoiding a fear actually maintains or increases stress levels. Facing a fear and dealing with it teaches a child the fear is only temporary and will go away once it’s dealt with. It also builds the child’s self-confidence, reducing stress over time.
2. It encourages your child to express their anxiety. Family therapy offers your child the chance to express their emotions. If your child is worried or scared, let them talk about it. Never dismiss those emotions or make them less than what the child is feeling.
3. It helps your child learn how to focus on positives instead of negatives. It is very easy for a child to get lost in negative thoughts or feelings. Family therapy can help your child focus on what is positive and good. This will teach them how to manage stress levels on their own.
4. It teaches your child how to problem solve. One way to face a stressful situation is to come up with a solution to solve it. That doesn’t mean a parent swooping in to save the day. It means encouraging the child to come up with their own solutions, or providing options for the child to choose from.
5. It tells your child they don’t need to be perfect. Kids feel a lot of pressure to be perfect in school, at sports, or in performance situations. That can put plenty of stress on the child. Therapy can teach both the child and the parent that perfection is not the goal. Encourage a child to work hard, but accepting their mistakes and imperfections, is the better option.
6. It gives you the chance to model the right behaviors. Family therapy focuses on all members of the family, not just the child. Parents can learn how to handle stressful situations and model the right behavior. Kids learn by watching parents. If you’re managing stress in a healthy, positive way, so will your child.

Contact Kayenta for Las Vegas Family Therapy Today

Stress is an ongoing challenge for anyone. But, a child may have a harder time coping due to their emotional and mental immaturity. Las Vegas family therapy can help your child learn how to face fears and express emotions appropriately. It gives you the chance to model the right behaviors so your child can too. If your child needs help managing his or her stress, contact Kayenta Therapy today at 702-438-7800.

Conflicts happen, when two people are in an intimate relationship. They can be as minor as deciding what’s for dinner and as major as determining whether to have children or not. Spouses who communicate well and work together to resolve issues can work through most any conflict.

However, when one or both spouses lack the skills or willingness to work together, even minor conflicts can cause serious rifts. Left unresolved, these rifts have the potential of ending even the strongest marriages.

If your relationship is under stress from unresolved conflicts, you need to consider marriage counseling in Las Vegas.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Resolution of Conflict

Do any of these comments sound familiar?

• You never change a diaper.
• I’m your wife not your mother.
• You never listen to me.
• You’re such a slob.
• You spend too much on makeup. Do you think I am made of money?
• Why do you spend so much time with your buddies and never spend a spare moment with me?

These comments, and ones just like them, are red flags of a relationship in trouble. The couple has not resolved normal conflicts, causing ever-growing rifts in the relationship. If the couple doesn’t address the conflicts in a healthy way, the rifts are only going to grow deeper.

Marriage counseling in Las Vegas can help both spouses. It can help them learn how to resolve underlying conflicts in a healthy way. It can also help rebuild the strength of the relationship as both spouses learn what the other needs and work together to come up with a solution.

Here are some skills couples learn in counseling:

• Addressing conflict in a direct manner without assaulting the other person’s character. Telling someone they’re a control freak or a slob puts that person on the defensive, making it difficult to resolve the situation.
• Keeping generalizations out of the conversation. “Always” and “never” are common generalizations that tend to escalate disagreements.
• Developing active listening skills. Interrupting the other person or not paying attention shows disrespect.
• Avoiding negativity. It is so easy to get into a pattern of trading insults and contemptuous comments over and over again.
• Learning to walk away when necessary. Taking a time out and letting tempers calm down can keep grievances from escalating further.

These skills can help marital partners address ongoing conflicts as well as any that arise in the future. They can improve communication and help rebuild the strength of the marital relationship.

Do You Need Marriage Counseling in Las Vegas?

If you and your spouse have ongoing conflicts that remain unresolved, it’s time to consider marriage counseling in Las Vegas. Kayenta Therapy Centers can help. They have offered counseling services for over 25 years. Call them today at 702-438-7800 to schedule an appointment.

The beginning of July marks just over the mid-year point of 2017. It is a great time to assess how well you are doing and if you are on track with your goals. One area to appraise is your mental health. A mid-year check-in will tell you if you’re in good shape, or if you need a bit of help from our counseling center in Las Vegas.

Why Check-In With Yourself?

Life can get hectic and it never seems to stop. With that frantic pace comes stress, which can wreak havoc on the mind and body. Stopping every once in a while, to assess where you are and what you need to do offers you the chance to manage your stress level and keep yourself mentally healthy.

Mid-year is the perfect time to check back on your New Year’s resolutions. You might have resolved to lose weight, get a new job, buy a new house, or just learn how to relax by taking a yoga class. Have you completed any of your resolutions or even started them? What is holding you back?

While you are assessing your resolution progress, ask yourself if you’re where you want to be in life. Yes, that is a deep subject, but an important one. Some areas to appraise:

• Career
• Financial planning/budget
• Family relationships
• Community involvement
• Friendships
• Your spouse/partner
• Education
• Mental health
• Physical health

It is a good idea to write down the areas where you might need help. This will allow you to see where you can make positive changes to get your life moving to where you want it to go.

Why Do You Need a Mental Health Check-In with Our A Counseling Center in Las Vegas?

For some reason, mid-year seems to put a lot of pressure on people. You have had six months to work on your resolutions, but have not made satisfactory progress. You are less than six months away from the holiday season. The kids are home from school and you don’t have as much time to spend with them as you would like. Time is flying and you cannot get everything done.

Seeing a therapist at our counseling center in Las Vegas can actually help you get back on track and moving forward. It offers you a safe place to express emotions, handle problems from the past, and deal with every day stress. The therapist can help you develop strategies to help you move forward.

Now, a single therapy session once or twice a year is not enough. If you want to make progress, you will need to commit to more sessions, perhaps once a week or once every other week for at least a few months. But, it’s time well spent when you are making progress.

When you find you’re not in the best place, contact our counseling center in Las Vegas at 702-438-7800 to set an appointment with a licensed therapist today.

Is your relationship healthy?

This is a question everyone should ask periodically. Healthy relationships support good mental, emotional and physical health. They are a balance of give and take for both partners. They offer both to feel connected and supported, without losing their own independent personalities.

Unhealthy relationships, on the other hand, are not good for either partner. Studies have shown people in unhealthy relationships tend to have larger waistlines and poorer health. These relationships tend to isolate one or both partners.

Relationship counseling in Las Vegas can help transform an unhealthy relationship into a strong, supportive one.

The Steps to Building a Healthy Relationship

Having a healthy relationship begins with realizing it requires an ongoing effort from both parties. Without commitment from both sides and plenty of hard work, even the strongest relationship will eventually fall apart.

Here are some basic steps to building a healthy, resilient relationship that can stand the test of time. You can learn all these skills from relationship counseling in Las Vegas.

• Provide mutual support. It cannot be a one-way street. A relationship cannot withstand one partner giving all the time without the other doing the same.
• Build strong communication skills. A strong relationship will have a deep bond where neither partner fears talking to the other about any topic.
• Offer both transparency and trust. Your partner should have no questions about trust in your relationship. Hiding things from one another is a fast road to relationship problems.
• Make your partner a priority. Take the time to listen to your partner. Learn what he or she likes. Try to avoid what he or she dislikes.
• Show affection. Holding hands or giving a quick kiss on the cheek may seem cliché to a healthy relationship, but in actuality, essential.
• Argue in a healthy way. Conflicts are normal in an intimate relationship. Keeping grievances hidden is poisonous. Addressing them in a healthy manner will strengthen, not weaken, the relationship.
• Balance couple and individual activities. There are times when you will do things as a couple. There are times when you will do things individually. When the balance between the two is off, it can cause unnecessary conflicts.
• Realize relationships are not perfect. Most are a complicated mix of healthy and not-so-healthy qualities. Learning to address or work around the not-so-healthy qualities is part of any healthy relationship.

