ANXIETY TREATMENT
We all hate when we feel anxious, and that's by design - anxiety wants to make us uneasy. If we are human, we have anxiety, and we need it, it serves a very important purpose. Yet sometimes it gets out of control. I have treated dozens of patients over the past many years who have tried many things to deal with their anxiety, to no avail.
I have developed a treatment plan that involves various elements that work together to help my clients with their anxiety.
The first element is understanding that anxiety is only one aspect of you, among many, and befriending anxiety, because it comes to help, not hurt. Clients learn to think of anxiety as a friend, or acquaintance, that comes at unexpected times with something it thinks is important to say. You can listen, and then decide upon what actions or thoughts you want to engage.
​
That being said, often we are anxious about certain topics or events that hold important meanings for us. It's important to explore and understand what might be the underlying cause of some anxieties, and learn to think and feel about them differently.
​
Our mind-body connection is important as we do this work. We feel anxiety in our bodies, and clients learn how to understand their bodily sensations in a way that helps to manage their anxiety. Another way of thinking about this is using mindfulness to notice what is happening in the present moment, which opens up new options for us to respond in different ways.
​
In addition, anxiety often reveals itself as dysfunctional thought patterns, such as catastrophic thinking. My clients learn how to notice these thoughts, or stories, and choose different stories that are more supportive.
​
Anxiety is something that can be treated successfully, which results in an easier flow in life.