Test Preparation
There is no failure except in no longer trying.
- Elbert Hubbard
There are few words that will incite as much stress and anxiety as much as the phrase "standardized tests". Whether you're preparing for finals, college or graduate-level entrance exams, or licensure exams, test anxiety plagues students and learners in a variety of ways. Challenges with these exams often are a result of testing anxiety, rather than a lack of knowledge.
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Some symptoms of test anxiety include physical symptoms (headache, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, nervous tummies, lightheadedness, feeling faint, rapid heartbeat), emotional symptoms (feelings of stress, fear, helplessness, disappointment, negative thoughts, mind going blank, and racing thoughts), and cognitive/behavioral symptoms (difficulty concentrating, thinking negatively, comparing yourself to others, and procrastinating). In addition to being uncomfortable, the feelings of panic that can happen during the test itself can cause a shutdown response (in your body and your brain) that make it hard to think and, unfortunately, make it really hard to succeed.
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Our mind-body approaches, coupled with our knowledge of the neurophysiology of anxiety, inform our strategies to reduce test anxiety and help you feel comfortable and confident in the testing room. Depending on the context and your preferences, we may draw upon Somatic Experiencing (SE), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS) hypnotherapy, and yoga therapy techniques in order to best help you succeed! Send us an email for more information about how we can help you prepare to succeed for your test!
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