Ready to reduce anxiety, improve relationships, or recover from substance abuse? You're in the right place! I'm Amelia Elkins, LCSW, CAS (licensed therapist and substance abuse specialist). I'm licensed to see clients in the beautiful states of Colorado and Alaska.
With 15 years of experience in the mental health field and 12 providing individual and group therapy, I strive to provide high quality care for the folks I work with. As your therapist, I’m here to help you find your strengths and utilize tailored tools to navigate life.
My expertise includes therapy around relationships (breakups, divorce, family, friendships and creating healthy relationships), anxiety and substance abuse. Therapy at Helm means having a safe, accepting space to work on yourself.
Part of being human is experiencing anxiety. Nerves around an upcoming presentation, fixation on a conversation that didn't go well or a racing heartbeat after waiting in line at the grocery store are common experiences. Anxiety outside of the normal range is defined as excessive worry occurring regularly for six months resulting in restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and/or sleep disturbance.
A recent study found 33% of adults reported either anxiety or depression in the last year. This same study found 50% of adults ranging in ages 18-24 reported anxiety or depression sometime in the last year. This data proves anxiety is prevalent and tools for support are needed.
Attending therapy has been found to be a helpful support in reducing overall anxiety. One study found over 50% of folks who attended therapy for anxiety reported improvement. Having the space to process the anxiety, recognize triggers and develop tailored tools creates security and confidence. Below are three of my personal favorites and client go-to's for combatting anxiety in the moment:
Check the Facts: Based off of a combination of CBT and MI, checking the facts involves making a mental (or written) list of the actual truth. For example, let's say one is anxious about eating at a restaurant alone. The fears may include everyone will be looking at me, I'm going to feel nervous, people will think I'm weird for eating alone, etc. These are all fears and they're valid thoughts but not necessarily true. The facts may include:
This is a basic example but you get the idea. Just writing or thinking about the facts has a way of lessening anxiety and reducing the power of nerves.
Square Breathing: A client and therapist favorite alike, square breathing is basic but powerful. Simply breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale through your mouth for four counts, and pause for four counts. Do all of this while creating a square in your mind. The combination of breathing and distraction leaves anxiety feeling powerless.
Connect with Your Senses: Grounding is a technique used to reduce anxiety by checking in with your senses. When feeling anxious, take a minute to notice three things you can see, feel, hear, smell and even taste. When we feel anxious, we may begin to disconnect from our bodies or let physical symptoms run rampant (racing heart, sweating, etc.). By connecting with our senses we're able to return to our bodies.
Share this post:
1776 S Jackson Street Ste 522,
Denver, CO 80210
Office is conveniently located next to Wash Park, South Denver, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills, Glendale, Metro Denver, & Cherry Creek
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.