Midwest Anxiety

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Midwest Anxiety

Mental health is a lifestyle, not a diagnosis. Life has many ups and downs. These challenges will either strengthen or deflate your character.

Each day you are challenged with situations that will either go well, not so well, or somewhere in between. At Midwest Anxiety, we believe that people are not defined by their weaknesses, but rather by their strengths. Life stressors are managed when these strengths are tapped and skills are developed to improve weaknesses. We inspire a purpose driven and meaningful life by focusing on what you can become rather than what you cannot become. Midwest Anxiety is a community based treatment program for anxiety disorders and more generalized problems involving excessive worry, anxiety, and stress reactions. We employ an interactive, action-oriented Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) approach, integrating features of behavioral modification into cognitive restructuring. Unlike traditional office-based psychotherapy, we work with people in “real life” situations in their natural environments (home, school, sporting events, etc). Instead of coming to us in a stuffy office, we come visit you in your world. We believe this “hands on” approach gives us the best opportunity to see your strengths and help you overcome your obstacles in the environments that you live in. We believe that negative emotions and behaviors are learned responses to the environment and can be unlearned. Understanding the environment helps us implement step-by-step Cognitive Behavioral strategies to modify negative patterns as they arise. Whether you struggle with procrastination, obsession or compulsion, fear or phobia, problematic relationships or communication skills, depression or anxiety, Midwest Anxiety can help you make the changes to how you think, feel, and act.

06/04/2026

Last night on Real Life, I shared a story about a client who used to be afraid of bees. For a long time, that fear felt real, immediate, and uncontrollable. If a bee was around, anxiety took over—and the only goal was to get away as fast as possible.

But something shifted.

They began to recognize that what they were feeling wasn’t just about bees—it was anxiety. Anxiety was stepping in, sounding the alarm, and convincing them they were in danger, even when they weren’t. Instead of seeing the fear as truth, they started to see it as a message.

That’s where everything changed.

The fear didn’t disappear overnight. Bees didn’t suddenly become their favorite thing. But anxiety stopped being in control. They were able to pause, recognize what was happening, and make a choice instead of reacting automatically.

That’s what externalizing anxiety does. It helps people separate themselves from the fear so they can stop obeying it. Anxiety becomes something they experience—not something that defines them or controls them.
And that’s the goal. Not to eliminate anxiety, but to learn how to live alongside it without letting it run the show.

AFRAID OF BEES OR INSECTS? CHECK OUT OUR GROUP BUGGED OUT!!!

BUGGED OUT: Saturday 4/11 from 4:00pm-5:00pm
Does your child avoid going outside because of bugs? Do they panic when they see bees, spiders, or anything that crawls or flies? Have simple activities like going to the park, playing sports, or attending outdoor events become stressful or difficult?

Bugged Out is a skills-based group designed for children and teens who experience anxiety around insects and outdoor environments. For many families, fear of bugs can take over daily life—leading to avoidance, distress, and missed opportunities. This group helps kids build the confidence and skills they need to handle those moments more effectively.

MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/buggedout

06/04/2026

Randy is Broken & Meg is Struggling with Her Emotions

Randy kicks things off by thanking Meg for being flexible week after week. Even though the show consistently drops every Sunday at 7pm, getting there takes some real-life effort—cartwheels, jumping jacks, and a whole lot of flexibility behind the scenes.

It’s a good reminder… Take a moment this week to express gratitude to the people in your life who support you and genuinely want good for you.

Because Randy lost rock-paper-scissors last week, Meg led off with her struggles. Meg shared about working to not be overbearing in her relationships—balancing her perspectives and emotions. She gave herself “an A” with clients when it comes to staying neutral, but “a low B” in personal relationships. Awareness is there. Growth is happening. Randy highlighted that she’s being intentional about not overstepping boundaries—and that matters.

Randy’s week? He pushed his body hard. Long days. 12+ hours. Busy personally and professionally. And it caught up with him. He’s becoming more aware that if he’s going to push his body, he has to take care of it—nutrition, hydration, recovery. Meg added a simple but powerful reminder: listen to your body. It’s always giving you signals.

Something good…

Meg had to pause for a moment—which is real life. Then she shared her appreciation for rhythm and consistency. Randy’s win? Nutrition. He’s been fueling his body differently—cutting out most sugar and leaning into real food: eggs, egg whites, whole grain toast, fruits, vegetables, chicken, brown rice, avocados. What started as effort has turned into craving better fuel. That’s the shift. Randy also encourages you to have something to look forward to this week. It doesn’t have to be big—just something that keeps you moving, working, and living with intention.

