r/therapists•
brycen64

Last Minute Performance Anxiety?

Self care :snoo_putback:

I'm curious what y'all do when you have last minute performance anxiety right before a session? Specifically when a piece of information throws you off your game?

Scenario: you've got a really important client, they are all important, but this is the one you really think about often: the high risk or the one who pulls a bit out of your comfort zone so you feel they require extra effort. Then you get a text, a phone call, some sort of bad news that throws you off your game: the mistaken bill saying you owe a ton of money, the family member received a scary diagnosis, the relationship drama that comes out of nowhere, etc.

And there it goes: poof. Your game face, your focus, your peace of mind just vanishes.

You know grounding techniques, you know mindfulness, you know how to drill down and challenge the core thought... So do you push through? Or do you reschedule?

Personally I'm the: "Take a moment to yourself" category. But I'm wondering if I'm compromising my care by trying to be stoic. Personally I don't feel like I'm slipping, but I'm also very hard on myself (type 1 ENFJ).

Posted Jul 28, 2025, 6:08 PM UTC

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