Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety

Anxiety is worry that persists even after the stressor has gone. Most women that I work with experience some form of anxiety. Some feel anxious in response to challenging situations. Other women experience panic attacks. Some feel high-strung all the time, simply unable to relax. 

Many of the women that I work with have anxiety that can be traced back to childhood trauma. Complex trauma is ongoing trauma that was endured while growing up, perpetrated by caretakers or entrusted adults. Anything that makes a child feel obligated and uncomfortable, in the service of an adult, is considered childhood trauma.

Anxiety and depression are common consequences of complex trauma. A child who grows up in a home where they were not safe or nurtured will develop coping strategies to help them survive in that home. However, these very same behaviors can become maladaptive behaviors in adulthood, and can be challenging to give up.

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Calming Anxiety

Women who struggle with anxiety, dread the physical arousal of it, and do all they can to avoid these sensations. At the root of anxiety is the fear of losing control, and worry about being judged. Women who suffer with anxiety do not like surprises, so they shy away from new experiences, in order to stay within their comfort zone.

My clients benefit from learning techniques to calm anxiety. First and foremost, I encourage her to accept exactly where she currently is, without judgement, because I know that criticizing herself causes even more anxiety. I teach her Cognitive Restructuring techniques to identify triggers, and replace automatic thoughts. Further, I educate women on using Mental Rehearsal when trying out new behaviors that they would otherwise avoid, because it makes them feel anxious.

Anxiety Management, Resilience Training, and Self-Regulation

While working towards understanding and processing root causes of their anxiety, I teach my clients Anxiety Management Skills, Resilience Training, and Self-Regulation Tools. Anxiety Management Skills that I offer include guided imagery, inner child or parts work, mindfulness, and grounding techniques, among others. Women find these interventions effective both in and out of sessions.

With Resilience Training, I implement an optimistic outlook, self-efficacy, self-compassion, and the understanding that we cannot change others, only change ourselves.

Self-Regulation Tools help women manage their impulses, pausing before acting. I work with women on methods of calming themselves down before and after an upset, strategies for getting out of bad moods, staying conscious, and articulating what they really mean to say. I encourage my clients to discuss major decisions in therapy before going into action so that together, we can develop a healthy plan of action.

Chronic Stress

Anxiety is a reaction to stress. Stress is the body’s response to a challenge or change and is a normal part of life. Bodies are naturally equipped to handle small doses of stress. Women who were abused and neglected as children may have sustained stress over a long period of time. This is known as chronic stress.

Someone with chronic stress remains in a heightened state nearly all the time. This elevated state can disrupt nearly every bodily function. Chronic stress causes women to be more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. It can affect the digestive and reproductive systems, cause sleep difficulties, suppress the immune system, and even speed up the aging process.

Negative self-talk and self-criticism worsen the effects of anxiety and chronic stress, making daily living more challenging. In the past, it was believed that the way to get someone to change behavior was to criticize them. We now know that positive reinforcement and praise are more effective and ethical. 

Over time clients see for themselves that they are continuing to treat themselves the way that they were treated by their abusers. I remind them that they now have choices, and I encourage them to consider giving themselves unconditional self-love instead.

Trauma-Informed Approach

For most women with chronic stress, something specific in their past caused them to stay in a continuous state of alert. When working with this type of client, I help her to see how her past caused her to be hyper-vigilant, as her surroundings were not safe. I assure her that her chronic stress is not her fault. As she makes connections between present and past, she will often feel empathy for herself and what she endured. I encourage her to comfort herself.

After some time, I propose that she become angry, in sessions, at those who mistreated her. This can be difficult for some. I use imagery and Somatic Experiencing techniques to assist her to process the trauma.

***It should be noted that it is not necessary to physically confront a perpetrator in order to heal from abuse and neglect.

In time she will more easily make herself her top priority, as she becomes better equipped to make healthier choices for her mind, body and spirit. The Integrative Psychotherapy process supports her to assert herself, believe in her own worth, and use effective communication that lets others clearly know what she needs.