It’s not uncommon to have some anxiety about your and others’ health.  However, health anxiety, at its worst, can become an overwhelming, life-consuming experience that keeps you from thriving.  Millions of people experience health anxiety, and the pandemic has certainly contributed to the recent rise in numbers of people who experience this.  Dr. Karen Cassiday, author of Freedom from Health Anxiety, is nationally recognized as an expert clinical psychologist in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders in children, teens, and adults.  In this episode of Psychologis ..read more

Are you constantly worrying about your health, or the health of a loved one?  Do you find yourself endlessly looking up symptoms on the internet?  Perhaps you find yourself asking others for reassurance or validation that you’re okay, obsessing over health scares in the media, or monitoring your blood pressure on an hourly basis?  No matter how your health anxiety manifests, it can be a crippling psychological burden.  Endlessly ruminating about illness and death can affect all aspects of life—at home, work, or school, as well as at the doctor’s office.  And if you’re ..read more

After two years of lockdowns, quarantines, and distancing, many people are finding it difficult to navigate back into routines they had prior to the pandemic.  For those suffering from agoraphobia, a return to living life outside is even more complicated:  gains made in overcoming anxiety have been eroded and new anxieties have curtailed life even more than before. It’s encouraging to listen to success stories, to be reminded that you are not alone in your suffering and that there is help available to you.  Managing anxiety and overcoming your fears are within your reach!  ..read more

What To Say When There Is Another School Shooting Answering your child’s questions and helping them cope when terrifying events happen can be a daunting task.  Dr. Karen Cassiday offers advice on how to handle this situation in a guest blog on CATCH ..read more

Getting Radical About Gratitude By Karen Cassiday What if I told you that there is something you could do for only five to ten minutes a day that would make it easier to live longer, feel more joy, have better relationships, and could add seven years to your life?  What if I told you that this same thing could improve your psychological resilience and help you in your recovery from anxiety and depression?  You would be really intrigued, right?  What if I also told you that over fifteen thousand studies have proved the power of this one thing to improve your mental and physical h ..read more

One of our newest therapists, Sonia Chand, speaks to NBC5 Chicago about why she runs for team Autism Speaks in the Chicago marathon ..read more

We are excited to announce Dr. Karen Cassiday has published her first book!  The No Worries Guide to Raising Your Anxious Child:  A Handbook to Help You and Your Anxious Child Thrive is a two-in-one handbook that will help you understand your child’s anxiety and how to ease it, while also showing you how to reconcile your own fears and worries that come with raising an anxious child. Tips and strategies from evidence-based therapies such as CBT, ACT, and exposure therapy are paired with humorous, thoughtful, and honest anecdotes of Dr. Cassiday’s own life and parenting experiences ..read more

Returning to school in the fall can be an anxious time for children even in normal circumstances.  After last year’s lockdowns, learning losses, and continued concerns about the coronavirus, many parents and children are more worried than ever about what the next school year will bring.  Care.com provides some timely advice on managing back-to-school anxiety this year, drawing from the expertise of Dr. Karen Cassiday and others ..read more

Virtual therapy saw a rise in popularity during the last year, and as conditions change people continue to ask if an online option is as effective as in-person therapy.  Dr. Karen Cassiday gives her opinion in The Wall Street Journal article, “Online Therapy Got Popular During Covid.  Should You Still See Your Therapist in Person ..read more

Whether you have struggled with anxiety and depression in the past or not, current polls suggest the pandemic has made a serious impact on Americans’ mental health.  While many things are out of our control right now, there are evidence-based practices that can help us cope.  Join Christina Maxwell virtually at the Round Lake Area Public Library and learn how to implement these strategies, find additional resources and perhaps, most importantly, remember that you are not alone and there is help available. When:  Thursday, July 23, at 3:00 p.m. (CST) Where:  Join the Round L ..read more