Coping Skills Therapy in San Antonio
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
What are coping skills? Coping skills are the activities we engage in when we’re anxious, depressed, stressed out, or some other uncomfy feeling. The definition of “cope” is to “deal effectively with something difficult.” Difficult things are inevitable (as much as I’d love to make all my clients’ problems disappear). Our goal in counseling is to create a collection of tools you can use when you’re feeling bad to make you feel even a little bit better. I also encourage clients to incorporate coping mechanisms into their daily life to hopefully prevent the icky feelings from arriving at all.
As we get to know each other in counseling, I’ll help you discover coping skills that match your interests and skills. Hate writing? No journaling for you! Love nature? Let’s get you outside as much as possible. No matter who you are or what you’re into, there are tools you can use to help when life gets rough.
Often a client will worry that their coping skills are “unhealthy,” such as drinking alcohol or scrolling TikTok for hours. These techniques served a purpose, but if you’re ready to find new ones, we’ll use what works for you. If drinking alcohol calms you down, we’ll find another soothing activity that’s more sustainable. Or maybe drinking provides a social outlet? Let’s find another way for you to connect with others.
Some coping mechanisms my clients who experience anxiety have found helpful — either in-the-moment or as a preventative tool — include: repeating a mantra, reading, listening to a guided meditation, walking their dog, visualization exercises, watching a funny video, progressive muscle relaxation, cleaning/organizing, dancing, drawing, stretching, and more.
Coping skills for anxiety
“Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, you are not the rain.”
— Matt Haig