Performance, Test, and Public Speaking Anxiety: Using ART to Unstick Blocks

Written By Matthew Benavidez, LMFT


Why confidence disappears

Your skills are real—but a past flub, criticism, or blank-out can imprint. On cue, your body replays that moment and shuts down your best abilities.


How ART helps

  • Identify exact targets (the flub, the teacher’s comment, the test room)

  • Use guided eye-movement sets to reduce distress

  • Rescript imagery and rehearse a preferred future scene


Simple add-ons after ART

  • Short breath cadence or grounding object backstage

  • A tiny ritual that signals “steady” to your nervous system

  • Brief micro-rehearsals that stack wins


Good fits

Students, presenters, therapists, executives, musicians—anyone whose performance matters and wants a focused process.

Schedule a consult
Matthew Benavidez, LMFT

Matthew’s passion for therapy began early on in his life. Working through his own trauma at a young age, Matthew knows what the healing process looks like from all sides. Matthew’s own healing has varied from adjusting through divorced parents all the way to religious trauma. This has helped Matthew become more empathic towards his clients from all walks of life. Rest assured that you will be heard in a secure, shame-free environment.

https://benavidezlmft.com
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Grief vs. Traumatic Grief: Where ART Fits