Life Gets in the Way ... Get Back in the Game of Life Everyone feels anxious and under stress from time to time. Situations such as impending work deadlines, important social and family obligations, or unpredictable traffic congestion often makes us anxious. These mild feelings of anxiety may help make you alert and focused on facing threatening or challenging situations. On the other hand, anxiety disorders cause severe distress over a period of time. Intense and prolonged anxiety can significantly disrupt or interfere with our ability to normally perform many aspects of daily living.
Anxiety can be successfully managed. One of the most sound and highly effective approaches used involves a combination of both behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavioral therapy typically involves using techniques to reduce or stop the undesired behavior symptoms or uneasiness that contribute to anxiety. Some of the techniques I use may involve guided imagery, meditation, relaxation, and deep breathing techniques to counteract some symptoms in anxiety disorders such as agitation, rapid or shallow breathing, increased heart rate, or involuntary muscle tics just to name a few. I often use cognitive therapy to help clients understand how their thoughts, recurring fears or worries contribute to anxiety. I help you learn how to change negative and irrational thought patterns to reduce the likelihood of occurrence and the intensity of reaction. Gaining increased cognitive awareness coupled with behavioral techniques helps you gradually confront and tolerate fearful situations in a controlled, safe environment.
