Just Try Counseling with Jessica Schladt, LPC

Just Try Counseling with Jessica Schladt, LPC Online therapy for anxiety, stress, life transitions, and military lifestyle stressors for adults, teens, and kids 6+ yrs in VA, MD, RI, & TX.

Foster hope and inspire change with compassionate, humorous telehealth care. Visit my site to learn more. My mission through counseling is to provide a space to foster hope and inspire change. I believe in people's innate resilience to rise above their struggles. Sometimes, we all need a little help. I offer individual therapy to children (6+), teens, and adults. Many concerns come up in therapy, including depression, self-esteem, life transitions, and military family life.

Anxiety does not always look like panic, fear, or avoiding difficult situations.Sometimes it looks like being productive...
07/21/2026

Anxiety does not always look like panic, fear, or avoiding difficult situations.

Sometimes it looks like being productive, responsible, prepared, and dependable. You meet deadlines, anticipate problems, remember what everyone needs, and keep moving even when you feel exhausted inside.

Because you are still functioning, you may not recognize how much anxiety is driving your perfectionism, overthinking, difficulty resting, or fear of disappointing others.

In Part One of this two-part series, I explore 12 signs of high-functioning anxiety, why these patterns develop, and why anxiety can go unnoticed for so long.

Read the full post: https://wix.to/BfM9opt

Why does your job feel wrong when nothing is technically wrong?Maybe the pay is okay. Maybe your coworkers are fine. May...
07/06/2026

Why does your job feel wrong when nothing is technically wrong?

Maybe the pay is okay. Maybe your coworkers are fine. Maybe the schedule is manageable. And still, something feels off.

Sometimes job dissatisfaction is not only about a toxic workplace or being overworked. Sometimes it is about values, identity, burnout, boundaries, or realizing that the role work plays in your life no longer fits who you are becoming.

The newest blog post explores why some people are perfectly happy with a stable 9-to-5, while others need their work to feel more connected to purpose, meaning, or personal values.

Neither is wrong. The question is: what role do you want work to play in your life?

Read the full blog here: https://wix.to/hyMDBHq

07/01/2026

Denial gets a bad reputation, but it can actually be a helpful coping strategy in some situations. Sometimes people aren't ready to process something fully yet, and denial helps them function until they have the resources to deal with it.

The challenge is that we can't work on something if we don't recognize it's there. A lot of therapy involves slowing down enough to notice what we're feeling, even when it's uncomfortable. Once we can name it, we can start figuring out what to do with it.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. I currently accept TRICARE East and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and also offer self-pay options.

Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

06/30/2026

One of the interesting things about therapy is that people talk about what they think the problem is, not necessarily what a parent, spouse, friend, or employer thinks the problem is.

As a therapist, I can ask questions, notice patterns, and challenge things when appropriate, but I only know what a client chooses to share with me. Sometimes, over time, people develop more insight into their role in situations and start exploring things they weren't initially ready to look at. Other times, if someone is only attending because someone else wants them there, they may decide therapy isn't for them and move on.

Therapy tends to work best when someone is at least a little curious about themselves, even if they're not completely sure they want to be there.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

06/29/2026

A lot of us start out thinking, "Okay, I've identified the problem. Now I just need to fix it." Then we start trying to change a habit, set a boundary, manage anxiety differently, improve communication, or break a long-standing pattern and realize it's much harder than it looked from the outside.

If change were easy, most of us would have already done it. Therapy can help by providing a neutral space to talk through options, create a plan, troubleshoot what isn't working, and adjust along the way. Having support while you're doing difficult things doesn't make you weak. It often makes success more likely.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. I currently accept TRICARE East and CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and also offer self-pay options.

Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

New Blog Post: Why Overperformers Struggle to Set BoundariesHave you ever noticed that the more dependable you are, the ...
06/29/2026

New Blog Post: Why Overperformers Struggle to Set Boundaries

Have you ever noticed that the more dependable you are, the more people seem to expect from you?

The coworker who always stays late gets one more project. The family member who always plans the holidays becomes the default organizer. The friend who always reaches out becomes responsible for maintaining the relationship.

Most of the time, this isn't because people are trying to take advantage of you. It's because people naturally adjust their expectations based on the patterns they've come to expect.

Over time, being helpful can quietly turn into feeling responsible for everything.

In my newest blog post, I explore what overperforming is, why it can lead to burnout, how it connects to people-pleasing and perfectionism, and why setting boundaries often feels so uncomfortable.

If you've ever wondered why slowing down feels harder than speeding up, this article is for you.

Read it here:
https://www.just-try-counseling.com/post/why-overperformers-struggle-to-set-boundaries

06/28/2026

To be fair, most humans struggle with feedback sometimes. Feedback can feel vulnerable, uncomfortable, or even threatening when it challenges how we see ourselves or a situation.

Part of therapy is building enough trust and rapport that difficult conversations can happen safely. The more direct feedback I give tends to be reserved for clients where we've built a strong therapeutic relationship first. Thankfully, no clients have burned any houses down yet, but there have definitely been moments where a challenging observation was met with a look that suggested they were considering it.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

06/27/2026

Saying no can be surprisingly difficult, especially for people who are used to taking care of everyone else, avoiding conflict, or worrying about disappointing others.

The goal isn't to say no to everything. The goal is learning to listen to your own needs and recognizing that your needs matter too. Sometimes the healthiest answer is yes. Sometimes it's no. The important part is feeling like you actually have a choice instead of automatically putting everyone else first.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

06/26/2026

Getting support from someone who doesn't understand mental health can be frustrating 😅

Most people who care about us genuinely want to help. The problem is that good intentions don't always translate into helpful support. Sometimes we get advice like "it is what it is," "just don't think about it," or "you'll be fine," when what we really need is someone to listen and try to understand.

One of the benefits of therapy is having a space where you don't have to convince someone that your experience is real or important. Sometimes being understood is just as valuable as solving the problem itself.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

06/25/2026

Most of us spend a lot of time talking to ourselves, whether we realize it or not. Sometimes that internal dialogue is encouraging, and sometimes it's a lot less kind.

One of the things therapy can help with is becoming more aware of how you're talking to yourself. A pep talk isn't going to magically solve every problem, but the way we frame challenges can make a big difference in how we approach them. Sometimes it's as simple as reminding yourself that you've handled difficult days before and can do it again.

If you're interested in therapy and live in Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, or Texas, feel encouraged to reach out. Learn more at https://just-try-counseling.com

Address

Frederick, VA
21704

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 3:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+17572041472

Website

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