It has long been suspected that stress tends to cause or at least make worse any number of physical and psychological ailments. Research has accumulated over the past 30 years which clearly supports this belief. There is also good evidence that helping people to change their thinking and perceptions about stress can be quite effective in reducing its negative impact in their lives. At Counseling and Assessment Service we utilize a variety of related approaches to helping clients manage and prevent the adverse consequences of excessive stress. Of course, life would be quite dull if there were not some stress in our lives, but our rapid pace of living seems to generate more stress today than in the past. Cognitive approaches are used to help clients carefully examine their thought processes and beliefs which may be causing or increasing their stress. Relaxation training is an important part of stress reduction because deep relaxation is the physiological opposite of the stress response. Regular low-level or moderate exercise is also emphasized as a very effective way of relieving and undoing the effects of stress. Good nutrition is encouraged as an additional tool in stress management. Finally, clients are also encouraged to examine spiritual and/or “philosophy of life” issues which can be very helpful in reestablishing and reordering priorities and can assist in the elusive search for the meaning of one’s life. The counseling approach to assist clients who want to learn more effective ways of managing their stress is tailored to the interests, values and goals of each particular client.