April 21 session will focus on ways to cope
For many, 2009 started as a particularly stressful year. As the economy worsens, stress levels are steadily on the rise. Countless individuals and families face feelings of anxiety resulting from job loss or retirement savings, or from the loss of a loved one, a family conflict or simply the stressors of daily life.
To help people better cope with stress, the Pfeiffer Institute at Pfeiffer University will host a “Dealing with stress during difficult times” workshop on Tuesday, April 21.
This session, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Pfeiffer’s Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Road. Although there is no cost to attend the workshop, registration is required by April 17. For details or to register, call the Pfeiffer Institute at 704-945-7324 or email pimft@pfeiffer.edu.
Stress is taking its toll on people’s health and overall well-being. A recent study revealed 80 percent of Americans reported the economy is a significant source of stress, up from 66 percent this time last year, according to joint research conducted by the American Psychological Association and WebMD.
In 2008, more people reported stress-related physical and emotional symptoms than in 2007, and nearly half of adults said their stress has increased in the past year.
Dr. Faith Drew, clinic director of the Pfeiffer Institute and a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist at Pfeiffer offering assistance in stress management, said although stress and anxiety play a role in daily life, those feelings can, at times, become unmanageable.
“Properly managed stress can actually increase a person’s quality of life, but too much stress is guaranteed to be counterproductive,” Drew said. “This presentation will focus on ways individuals, couples, and families experience stress.
“Additionally, participants will develop coping strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety.”
Drew said the workshop will focus on everything from exploring the advantages and disadvantages of stress to examining and identifying three main sources of stress.
Participants will be given information on how to identify positive and negative stress and how to create a healthy balance.
Last fall, Pfeiffer University opened the Pfeiffer Institute, a counseling clinic and community resource that provides support for individuals who need one-on-one confidential counseling or for couples, families and/or groups who may be seeking relationship tune-ups, marriage and family restoration, or just mutual support.
Help for a vast range of emotional, behavioral and personal challenges is available at a nominal fee of $25 per session, or on a sliding scale for the underserved.
The Pfeiffer Institute, which is located at 4805 Park Road., Suite 250 (next door to McAlister’s Deli on the second floor), is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from noon until 9 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call the Institute at 704-945-7324.