This week…Meg has been sitting with this: “Your life will be as big as you allow it to be.” Take some risks this week. Don’t let anxiety and self-doubt make your decisions. Randy backed it up with a client story—someone who used to be afraid of bees. After realizing it was anxiety playing tricks, everything changed. The fear didn’t disappear overnight—but it stopped being in control. That’s the work. So here’s the challenge: Live a little bigger this week. Take a risk. Don’t let your mind and body run the show. As long as your heart is beating…you can handle more than you think.

AS (After Show) Stay around for a special message. Randy totally forgot about it. Meg did not!

WHAT IS THE REAL LIFE OF A CBT THERAPIST?
HELLO! I’m Randy Floyd, LSCSW, and I’m joined by my co-host, Meg Hefferon. LPC. We’re excited to share our show, THE REAL LIFE OF A CBT THERAPIST, where we explore what it looks like to be humans first and Cognitive Behavioral Therapists second.

Each week, Meg and I talk through the highs and lows of our personal lives and reflect on how we used CBT skills to navigate real challenges. THERAPISTS STRUGGLE TOO — WE’RE HUMAN, just like everyone else. OUR HOPE IS THAT AS WE SHARE OUR OWN PROCESS, YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH PRACTICAL CBT TOOLS TO SUPPORT YOUR OWN JOURNEY. New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM.

05/04/2026

Happy Easter, MWAfam!!

Another episode of The Real Life drops tonight at 7pm.

This week, we’re keeping it real (as always)…Randy talks about his body feeling completely broken this week, and Meg opens up about how hard it was to tolerate other people’s emotions.

Real life. Real struggles. Real skills. Join us tonight at 7pm.

05/04/2026

Good morning. Happy Easter!!! It’s Selection Sunday!!

Today is the day you select your groups for the week. We’ve already pre-selected and placed you in some groups that we believe will best support and supplement your individual therapy. These groups are designed to give you additional tools, learning opportunities, and real-life connection to help accelerate your progress toward your individual therapy goals.

If you’re not sure which groups you’ve been placed in, feel free to message me and I’ll get you that information. And if you see a group that interests you and you’re not already signed up, just reach out—I’ll make sure to get you in.

HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GROUPS:

RUN CLUB: Saturday 4/11 from 8:00am-9:30am
We’ll walk, jog, or run for about an hour. Everyone moves at their own pace. Some people will walk the whole time. Some will jog. Some might push themselves to run a little farther than they did the week before. It doesn’t matter how you do it — what matters is that you show up and keep moving.

Afterwards, we like to hang out for a bit. Sometimes the kids play in the park.
Sometimes families grab something to eat at the Market. It’s relaxed, unstructured time where people can catch their breath, laugh a little, and enjoy being together.

Run Club is simply a group of families showing up for each other, encouraging one another, and discovering that we’re stronger than we sometimes think we are.

MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/runclub

SOCCER MENTALS: Saturday from 4/11 10:00am-11:00am
Soccer Mentals is designed to train the mental side of the game just as intentionally as the physical side. In this group, players will learn how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact their performance on the field. Using principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mental performance training, athletes will develop practical skills that help them stay calm, confident, and focused during competition.

MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/soccermentals

STORM SEASON: Saturday 4/11 from 11:30am-12:00PM
In Storm Season, we will talk about how storm anxiety works and why children can become so focused on “what if” weather scenarios. You will learn how to support your child without getting pulled into constant reassurance, accommodations, or avoidance behaviors that can keep the fear stuck in place.

FOR MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/stormseason

BAD KIDS: Saturday 4/11 from 12:00pm-1:00pm
Many parents know the feeling — the meltdowns, the arguments, the refusal to follow directions, and the constant power struggles that can leave everyone in the family exhausted. Parenting a child who pushes limits can feel overwhelming, frustrating, and sometimes even isolating. Some days it can feel like you’re constantly putting out fires.

Join other parents of “Bad” Kids (I don’t call them that… you call them that) as we come together to talk honestly about these challenges and learn practical strategies for handling them more effectively.

FOR MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/badkids

ANXIOUS KIDS EQUALS ANXIOUS PARENTS: Saturday 4/11 from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Does your child struggle with fears and worries, phobias, separation anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or other anxiety-related challenges? Do you find yourself wanting to help your child push through these fears so they can become more confident, resilient, and independent?

Anxiety in children often affects the entire family. When a child is anxious, parents can begin to feel anxious too. Many parents describe feeling like they are constantly “walking on eggshells,” unsure of what might trigger their child’s distress or how to respond in a way that truly helps. Over time, this can leave parents feeling frustrated, exhausted, and even helpless.
If this sounds familiar, this group is for you.

