Anxiety and phobias
Poor preparation is rarely the problem with exam anxiety.
You know the material, but the moment it counts your mind blocks
With exam anxiety, poor preparation is often not the problem. The tension rises so high that thinking and remembering become harder. An earlier failure, shame, or the link between performing and self worth can strengthen the anxiety.
We look at the emotional charge, your expectations and your behaviour in the run up to the exam. The support can consist of conversations, practical exercises, a concrete plan for the exam moment, and EMDR when an earlier experience still holds a lot of influence.
Sound familiar?
What exam anxiety actually looks like
Exam anxiety rarely starts in the exam hall. The run up is usually the heaviest part.
- You study a lot, but start late because starting creates tension
- You barely sleep the night before
- In the hall your mind goes blank, even on questions you know
- With resits the tension grows rather than shrinks
- You consider quitting a course you actually enjoy
Where it comes from
Where it comes from
There has usually been a first time when it went wrong, and that time left a trace. Sometimes it is a single moment, such as an oral exam where you froze. Sometimes it is a longer period in which your self image became tied to performance. From that point on the exam stopped being about the material and became about what it says about you.
A possible approach
A possible approach
The core is usually the link between performing and self worth. Alongside that we look at what happens practically in the weeks before the exam.
- Working on the link between performance and self worth
- A practical approach to procrastination in the run up
- Practising the moment itself: the hall, the clock, the first question
- Techniques to bring tension down during the exam
- EMDR when an earlier exam still carries a lot of charge
Practical
- Duration
- in consultation, depending on what is going on
- Rate per session
- Location
- Sarphatistraat 14, Amsterdam city centre, or online
60 minutes
Step by step
How the support runs
- 1
Intro call
Fifteen minutes on the phone. I hear when your exam is and what has happened so far.
- 2
Intake
We map when it started, what went wrong and what you came to believe about it.
- 3
Working on it
Conversations, exercises and EMDR where needed, tuned to what is going on.
- 4
The exam
A concrete plan for the day itself, from the evening before to the first quarter of an hour in the hall.
Frequently asked questions
Often yes. In a few conversations we can take the sharpest edges off and make a plan for the day itself. Call and we will see what is realistic.
Exam anxiety is a form of fear of failure that shows up around tests. The approach is comparable, and what you learn often helps with job interviews and presentations too.
Certainly. I regularly see people facing a mandatory professional exam, a driving test or a certification assessment.
We look at procrastination and planning where they feed the tension, but I am not a study coach. The core is the tension itself.
Experiences
Prefer independent reviews?
In line with the professional code for psychologists I do not publish client testimonials on my own site. If you want to read how others experienced the support, ZorgkaartNederland is the place to look.
Other fears
First see whether it clicks
A free fifteen minute phone call. You do not have to decide anything yet.