Performance & Performance Anxiety

In our modern and increasingly fast-paced and competitive society, performance has become a central pillar in how people achieve current and future success.

From an early age, it's a common experience that people are expected to perform at levels that reach or exceed proper comprehension, development, and expectation. In schools, it's a shared expectation that young people are expected to be great students while maintaining proper levels of social function and self-development.  

In the workforce or higher education, adults are expected to balance exceeding complex intersections of essential areas of life, including optimal career performance, effective parenting, fulfilling romantic and social relationships, and proper self-care.

Paired with an increasingly globalized world, with high levels of social comparison and interpersonal connectivity, our systems and social values have moved us towards a culture hyper-focused on meritocracy and competitiveness. 

Ultimately, this hyper-focus on meritocracy and competitiveness leads to high amounts of pressure to comprehend, achieve, and most of all, perform. This pressure can result in stress, anxiety, and burnout, affecting an individual's overall well-being and quality of life.

How we help

At Journey to Meaning, we specialize in performance-related issues, including performance anxiety and optimal performance. 

Our evidence-based and effective strategies empower you to function at your best in your career, school, sport, and everyday life, instilling a sense of confidence and self-acceptance. 

Our treatment philosophy is informed by the groundbreaking work of psychologist Albert Bandura, who proposed the concept of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments. 

With this critical concept in mind, we work closely with professionals, athletes, students and individuals to foster confidence and self-acceptance by leveraging emotion-focused, cognitive-focused and exposure-focused interventions. 

Together with your therapist, you will actively participate in setting goals, exploring your history, developing effective thinking and emotional patterns, and re-visiting scenarios where performance is essential. This collaborative approach ensures that you can integrate your newly developed skills into your life. 

We are one of the only services in the GTA offering this type of therapy. Please reach out today if you are interested in learning more.