10 Strategies for Dealing With Self-Doubt (From a Trauma Therapist)

Written by: Lauran Daughtery Hahn, LMHC

If you’re tired of self-doubt holding you back, you’re not alone. Deep down, you know you’re capable of so much more, but the second-guessing keeps taking up too much space in your mind. You find yourself questioning decisions you’ve already made, wondering if you set the right boundary, or replaying conversations long after they’re over. That nagging, critical voice of self-doubt can be loud and, honestly, exhausting.

As a trauma therapist, I’ve walked alongside many clients who’ve struggled with this same pattern. I’ve seen how self-doubt can shrink people, stall their confidence, and disconnect them from who they truly are. And I’ve also seen what happens when they learn how to work with that inner noise instead of getting pulled under by it.

After years of helping clients heal self-doubt, I’ve put together a trauma-informed list of strategies to help you quiet the noise, gain clarity, and move toward the life you know you’re meant to live.

10 New Year's Resolutions to Help Ease Anxiety: Tips from an Orlando Therapist

If you experience anxiety, even thinking about setting a New Year's resolution may add another layer of stress, making you doubt your willpower, persistence, and abilities, wondering whether you're setting yourself up for failure. You may feel overwhelmed by the pressure to “be more” or "do better." You might feel paralyzed by the fear of not living up to your standards, especially if past attempts to meet similar goals didn't go as planned. These thoughts can create a cycle of anxiety. So, you might give up before you've even tried.

But what if you were to reframe your New Year's resolutions so they are not about perfection or drastic changes?

Orlando Therapist Guides You in Choosing Your Word of the Year

As we are rounding out the year, take a moment and reflect on the year. Do you feel a sense of accomplishment? Do you feel like the year was a struggle and really tested your limits? Or do you feel like it was a blend of both ease and difficulty? In either case, there is a lot of information to garner from reflecting on the year.

Anxiety Therapist Shares: 10 Gift Ideas for People With Anxiety

The holiday season is almost here, and you know what that means - it's time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones! Are you ready for the stress and pressure of gift-giving to hit you? We know how challenging it can be to find the perfect present for everyone on your list.

20 Tips to Manage Holiday Stress From an Anxiety Therapist

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Managing holiday stress often starts with noticing how much tension builds in your body and mind this time of year. It can be hard to relax when you’re hosting family, preparing meals, keeping up with traditions, or giving your time and energy in so many different directions.

As an Anxiety therapist in Orlando whose area of skill is in anxiety management, I have gotten to know many techniques that my past and present clients use to unwind. This week, I am going to share my top ways to de-stress this holiday season, which will help transform your holidays this year (and every other year).

If burnout feels more like what you're experiencing, I also have a separate article on holiday burnout. This one focuses specifically on holiday stress and the simple ways you can manage the tension and anxiety that show up during the season.

Anxiety Therapist Shares 21 Ways to Avoid Holiday Burnout

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Before you know it, the holiday craziness has arrived! So before you know it, you’re burnt out, and you’re feeling anxious. But this year, are you ready to avoid feeling stressed and anxious during the holidays?

As anxiety therapists in Orlando at Mindful Living Counseling, we are here to support you and remind you how you can be the best version of yourself during a stressful time, so you can really enjoy the holiday season.

Use the simple tips below to help stay afloat when you’re feeling the anxiety that ultimately leads to burnout. Check in with yourself as needed and try to accomplish at least one of the items on this list. We hope that this will help you refocus your energy on what is truly valuable during the holidays. 

Anxiety Therapist Shares: 10 Tips for Dealing With Difficult Family during the Holidays

Do you feel excited about the upcoming holidays? Are you ready to enjoy some much-needed time off, indulge in your favorite foods, and embrace your favorite holiday traditions?

Do you also experience a bit of anxiety and dread when you think about spending time with a difficult family member? You want to look forward to the big family meal together, but a part of you is bracing when you think of the unwelcome advice and commentary that will come your way.

How to Overcome Self-Doubt: Insights from a Trauma Therapist

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

We all experience self-doubt from time to time. Whenever we’re trying something new or stepping into a new group of people, it’s normal to tune into our environment more than ourselves. That kind of self-doubt is healthy. It helps us learn, grow, and get a feel for the culture we’re stepping into.

Self-doubt becomes a problem when it shows up over and over again in situations that shouldn’t feel this overwhelming. When it becomes pervasive, when it follows you from one situation to the next, that’s when we start looking at self-doubt as something that needs attention.

