Hi, it’s Candice —
Life has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it.
One day things feel steady, and the next you’re dealing with a sudden job change, a health scare, a relationship shift, or just one more thing that tips the scale.
In those moments anxiety doesn’t wait for an invitation. It shows up loud, convincing, and often with that familiar all-or-nothing voice: “This changes everything,” “You’re not handling this well enough,” or “Why does this always happen to me?”
And here’s the honest part — those curveballs are hard. They disrupt routines, shake your sense of control, and can leave you feeling overwhelmed even when you’re high-functioning and used to managing a lot.
But every challenge is also an opportunity.
That’s not sugarcoating it. It’s a reframe I’ve seen make a real difference — both in my own life and with the people I work with as an anxiety therapist.
The opportunity isn’t about pretending the curveball doesn’t hurt or wishing things were different. It’s about asking yourself a quiet, honest question in the middle of it:
“How do I want to look back on this time and how I handled it?”
That single question pulls you out of the spiraling inner dialogue and puts the focus back on what is actually within your control — your response, your next small choice, the way you treat yourself while things feel uncertain.
This is where therapy skills become so practical.
In CBT terms, it’s about noticing the automatic thought (“This is too much, I’m failing”) and creating a little distance so it doesn’t run the show. In ACT language, it’s about accepting what’s here while still choosing actions that line up with who you want to be, even when anxiety is loud.
You’re not trying to eliminate the anxiety. You’re learning to move with it instead of letting it decide the direction.
That shift — from “Why is this happening?” to “How do I want to handle this?” — is one of the most powerful ways I’ve seen people build real resilience.
The High Functioning But Fried workshop replay was built for exactly these moments. We talk about how anxiety shows up in the body and the mind during hard times, and we practice simple, repeatable tools to interrupt the loop earlier and respond differently.
The replay is available now with lifetime access and the full digital workbook. If you’re in the middle of a curveball and looking for online therapy for anxiety that feels practical and human, this workshop and 1:1 sessions are available now!
You don’t have to get it perfect. You just have to start noticing the pattern and choosing one response that feels more like the person you want to be when you look back.
Link in bio to grab the replay or schedule initial evaluation.
References
- Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and Practice of Mindful Change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- American Psychological Association. (2023). Coping with unexpected life changes. https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/life-changes