Schedule an Appointment for Relationship Counseling in Las Vegas

Is your relationship healthy? If you are ready to address this question you should consider relationship counseling in Las Vegas. A counselor will help you answer the questions with your partner and come to conclusions for your issues. Make an appointment with Kayenta Therapy Centers today by calling 702-438-7800.

Social anxiety disorder can be incredibly overwhelming. For people who don’t understand what’s going on, it can be debilitating, stopping life in its tracks and making it hard to perform even the simplest of functions.

Social anxiety disorder is a common reason people seek therapy in Las Vegas. If you think you may have social anxiety disorder, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Experienced professionals are trained to help people identify and deal with these situations.

The following are some symptoms of social anxiety disorder therapy in Las Vegas can help you manage:

• Problems Sleeping. Social anxiety disorder can cause any number of sleep problems, including insomnia or the inability to stay asleep throughout the night. Many people who suffer from this condition experience unrestful sleep, even when they manage to sleep through the night.
• Self-Consciousness. Are you afraid others will judge you? Do you have difficulty meeting others and interacting with people in shared spaces? Often, people with social anxiety disorder fear humiliation, embarrassment, or rejection. Therapists are trained to provide you with the tools necessary to see social interactions in a positive light, helping you overcome the fears associated with meeting other people so you can begin to enjoy interacting with others.
• Making and Keeping Friends. It’s tough to make friends when you’re not comfortable being around new people. This can cause feelings of loneliness and isolation, which further perpetuate the problems associated with social anxiety disorder. Friends play an important role in humans’ mental health, and the better support system you have, the easier it will be to overcome your anxieties.
• Physical Symptoms. Blushing, sweating, or trembling are symptoms often experienced by people with social anxiety disorder. There are many coping mechanisms you can learn to reduce the physical symptoms associated with social discomfort. Once you understand why your mind is uncomfortable, your body will begin to settle down, as well. Therapy in Las Vegas will help you learn how the body and mind work together to create a healthier, happier you.
• Avoidance of Places Where You’ll Run into People. For people who don’t suffer from social anxiety disorder, this statement can seem unreasonable. After all, you’re going to run into people no matter where you go. Unfortunately, this fear is all too real for people who suffer social anxiety disorder. It can stop you from visiting the grocery store, going out with friends, and even prevent you from holding down a job. It’s a scary situation to be in, but with professional guidance, you’ll be able to reduce or eliminate your fears so you can go on living your life.

Therapy in Las Vegas can help

Kayenta Therapy Centers offer therapy in Las Vegas for people who need assistance understanding and overcoming social anxiety disorder. We provide a supportive, caring environment that encourages personal development and growth. Browse our frequently asked questions, and reach out to us at 702-438-7800 to learn more.

Ah, your 20s and 30s! A time of limitless opportunities and adventures to embrace and enjoy before the period of marriage and a mortgage. Unfortunately, for many of today’s young adults, it is instead a time filled with confusion, uncertainty, and depression. They feel stuck in a sort of permanent adolescence, but with more grown-up responsibilities like unemployment, complicated relationships, and debt. Psychologists now define this is as a “quarter-life crisis.” Getting help with Las Vegas therapy through Kayenta is one way to start working through this crisis.

Young, Insecure and Depressed

If you think you’re going through a quarter-life crisis of your own, the “good” news is you’re not alone. Fortunately, most people come out the other side in a better state of mind, and there are plenty of ways, Las Vegas therapy helps to make dealing with and moving past it a little easier. This time of intense soul-searching and stress is typically caused by feeling you’re not achieving your full potential, or are being left behind as your peers seem to become ever more successful.

So how do you make a smooth transition to the “real” adult world when everything and everyone around you is saying you’re not ready?