As a trauma therapist, I love helping folks overcome and heal their self-doubt. I’ve been working with a client who struggled with a lot of self-doubt in her relationship. Anytime something felt off, her first instinct was to assume it was her fault. She carried the weight of every misunderstanding, every moment of tension, convinced she was the problem.

Why You Struggle with Self-Doubt (and How It Quietly Holds You Back)

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You’re tired of second-guessing yourself and the anxiety that comes with it. You have goals and dreams for yourself, but something keeps holding you back, a quiet, nagging voice that says you can’t do it, or that you’ll get it wrong. You want to move forward with confidence, to trust your decisions, and take the kinds of risks at work (and in life) that could actually move you closer to what you want.

Self-doubt can feel paralyzing at its worst, and at best, like your harshest inner critic looming over your creativity, your drive, and your motivation.

As an anxiety therapist in Orlando, I’ve helped many clients work through self-doubt so they can move forward with confidence.

In this article, I’ll unpack the underlying causes of self-doubt and explore the different ways it can show up in your life.

In my next blog, I’ll share tools for overcoming self-doubt when it strikes, along with daily practices to help soothe the inner critic so you can stop feeling stuck.

What Causes Indecisiveness (and How to Overcome it)

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

Every time you’re about to make a decision, you feel stuck. You’re afraid that no matter what you choose, it will be the wrong decision. Your difficulty deciding prevents you from moving forward in your life. You feel like you’re spinning your wheels because the doubt is clouding your judgment, whether you’re deciding on small things like what to say in a conversation or making big life decisions like changing careers or ending a relationship. You wonder why you can’t just make decisions easier. You know it shouldn’t be that hard, but your mind won’t let it be.

I am an anxiety therapist in Orlando. In this article, I will walk you through why we get stuck in our decisions, both small and significant ones, how anxiety fuels indecisiveness, and practical ways to break free from the constant cycle of overthinking in the moment and in the long term.

Trauma Therapy for Nightmares: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You cannot remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep. You usually wake up frightened, sweaty, and with a pounding heart. Nightmares that repeat night after night feel so real that they stick with you even during the day. You know it was just a dream, but your body doesn’t believe you, making you feel upset and exhausted. You begin to dread going to sleep because sleep doesn’t bring the peace and rest you need. It brings memories you never chose to revisit.

You may wonder, “Why do I keep having nightmares every night?” Or, “Are my nightmares due to PTSD?” “When will they stop?”

As a trauma therapist, I’ve often seen how nightmares can be a trauma response and how deeply they can affect both our nights and days. In this article, I’ll explore whether PTSD can trigger nightmares, why they occur, and what you can do to reduce or stop nightmares caused by trauma.

Anxiety Counselor Explains CBT Therapy

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You've noticed that your anxiety gets in the way of daily life, making it hard to focus at work, enjoy yourself, or feel fulfilled in relationships. You overthink every decision, replay conversations in your head like a broken record, lie awake at night, and worry constantly about what the future might bring. And it's just… exhausting.

You've heard about cognitive behavioral therapy and wonder if CBT can help with anxiety. It's perfectly reasonable to want to know more before you begin counseling. People often have many questions about CBT when they call our practice, such as how CBT works, what cognitive behavioral therapy does, or why, for some people, CBT doesn't work. In this article, I will answer these questions and more to help you understand what to expect.

Orlando Counselor Providing Anxiety Relief

Does making decisions give you anxiety? No matter what you decide to do, you are plagued with internal distress? Do you feel stuck in the mud because none of the choices you make seem to be exactly right? Do you agonize over decisions because you are afraid you’ll make the wrong decision?

Anxiety Counselor Explains Phobias: Causes, Types, and Treatments That Work

Written by: Lauran Hahn, LMHC

You know you have irrational fears that are holding you back. You want to move forward in your life, but these fears keep you stuck. Maybe it’s turning down a promotion at work that involves travel or delaying that long-planned trip to Europe because you’re afraid of flying. Or perhaps you have a fear of insects that prevents you from a backpacking adventure because you can’t imagine sleeping in places crawling with insects. For someone with a phobia, these reactions aren't just nerves. They're overwhelming waves of fear that seem impossible to control. But you're not powerless. And you're definitely not alone. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, about 12,5% of adult Americans experience a specific phobia sometime in their life.

People have many questions about phobias when they come for anxiety therapy, like how phobias develop, how they affect daily life, or what is the common treatment for phobias? In this article, I will walk through each of these questions and more to help you understand where your phobia symptoms come from and what type of therapy is best for phobias.