Group Support for Anxiety & Telling


David Ho   |   December 31, 2020

Anxiety and Telling

Though millions of people around the world are struggling with anxiety, each person’s experience is unique. Because of this uniqueness, anxiety often feels lonely. 

It’s difficult to explain why our minds and bodies react the way they do. Sadly, when we muster the courage to share a part of how or why we feel anxious, the results are sometimes unsatisfying. When we share about our anxiety, we risk other people misunderstanding our experience and judging our reactions. They might even coach us to handle our anxiety differently than what is comfortable for us. Despite the risk, sharing about our struggle is crucial for managing and overcoming anxiety.

What is Telling?

Telling is the process of using specific and simple words toexplain our emotions. It is an attempt at sharing our thoughts and feelings in a concise way. These thoughts can be written in a notebook, recorded, or spoken to someone we trust. Ideally, we would share our emotions verbally, and then have a response from another person that allows us to feel seen, heard, and understood. Part of the value of individual or group therapy is that this feedback is built into the process. The process is simplified in order to avoid feeling judged or blamed.

Telling has significant value. Telling allows us to gain insight about the pressures we face, insecurities we have, and our beliefs about ourselves. By trying to convert vague andcomplicated emotions into a coherent series of ideas, it forces us to separate and simplify our feelings. This makes them easier to manage. This process also might bring us closer to what isdriving our anxiety.

Questions to Help with Telling

-What goals do I have for myself? What do I want out of life? What might achieving these goals/experiences mean to me? Why would they be valuable?

-What would missing out on these goals mean to me? What would missing out on these goals mean about me as a person? What kinds of thoughts do I have about myself when it seems like I am off track from achieving these goals?  

-Would I feel guilty if I were to change these goals?  Why?

Adam Rose

Mental Health Counselor 

SZ Chengmei International Medical Clinic


SZ Chengmei International Medical Clinic is now offering Group Support for Anxiety.  

This new model offers a chance to connect with others, share your story and get short-term help in an affordable way.

Participants will share about the impact anxiety has had on their lives, practice asking for help from others in appropriate ways, encourage each other, and work together to build unique coping strategies.  The sessions will be facilitated by Adam Rose, a trained mental health counselor with hundreds of hours of experience conducting group therapy.

• Who:  4-8 participants struggling with any type of anxiety

 • When:  2:30-3:30 pm;   the first four Saturday afternoons in January (January 2nd-January 23rd)

• Cost:  1,600 RMB for four sessions (paid in full at the start of care)

• Where:  Lobby of SZ Chengmei International Medical Clinic (coffee and tea provided)

Contact Number: 0755-86961639

Place Name & Address: Shenzhen Chengmei International Medical Clinic 深圳成美港湾诊所 Hisense Building, Suite 201, 1777 Chuangye Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen