Smithson Counseling, Andy Smithson, LCSW

12/23/2025

Calm Anxiety Fast Using Your Body

https://youtube.com/shorts/FWzzrKpctE4

When anxiety spikes, your nervous system is in charge. Trying to “think calm” won’t work until your body feels safe first.

In this Short, you’ll learn the physiological sigh — a powerful breathing technique using two short inhales through your nose and one long exhale through your mouth.
This breath directly activates your vagus nerve, helping regulate your nervous system and switch your body out of fight-or-flight.

Within 30 seconds, your heart rate slows, tension releases, and your brain gets the message: you’re safe.

If you deal with anxiety, panic attacks, stress, or feeling overwhelmed, save this video so you can use it anytime — at work, at night, or when anxiety hits unexpectedly.

Because self-regulation starts in the body, not the mind.

When anxiety spikes, your nervous system is in charge. Trying to “think calm” won’t work until your body feels safe first.In this Short, you’ll learn the phy...

12/23/2025

Stop Burnout: Find Your Optimal Stress Level!

https://youtu.be/R7npgkwYhN4

You can Stop Burnout by finding your optimal or right level of stress! What’s the Right Amount of Stress?
Most people believe better mental health means less stress — but that idea may be keeping you stuck. In this video, I explain how to find the right amount of stress, the zone where challenge fuels growth instead of burnout.

I’m Andy, a licensed therapist, and I’ll walk you through the Goldilocks principle of stress — a psychology-backed framework showing why too little stress leads to numbness, too much leads to anxiety, and the middle zone creates focus, motivation, and flow.

You’ll learn:
Why stress itself isn’t the real problem
How performance and mood follow a stress curve
A powerful stress reframe that changes your body’s response
How to raise your stress tolerance without burning out
The difference between real stress and imagined stress
Why doing hard things on purpose builds resilience

This approach doesn’t remove stress — it teaches you how to use stress skillfully so it works for you, not against you.

👉 For more therapist-led mental health tools, stress practices, and nervous system insights, like and subscribe so you don’t miss future videos.

12/23/2025

The Uncomfortable Truth About Mental Health Healing (From a Therapist)

https://youtube.com/shorts/f7KTxLilyEI

If you’re struggling with your mental health and feel like nothing is working, this is the uncomfortable truth you need to hear.

I’m a licensed therapist, and real mental health healing doesn’t come from one tip, one video, or one breakthrough moment. Healing takes time, consistency, real effort, outside support, and yes—some voluntary discomfort.

The tools you see online do work. But they’re only one small piece of a much bigger puzzle. When you practice small tools consistently and stack them with healthy changes, progress happens—slowly, steadily, and sustainably.

If healing feels frustrating right now, that doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re doing something hard—and meaningful.

Save this if you needed the reminder. ❤️

If you’re struggling with your mental health and feel like nothing is working, this is the uncomfortable truth you need to hear.I’m a licensed therapist, and...

12/22/2025

One Question That Makes ALL Criticism Useful

https://youtube.com/shorts/Kzt0oRp3Vfs

One Question That Makes ALL Criticism Useful
Harsh criticism can shut you down — unless you ask this one question. In this Short, you’ll learn how to filter feedback for what’s actually true, own even 10% of it, and turn criticism into growth instead of defensiveness.



Welcome to Principled Therapy — where true principles meet real practices for a sound mind.
I’m Andy, an LCSW/licensed therapist with over 20 years of experience helping people manage anxiety, stress, relationships, and emotional overwhelm. On this channel, I teach timeless truths and evidence-based therapy tools that help you think clearly, feel deeply, and live intentionally.

Each video combines practical psychology, mindfulness, and spiritual wisdom so you can strengthen your emotional health, resolve conflict, and build peace from the inside out.

One Question That Makes ALL Criticism UsefulHarsh criticism can shut you down — unless you ask this one question. In this Short, you’ll learn how to filter f...

12/18/2025

5 Tools to Stop Overthinking at Night

https://youtube.com/shorts/suAbAS4lCbU

Overthinking at night keeping you awake until 2 a.m.? These 5 proven tools calm your brain before bed so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Learn how to shut down mental noise using screen boundaries, Yoga Nidra (NSDR), breathwork, rhythm tapping, the worry chair technique, and simple bedtime psychology that gives your brain closure. If racing thoughts, anxiety, or stress ruin your sleep, this short gives you practical, science-backed tools you can use tonight.

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Overthinking at night keeping you awake until 2 a.m.? These 5 proven tools calm your brain before bed so you can fall asleep faster and stay asleep. Learn ho...

