Overcoming Anxiety
When someone comes to me for help with anxiety, I create a safe environment where they feel understood, and no longer feel alone. We focus on the past and present factors that are contributing to the anxiety they feel.
As anxiety affects the whole life, we target the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. The true solution comes when we take time to come to a relaxed state, notice what is really contributing to the anxiety, and re-confront these triggers from a safe emotional distance. The joy of being free from anxiety is to feel in control again, and be more resilient when anxiety and stress does come again. Our work to free you from anxiety creates room for more self-discovery, from where more freedom can occur.
Jane is an intelligent, attractive, and bright woman. But on the inside she was unable to cope with feelings of anxiety and panic—though she was unable to explain where these feelings came from. She told me the anxiety had become so unbearable she had been admitted to an emergency room, fearing that she was dying or had lost her mind. She was told that she had experienced a Panic Attack. She was given an anti-anxiety medication and told to see her doctor. The medicine did not help; It made her sleepy, and unable to perform at her job.
Jane came to me for help. The anxiety and panic was getting in the way of her life. She was stuck in a valley of worrying so much that she was always tense, her stomach felt knotted, and she could not focus when she was at work. She had lost her ability to enjoy normal social interactions, including dating. She felt out of control and did not believe that things could ever be better. She was in a desperate place, but hoping that I could help her.
The first step was for Jane to take a moment to breathe. Through a series of simple breathing exercises she was calm enough to begin to work through her anxiety and panic with me. From this relaxed state, we worked to develop visual images that could help her to relax even further. These images helped Jane to remember the natural strengths and abilities she had lost sight of. As she regained a relaxed, healthy attitude, we looked at her life on a day to day basis. We began to uncover what was at the root of her anxiety. We made connections between her present anxiety and specific moments in her life that she had been unable to deal with at the time. Through this observation and contemplation, Jane began to breathe again. She was finally able to confront the anxieties of her past, present, and future with a healthier perspective. As Jane’s anxiety continued to decrease, she felt in control of her life again. By the time she left therapy, the anxiety and panic she had suffered with were no longer getting in the way of her life.
