The Blog—Real-life riffs on anxiety, resilience, and being fully present
Looking for the blog? You found it—let’s dig in
I’m Victoria Wallace Schlicht—California-licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner—something like a nervous-system whisperer minus the white cowboy hat..
I help anxious, high-functioning adults ditch the “I’m broken” story and find steadier ground. Let’s be honest, nearly everyone you know has either experienced high anxiety or brushed up against it—and how could we not? We’re living in a world that’s spinning faster than we were built to handle. Over-functioning is wearing us out.
We need better tools and a fresh perspective. Good news: I’ve got a stack of both, and I love to share them.
Welcome to my bully pulpit. Each post unpacks the science, stories, and somatic hacks that tame anxious spirals, increase self-regulation, and build real resilience.
Ready for deeper work? Get the scoop on my all-online California practice here.
Anxiety Station Break
When stress has you spinning, mindful pauses and everyday creativity—journaling, drumming, daydreaming—can soothe your system and rekindle joy.
Step out of the anxiety spiral. Discover how mindful pauses—and creative expression—can restore presence, soothe your system, and support self-care.
It’s not all about work and striving
It's really not at all about work and striving. It's not all about work and progress, even in regards to personal growth. Especially in regards to personal growth and your healing journey. You're not going to be able to will yourself into the next iteration of your life or yourself. Or push past anxiety in any meaningful and helpful way. Your anxious experience is here as your teacher, in my opinion, and it is a very patient task masker. Anxiety will wait for you to catch on to the changes that need to be made.
When we’re mired in stress, anxiety, and overproducing, we lose track of ourselves
A lot of us anxious folks have forgotten who we are. We've forgotten what gives us pleasure beyond the pleasure of finishing the job or making the next deadline. We've forgotten our old passions, forgotten what gives us joy, lost track of our playfulness, and mistaken productivity for the source of our happiness. Instead, we work. And work. We manage ourselves and others. We worry and problem solve. We create problems to solve. We dive into our To-Do lists with fervor and grab our dopamine hits there.
Creativity and pleasure can be your greatest tools in reducing overwhelming anxiety
Building time for creativity into your day can help you dig out of your anxious rut. Actually doing creative activities such as journaling, doodling, gardening, painting, or cooking can create a lot of ease in the nervous system. Here's the thing, though, that creative moment can also include daydreaming, dancing, mindful attention to beauty and the quality of light around you, singing, humming, and whistling. In fact, drumming is excellent for altering your sense of time and awareness of self.
Bit by bit, life can become more vibrant
Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
Allowing your mind to wander creates a sense of spaciousness and ease. Creates a sense of possibility and potentiality. Creates a sense of optimism. It allows the nervous system to settle. Makes room for something other than worry and busyness. Increases our resiliency. Allows the mind to empty and makes room for a renewed sense of energy and vitality. Slipping into the zone while engaged in creativity, creative thought, movement, music, the contemplation of beauty and nature, is a form of mindfulness and brings with it rewards. We can learn to create more space in our lives for ourselves and in so doing, anxiety can start to slip away. In it's place, we find more energy is available with which to explore life more fully. To live. And that is, after all, the point.
I help people who feel bad feel better. Let’s talk. Learn about online anxiety therapy in California.