CLOSED to new questions AMA September 14-16th with therapists Rory and Stacy
Hi there. My name is soulsings, the ambassador liaison with 7cups therapy program. I am thrilled to introduce an AMA [Ask Me Anything] thread that can help you better understand how 7cups online therapy can help you cope with mental health issues that you experience in your life. Rory Boutilier and Stacy Overton are licensed therapists that provide online therapy services for 7 Cups. They can answer your questions about different mental health challenges in your life. See their bio's at the end of this post!
This format gives you 3 days Sept 14th to 16th (EDT time GMT-5) to ask your question and give them time to answer them. So post your questions now and they will answer them as quickly as they can. Remember this is a 3 day thread, so get your questions in early. They will answer questions in the order received.
Sometimes people ask the same or similar questions, so please read through the questions in this thread before submitting your questions so you can benefit from all the answers presented here and we can limit duplicate questions from happening.
Thanks for participating in this AMA thread. I look forward to your questions and the therapist's answers. If you want to ask a particular therapist to answer your question, start your thread with for Stacy or for Rory
Stacy Overton: Here is a Link to their therapy page https://www.7cups.com/therapists/profiles/Stacy-Overton-StacyOvertonPhD/
BIO: Counseling is about making changes you seek in your life. It is a place that feels safe and is free from any judgment to work through almost any problem. Healing is a process and there are no quick fixes but change is absolutely obtainable with time and motivation. Dr. Stacy has a style that is authentic, direct, and compassionate. She helps individuals identify their values in order to develop skills and discover strengths to lead meaningful, balanced lives. She has over 20 years experience with a variety of populations that include; persons with chronic/acute illness, depression, anxiety, mood disorder, addiction, relationship challenges, divorce, grief/loss, trauma and womens issues. For more of their bio, see link to therapy page above.
Rory Boutilier: Here is a Link to their therapy page https://www.7cups.com/therapists/profiles/Rory-Boutilier-RoryBoutilierRPC/
BIO: Hello! I take a unique approach to helping you reach your goals and I fully believe that therapy is a collaborative process - your success is my success. My focus is on you and your progress in therapy. I have training in short-term/dynamic, cognitive-behavioral, existential, client-centered, and solution-focused therapy models. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, life changes, or anything else, my goal is to help you achieve the changes you want to see in your life. I am here to help you in the process by being non-judgemental and unbiased in our work. For more of their bio, see link to therapy page above.
Hello! Thank y'all for taking out time to do this! I have one question How can you manage a relationship when your girlfriend has mixed feelings? Like she seems to be a little uncomfortable with compliments and stuff because we haven't met up yet, but I do not know when we can because of the pandemic. I am lost on what to do because with these mixed feelings she has it worries me that she'll break up with me. What can I do to help all of this?
Hi. I have anxiety and OCD and Im struggling with figuring out and accepting when my thoughts are exaggerated by my mental illness. I always feel like I need to take all of my thoughts seriously. For example, if Im convinced someone in my family will have a heart attack and I need to warn them, Ill have a hard time treating that as just a thought...for me it feels very true and I have evidence to suggest that its true. What do I do about this?
What advice would you give to someone who has built a lot of walls around themselves against meaningful relationships? I've come to notice just how closed off I can be to the people around me and as a result, I don't have a lot of close relationships in my life. That's a pattern that I feel needs to be broken and I think I am ready to take that first step towards breaking down those walls. Problem is, I don't know where to start. Any advice?
Hi, Stacy and Rory. How do you know if you have anxiety? Also do you have any tips on how to stop a panic attack or to calm breathing while having a panic attack?
Hello Stacy and Rory. thanks for trying to help people online for free, that is nice of you.
My question is how can I convince my mom to leave my dad. hes a terrible person who use to be a crazy violent drunk but now pretends to be cured after being sober for 10 - 15 years. Seems like my complaints and ovbious flaws i point out and huge messes and half started projects not completed, and other reasons. fall upon deaf ears. looking for buzz words or different terms or good digs. thanks
I'm not skinny, I'm fat. I doesn't look bad, I look fine but sometimes I may seem too quiet. My emotion can be easily change for 360 degree, from smile to frown, from laughing to crying and ect. I have scar on my wrist, my family knew it. Some care and some don't. But I've never been brought to the hospital or given any special meds such as xanax. So I guess my situation is not that worst. Perhaps I am not in any depression at all. Or do I have mental health issue? Am I crazy? I'm hopeless, a loser, a failure. I take any kind of meds whenever I am feeling down. And now I tried to overdose myself with anything available at home such as caffeine. I'm not suiciding myself ain't I? If yes, I probably laying on the hospital bed. So my condition is not bad right? I mean I am fine...right?
I'm a newbie here and need support for my long-standing anxiety and frequent anxiety attacks. Out of the blue I'll experience a rush of nervousness, nausea and a feeling of doom. The "attack" lasts about a minute. But I'm troubled with a constant knot in my stomach most of the day whether I get an attack or not. This has been going on for about 4 years. I've been run through many medical tests to rule out disease, and have been told I have general anxiety disorder.
I practice transcendental meditation, which certainly helps. But I'm hoping for a cure! Quality of life is what I'm striving for.
@proactiveLemon6311
Thank you for reaching out! Generalized anxiety disorder can be tricky because there are many things that can trigger it. In addition to the meditation I would suggest learning and practicing mindfullness. Often times with anxiety we are fearful of the anxiety so it not only intensifies it but also can bring it on more frequently. Learning to be mindful puts us in the present and also teaches us how to be more comfortable with all emotions (even the icky ones :). When we take the wind out of anxieties sails it has much less negative effect and can fall flat.
Stacy
Hello Stacy and Rory,
Thank you for this opportunity.
My question is about making decisions and ways to find out what it is that we really want, need and are capable of. I have been thinking of changing my career for many months now and the time has come for me to make a decision. A few steps were already taken in the past year when I first started considering the idea of a change, but as I said now I have to decide whether to pursue this new path or not. As it involves lots of time and money (the idea is to become a therapist), I would really like to make the decision that feels more true to me, but I am not able to find out what it is. I have identified pros and cons, I know what my motivations are, I know what is holding me back. I am still stuck though... I would really appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thank you.
What to do when things aren't working out for you and you feel hopeless because there is no way to get what you want? Do you have to settle for worse?
I'm asking this in terms of career
Hi. I'd like to know how to calm down faster and how to avoid things that trigger my anxiety. My day can start well then out of nowhere I start getting overwhelmed and I start panicking and I lose focus and it takes so much time for me to calm down.