FOR MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/anxiouskidsanxiousparents

THE SOCIAL ANXIETY CLUB: 4/11 from 2:00pm-3:00pm
Do you struggle with social anxiety? Do social situations feel uncomfortable, awkward, or overwhelming? Do you find it difficult to start conversations, meet new people, or feel like you don’t quite fit into a friend group? If so, you’re not alone—and The Social Anxiety Club was created for you.

FOR MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/thesocialanxietyclub

CBT 101: Saturday 4/11 from 3:00pm-4:00pm
Life comes at us from a lot of different directions. Sometimes things are going well, and other times life throws challenges our way that we didn’t expect. Stress at work, struggles at school, difficult relationships, and everyday pressures can make it feel like life is happening to us rather than something we have control over. In this group, you’ll learn the basic principles of CBT and how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are all connected.

FOR MORE INFO 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/cbt101

05/04/2026

Ready to spread good vibes while taking tickets in Section 136 at the game.

I said at the beginning of this year we’re doing mental health differently — and I meant it. There’s nowhere this founder of a mental health shop won’t go to bring mental health into real life.

Come find me in Section 136… it’s going to be rockin 🤙

04/04/2026

Ready to spread good vibes while taking tickets in Section 136 at the KC Current game.

I said at the beginning of this year we’re doing mental health differently — and I meant it. There’s nowhere this founder of a mental health shop won’t go to bring mental health into real life.

Come find me in Section 136… it’s going to be rockin 🤙

03/04/2026

Good morning. Just a reminder that the Run Club is tomorrow from 8:00–9:30am.

If you want to set the tone that your family does hard things while also connecting with others, join us at Run Club tomorrow.

We’ll walk, jog, or run for about an hour. Everyone moves at their own pace. Some people will walk the whole time. Some will jog. Some might push themselves to run a little farther than they did the week before. It doesn’t matter how you do it — what matters is that you show up and keep moving.

Afterwards, we like to hang out for a bit. Sometimes the kids play in the park. Sometimes families grab something to eat at the Market. It’s relaxed, unstructured time where people can catch their breath, laugh a little, and enjoy being together.

What makes Run Club special is the community that forms around it. Parents get the chance to meet other parents who understand what it’s like raising kids who struggle with anxiety or big emotions. Conversations happen naturally while walking the trail or sitting together afterwards. Encouragement gets shared. Ideas get exchanged. And over time, real friendships begin to grow.

For the kids, it becomes more than just exercise. They start seeing familiar faces every week. They realize there are other kids who are working on the same things they are — pushing through discomfort, trying something new, building confidence one small step at a time. That shared experience helps them feel less alone and more willing to challenge themselves.

And the best part is that there’s no pressure here. No competition. No expectations about how far or how fast you should go. This isn’t about winning a race. It’s about building resilience, practicing courage, and learning that growth often happens when we step just outside our comfort zone.

Run Club is simply a group of families showing up for each other, encouraging one another, and discovering that we’re stronger than we sometimes think we are.

To join us tomorrow, please sign up at midwestanxiety.com/groups/runclub

02/04/2026

Just launched for Summer… Card Collectors Club 🔥

This isn’t just about cards…
�It’s about building confidence, learning how to negotiate, understanding value, and connecting with other kids who share the same passion.

If your kid is into sports cards, Pokémon, or any kind of collectibles — this is their group.

Spots are limited and this WILL sell out.

FOR MORE INFO & TO REGISTER 👉 midwestanxiety.com/groups/cardcollectorsclub

CARD COLLECTORS CLUB: Saturday, June 6 from 3:00pm–4:00pm
The Card Collectors Club is a hands-on group for kids and teens who love collecting cards—whether it’s sports, Pokémon, trading card games, or other collectibles—and want to take their passion to the next level. This isn’t just about collecting… it’s about learning how to build something with it.
In this group, participants will develop real-world entrepreneurial skills by learning how to buy, sell, and trade cards in smart and strategic ways. We’ll cover topics like understanding value, spotting trends, negotiating trades, and pricing collections, while also exploring how to turn a hobby into a small business. Kids will build decision-making skills, confidence, and communication as they actively engage in live trading, buying, and selling with one another in a fun, supportive environment.

Beyond the cards, this group is a great social opportunity. Members connect with others who share similar interests, build friendships, and learn how to interact, negotiate, and have fun in a supportive environment. Whether someone is just getting started or already has a growing collection, the Card Collectors Club is a place to learn, connect, and grow—both as a collector and as a young entrepreneur.

02/04/2026

In a school meeting this week, a teacher said something I did that she’s never seen in 21 years of teaching.

30/03/2026

IT’S HIRING SEASON!!!

This morning, 2,500 emails went out to licensed therapists across Johnson County to fill 12 open positions at Midwest Anxiety.

Why?