Working Through a Quarter Life Crisis

The 20s and 30s have always been a period of transition and keeping that in mind can help you stay grounded. Remember, you can’t fix everything in an instant. Be patient, set realistic goals and:

• Listen to What Your Inner Voice Is Saying. Your life’s purpose can be found within you, but it’s often difficult to hear your own voice when others are telling you how to live your life. Try to tune in to and recognize what excites you.
• Stop Living Your Life for Others. If you constantly think about what other people want or even what they want for you, you’re trying to meet someone else’s needs. Ignore your own needs and you may end up feeling empty and resentful.
• Tap Into Your Resistance. Feeling resentful? Instead of fighting it, work to discover what it’s trying to tell you. Angst can be the key to the freedom you need to develop into the person you are meant to be.

The true source of the discontentment that comes with a quarter-life crisis is within you, not your surroundings. To fix this requires working on improving the way you handle stressful thoughts and situations. Seeking Las Vegas therapy on how to achieve emotional intelligence will help you better cope, keep things in perspective, and grow into a valuable, contributing adult.

Las Vegas Therapy for A Quarter-Life Crisis

There’s no easy way to avoid what you’re going through, any more than a way to skip through this time in your life. Kayenta Therapy can help you maneuver your quarter-life crisis and find your own path in life. Contact us today at 702-438-7800 to learn more about how our Las Vegas therapy center can put you on the road to a successful adulthood.

There comes a time when children must leave the nest and embark new lives away from their parents, whether that’s starting college in a new city or moving to a new state for a job. While coping with your children leaving home is a big challenge, finding a family counselor in Las Vegas who can talk through your empty nest syndrome doesn’t have to be.

Here are common questions about empty nest syndrome and how a family counselor can help:

What is empty nest syndrome?

Empty nest syndrome sums up the feelings of sadness parents may feel when their last child leaves the house, the Mayo Clinic states.

What can trigger empty nest syndrome?

When their children move away, parents can feel at a loss because they have grown used to their children’s companionship at home. If they are questioning their children’s ability to take care of themselves independently or their safety outside of the home, this can also trigger empty nest syndrome.

Who is more likely to experience empty nest syndrome?

Parents who have only had one child or who most likely identify with their roles as parents are probably most likely to have empty nest syndrome and have a harder time coping with this condition, the Mayo Clinic suggests.

In addition, Dr. Kyle Bradford Jones, a family physician, said stay at home parents are also susceptible to this condition and the syndrome can be a critical problem, according to the University of Utah Health Sciences Radio.

Why should parents with empty nest syndrome seek help?

Being apart from family is both distressing to children and to parents. As a result of empty nest syndrome, parents can experience negative side effects to their health and relationships, including:

What are the benefits of speaking with a family counselor in Las Vegas?

Though parents may not want to admit they have empty nest syndrome, they could benefit from finding a family counselor in Las Vegas. Children of parents suffering from empty nest syndrome are also likely to notice parents becoming depressed. Parents who are in the beginning stages of empty nest syndrome, and especially those who have severe depression or anxiety, should seek help through a family counselor.

Dr. Jones says seeking therapy can encourage parents to acknowledge these emotions and talking to someone can help with coping with these feelings and the transition into dealing with an empty house.

For more information on coping with empty nest syndrome through a family counselor in Las Vegas, call 702-438-7800 to schedule an appointment with Kayenta Therapy.

As if you and your children didn’t go through enough disturbance as you navigated separation, divorce and a parenting plan. Now you’re bracing to enter unchartered territory: negotiating changes to your parenting plan.

There are good reasons to make changes, especially if you and your ex-spouse are united in the goal of placing the needs and interests of your children first. But this doesn’t make the prospect of navigating the process any easier.

What can make it easier, for you and your children, is seeking assistance from an experienced family therapist in Las Vegas at Kayenta Therapy. We can help calm fears, lower anxiety, reduce conflict and otherwise serve as a compassionate sounding board for any of the very human emotions divorce — and post-divorce life — triggers.

