Difficulty managing stress is often identified as a reason one seeks out counseling. Stress refers to the physiological and psychological responses to a stressor or demand which may be experienced as positive (eustress) or negative (distress). Pioneering researchers Walter Cannon (1939) and Hans Selye (1993) began conceptualizing stress almost a century ago. Selye posited his general adaptation syndrome (1993) which described long and short-term responses to stress that occur in stages. Cannon (1939) coined the first of Selye’s stages as flight or fight. Research found that the third stage of exhaustion is experienced if the second stage of adaptation does not provide resolution and relief.
Counseling is often sought in the adaptation stage or when one is exhausted from failed attempts to navigate stress with familiar coping strategies. The very nature of stress is that the demands or threats are perceived as potentially (or actually) exceeding one’s resources and capabilities. There is hope and help for anyone experiencing stress related to family or other relationships, health, financial issues, or any other concerns. Therapeutic strategies may be introduced to explore one’s appraisal of the stressors, lessen the emotional and other impact, and expand one’s coping, calming and communication skills. The aim is to move forward from ineffective or maladaptive responses to those that are experienced as more internally and externally adaptive.
References:
Cannon, W. B. (1939). The wisdom of the body. Norton.
Selye, H. (1993). History of the stress concept. In L. Goldberger & S. Brenznitz (Eds.), Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects (2nd ed., pp. 7-17). Free Press.