Because we’re hiring. And not just hiring — we’re building. We’re looking for the best — big-hearted, fun, and real therapists who truly connect with people and care about making an impact.

We’re not just hiring any therapist. We’re intentional about who joins our team because it matters to you, your family, and the work we do every day.

Each spring, Midwest Anxiety enters our intentional Hiring Season in April and May — the only time of year we bring on new clinicians. This isn’t about filling positions. It’s about building a team of therapists who believe in real life therapy, evidence-based care, and helping people build skills, confidence, and resilience in the environments they actually live in.

As demand for mental health continues to grow, so does our responsibility to meet it the right way. That means being intentional about who joins our team, how we train and support them, and the kind of impact we want to have in our community. We’re not interested in traditional, office-only therapy. We’re focused on doing mental health differently — showing up in homes, schools, fields, restaurants, and real-world environments where change actually happens.

Hiring Season is one of the most energizing times at Midwest Anxiety. It’s when we reflect on where we’re going, dream about what’s next, and identify the clinicians who will help bring those ideas to life.

Current Opportunities at Midwest Anxiety:
Individual Therapist�Group Therapist�Assessment Clinician�Health Care Therapist�Crisis Intervention Therapist�Sports Therapist�School Refusal Program Therapist�Hospitality Therapist�Music Therapist�Dental Therapist�Dance Therapist�Intern

If you’re a clinician who thinks differently, wants flexibility and impact, believes therapy should happen in real life, and wants to be part of something bigger than a traditional practice, this might be your spot.

We’re not just building a practice. We’re building a movement.

Apply now at midwestanxiety.com/careers

29/03/2026

Meg is Having a Rough Time with Hard Feelings & Randy is Having Lots of Emotions

Meg and Randy are baaaack after a week off for Spring Break and some much-needed self-care.

They’re ready to jump back into The Real Life and talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of life to remind you of something important: everyone struggles. Even therapists. Randy and Meg are human first, and part of this show is helping people see that struggling is normal.

But struggles do not define you.

Yes, life can be hard. Yes, emotions can be uncomfortable. But there is also so much good about you. You have strengths. You have growth in you. You have things in life to be excited about.

This week, Meg won rock-paper-scissors, which meant Randy was up first to share. He talked about emotional agility and how quickly emotions can shift. One minute he was annoyed because the wind blew coffee all over him. The next, he felt anxious because he thought he had lost his sunglasses. Then just moments later, he was happy because he found them. It was a simple but powerful reminder that it is normal to feel a lot of different emotions throughout the day.

Meg added an important point: the goal is not to get rid of anxiety completely. Anxiety is a normal emotion, just like sadness, frustration, joy, or anger.
Meg shared that she comes from a place where she did not always feel allowed to experience harder emotions like anger and sadness. She is now trying to let herself actually feel those emotions more, even though it has been challenging and uncomfortable. Randy pointed out that she is doing something really important: instead of fighting the emotion, she is learning to move with it. He compared it to riding a wave instead of walking straight into it. When we stop resisting hard emotions and let ourselves move through them, it often gets easier in the long run.

There was good in the week too.

Meg has loved running outside in the sunshine and has really enjoyed the work she’s been doing with clients. Randy is excited about some really, really cool things coming up at Midwest Anxiety and all the new opportunities and energy building right now. He’s also excited because he booked a vacation at the end of the Midwest Anxiety year to celebrate all the good that has happened. Life needs good things too. We need things to look forward to. We need fun.

So here’s the encouragement from Meg and Randy this week: feel your feelings. Reflect. Reframe the negative thoughts. Stay aware of your emotions and notice how they come and go throughout the day. Be agile. Move through them. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can say is, “This is what life is giving me right now.”

Everything is temporary. Everything is changing.

We hope you’re getting something out of this show. We hope you’re becoming more comfortable with your struggles, learning the skills to work through them, and also making room to enjoy the fun moments in life.
�WHAT IS THE REAL LIFE OF A CBT THERAPIST?
HELLO! I’m Randy Floyd, LSCSW, and I’m joined by my co-host, Meg Hefferon. LPC. We’re excited to share our show, THE REAL LIFE OF A CBT THERAPIST, where we explore what it looks like to be humans first and Cognitive Behavioral Therapists second.

Each week, Meg and I talk through the highs and lows of our personal lives and reflect on how we used CBT skills to navigate real challenges. THERAPISTS STRUGGLE TOO — WE’RE HUMAN, just like everyone else. OUR HOPE IS THAT AS WE SHARE OUR OWN PROCESS, YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH PRACTICAL CBT TOOLS TO SUPPORT YOUR OWN JOURNEY. New episodes drop every Sunday at 7 PM.

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