Watch for signs your children may need a family therapist in Las Vegas

Having already gone through a separation and divorce, you probably have a good idea as to when your children may be troubled by the events swirling around them – no matter how valiant your efforts to insulate them from the most confidential details of your parenting plan. Trust your gut instinct, and if it tells you to make an appointment with a family therapist in Las Vegas at Kayenta, don’t hesitate to do so. Otherwise, be alert for these telltale signs of stress in your children:

• Acting out or throwing tantrums
• Being manipulative
• Displaying compulsive or reckless behavior
• Eating or sleeping problems (too much or not enough)
• Exhibiting verbal or nonverbal signs of separation anxiety
• Experiencing prolonged moodiness or irritability
• Grappling with sadness or depression
• Reverting to childlike tendencies
• Struggling with renewed feelings of guilt over the divorce
• Withdrawing from academic or social activities

Heed the signs you may need a family therapist in Las Vegas

As you review this list, you might see a mirror into your own feelings. A Kayenta family therapist can also help if you’re:

• Criticizing or badmouthing your ex about your parenting plan in front of your children
• Putting your children directly in the vortex of the potential parenting plan changes
• Using the legal system – and specifically the parenting plan – to fight with or punish your ex-spouse.

A family therapist in Las Vegas can steer you to calmer waters

As a proud member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the counselors at Kayenta Therapy agree that “family therapists can assist in the process of redefining relationships and addressing family members’ responsibilities and needs” during and after divorce. Specifically, we can defuse tensions during this pivotal time by helping you and your children:

• Enhance your non-aggressive negotiation skills
• Accept the divorce (since a parenting plan can reopen old wounds)
• Hone constructive and positive communication skills
• Polish your problem-solving abilities
• Talk about whatever is troubling you about the parenting plan

This last point is key because at Kayenta, we know every family and every parenting plan is different. This is why we ask you to set the agenda – the “talking points,” if you will. We’ll guide the way to a calmer, more peaceful and happier life with your new parenting plan. Schedule an appointment with a family therapist in Las Vegas at Kayenta by calling 702-438-7800.

If you are going through a divorce, or have recently divorced, you know just how difficult this period of time is. Add children to the equation, and it gets even more complicated and challenging. Here are a few Las Vegas counseling tips for parenting on your own terms that can help make this transition period go as smoothly as possible.

• • Do Not Waive Consequences Due to Feeling GuiltyWhile you may feel guilty due to the inevitable disruption in your child’s life as a result of your divorce, it’s important not to waive consequences of poor behavior. Consistency is important, so if your child acts out, make sure the consequence of the behavior does not waver. For instance, if your child talks back to you make sure the consequence remains the same as before your divorce. After the fact, talk to your child to determine what is going on with him or her, and allow your child to openly talk about their feelings surrounding your divorce.
  • Do Not Let Your Child Get Caught in the MiddleLife will be much easier for your child if they aren’t caught in the middle of you and your ex-spouse. Avoid badmouthing your ex or saying anything that might make your child feel he or she has to choose a side. In the long run, this will help your child have a healthier relationship with you and your ex.
  • Realize It’s Okay to Fall ApartDivorce is hard and it’s okay for you to feel sad, overwhelmed, angry, and so forth. It is also okay for your child to see you have difficult feelings. The important thing to remember is to not over share what you’re going through.
  • Remember It’s Okay to Have Your Own Parenting StyleYou and your ex might have different parenting styles, but that is perfectly okay. When the kids are with you and in your home, you are the one who is in charge and makes the rules. Expect your child to follow the rules for your home and don’t worry about the rules in your ex’s home. Scheduling a Las Vegas counseling session can help you find ways to parent your child without invading your ex’s parenting style.
  • Dealing with the Transition Between HomesIt may be difficult for your child to transition between your home and your ex’s each week, resulting in your child acting out. For instance, they may go into their bedroom and shut the door, or may have an outburst. Try to be understanding as to the feelings behind the acting out and encourage your child to talk about their feelings. However, it might be necessary there be consequences for the behavior, depending on the behavior.

Get Las Vegas Counseling through Kayenta

While parenting is a tough job, talking it out in counseling is a great way to help you through the rough patches. Contact Kayenta Therapy Centers at 702-438-7800 to find your counselor today.