There are many ways to approach anxiety
Anxiety is a common reason people seek support from a therapist. There are many ways to approach treatment, including therapeutic exercises like visualization, mindful breathing, autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery.
Sam was furious when she walked into my office, venting about her marriage. She felt like she and her husband were no longer in love. She had no idea where to go next with her marriage—or her life in general.
I asked Sam to tell me all about the state of her marriage, and also about her family history. She revealed that she felt unable to trust most people—including her husband—even though she wanted to. As she talked, it became clear that early experiences had impacted on her thoughts and actions throughout all these years.
Sam’s inability to trust had created a great deal of anxiety in her life. She learned that her trust issues—and subsequent anxiety—weren’t caused by her marriage, but they were certainly damaging it. Treatment for anxiety often includes undoing a lifetime of hurting and habits through therapeutic exercises like:
I recommend incorporating audio from guided imagery pioneer Belleruth Naparstek in this type of treatment.
Sam also brought up the idea of anxiety-relieving medications, but did not want taking pills to be a long-term thing. She hoped medication could be a short-term solution while she worked on identifying the causes of her symptoms and learning how to deal with them.
Anxiety is a common reason people seek support from a therapist, and there are many ways to approach treatment. Once you talk with a therapist about how anxiety is affecting your life, you can work together on making positive changes.
Robin Maier is a licensed clinical social worker who uses a gentle therapeutic approach to guide women in every stage of life toward greater happiness