12/18/2025

Feel More Control Through Influence

https://youtube.com/shorts/Bh1XIK9VwZY

Stop trying to control every outcome. Control creates stress and frustration, while influence builds awareness, responsibility, and resilience. When you focus on guiding the direction instead of forcing results, you increase your chances of success. Studies show that people who believe they can influence outcomes experience better mental health, stronger relationships, higher performance at work, and greater emotional resilience. This mindset shift can change how you handle life, stress, and challenges.

Stop trying to control every outcome. Control creates stress and frustration, while influence builds awareness, responsibility, and resilience. When you focu...

12/17/2025

Anxiety is Warning, Not Weakness!

https://youtube.com/shorts/dSgLFry9V3s

When your phone battery hits 10%, you don’t panic — you recharge.
Anxiety works the same way.

Anxiety is your brain’s low battery warning, not a sign that something is broken. Your nervous system is protecting you, conserving energy, and asking for a reset.

Instead of fighting anxiety, check your energy budget.
Breathe. Simplify one choice. Rest your body and mind.

This is how you recharge peace, regulate your nervous system, and calm anxiety naturally.

What’s your battery level right now?

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When your phone battery hits 10%, you don’t panic — you recharge.Anxiety works the same way.Anxiety is your brain’s low battery warning, not a sign that some...

12/17/2025

What's the Right Amount of Stress?

https://youtu.be/R7npgkwYhN4

What’s the Right Amount of Stress?
Most people believe better mental health means less stress — but that idea may be keeping you stuck. In this video, I explain how to find the right amount of stress, the zone where challenge fuels growth instead of burnout.

I’m Andy, a licensed therapist, and I’ll walk you through the Goldilocks principle of stress — a psychology-backed framework showing why too little stress leads to numbness, too much leads to anxiety, and the middle zone creates focus, motivation, and flow.

You’ll learn:
Why stress itself isn’t the real problem
How performance and mood follow a stress curve
A powerful stress reframe that changes your body’s response
How to raise your stress tolerance without burning out
The difference between real stress and imagined stress
Why doing hard things on purpose builds resilience

This approach doesn’t remove stress — it teaches you how to use stress skillfully so it works for you, not against you.

12/15/2025

"Turn the Heat Down" Empowering Song for Emotional Regulation

https://youtu.be/vsJ4coxZ70E

Turn the Heat Down is a gentle, empowering song about learning to regulate anxiety and calm the nervous system. It explores the moment when worry flares up like a false alarm, and reminds us that we can name it, soften it, and choose a calmer response. This is a healing song about emotional regulation, mindfulness, and returning to inner steadiness.
When we remember that not every thought is an emergency, we reclaim our agency. This song invites you to tune your “inner thermostat,” breathe deeper, and settle your mind back into safety and clarity.

Turn the Heat Down is a gentle, empowering song about learning to regulate anxiety and calm the nervous system. It explores the moment when worry flares up l...

12/11/2025

Stop Resisting Panic Attacks

https://youtube.com/shorts/g47jMkRs0J0

Fighting a panic attack often makes it feel even worse. When we resist anxiety, the brain learns to fear the sensations themselves — creating a cycle that can grow into panic disorder. This short video explains why acceptance reduces fear and helps retrain your nervous system toward calm.

Fighting a panic attack often makes it feel even worse. When we resist anxiety, the brain learns to fear the sensations themselves — creating a cycle that ca...

12/11/2025

Somatic Tool to Stop Panic Attack?

https://youtube.com/shorts/-vPe0Uz7y8o

Having a panic attack? Try this simple somatic therapy tool or technique I use in sessions that helps people calm down in minutes. It has worked every time I have used it in session with clients! 🫶

Press your palms together, rub fast to match your body’s activation, then slowly reduce the speed as your breath deepens. This somatic grounding tool works every single time I’ve used it with clients.

Save this for when anxiety hits. 💛

Having a panic attack? Try this simple somatic therapy tool or technique I use in sessions that helps people calm down in minutes. It has worked every time I...

12/10/2025

Empathy and Boundaries: Responding to Narcissistic Behavior

https://youtube.com/shorts/Y8ke8_IR9DM

In this Short, you’ll learn how to respond to manipulative or narcissistic behavior with calm, confident strength:
✅ Say: “I see how that’s important to you.”
✅ Set a clear, firm boundary
✅ Use empathy with limits to stay compassionate and in control

💬 Do you think empathy makes you stronger or more vulnerable during conflict? Share below.
🔔 Want to learn the full B.E.S.T. conflict-resolution framework? Subscribe for more practical emotional intelligence tools.

Some say you should never empathize with a narcissist—but the truth is this: empathy is not weakness; it’s power with clarity. It helps you hold boundaries, ...