Anxiety

We live in a particularly stressful time and in a community that is fast-paced and full of pressures. Unfortunately, anxiety is not only extremely unpleasant to live with but also unhealthy. There is mounting evidence of the negative impact of anxiety on our physical selves.

I have experience treating a broad spectrum of anxiety-related problems, including:

  • Fear & Worry: focused on a real, or imagined, future event

  • Insomnia

  • Panic attacks

  • The physical aspect of anxiety: Sweating, difficulty breathing, racing heart-rate

  • Fear and avoidance or reluctance to do things, even things that are important to maintaining your life and relationships

  • Inability to concentrate

  • Social Anxiety

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  • Phobias

  • Agoraphobia

One of the main issues associated with anxiety is fear. When we are afraid we naturally avoid the things that we’re afraid of. Because of my experience helping people examine & resolving their anxiety, our work can be very reassuring in the face of what may seem to be insurmountable problems. Together, we’ll come to understand the sources of your anxiety and help you overcome them.

My techniques include

  • Understanding what you really worry about and not just the thoughts that fill your head each day

  • Helping you access and process a range of emotions which, if left buried in the subconscious, can feel threatening simply because they are unknown.

  • Differentiating between a “real” threat which can be managed and an “imagined” threat which, once exposed to the conscious mind, shows it’s self to be just that…imagination.

  • Applying the “It may be possible, but is it probable?” principle.

  • Education about anxiety to help you regain a sense of control over your life

  • Relaxation

  • Lifestyle management to reduce stress and worry

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Some anxiety-related problems are more specific and may be due to having been traumatized, abused or exposed to violence. Whether you suffer from the specific set of symptoms defined as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or not, I have a great deal of experience helping people heal from the wide-ranging impact of these frightening experiences. Please see my link “Trauma and Abuse” for more specific information about PTSD and related issues.