Do you tend to obsess, and worry? Do you play the same tape in your mind over and over again? Perhaps there is something specific that you fear…heights, bridges, spiders? Can you see that you have organized your life in such a way so that you continually avoid this fear?
Anxiety can manifest in many different ways. At its core, anxiety is a set of beliefs about ourselves and the world that keep our emotional brain in high alert. For example, the belief “I have no control” will often manifest in specific phobias such as fear of heights, planes, or bridges, or in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The belief “I have to be perfect” can manifest in Intrusive thoughts. The belief “I am bad/stupid/not as good as others” often manifests as social anxiety. The belief “Life is dangerous” can be seen in compulsive worrying, etc.
These beliefs are created at a very young age from our perceptions of certain experiences. They can also be learned patterns of thought and compensatory behaviour. For example, if we watched our parent obsessively worried about health and safety, we might conclude that the world is a dangerous place, and that in order to feel safe (which we never really do) we must be hyper vigilant.
Ben was 6 when his parents divorced. It was an acrimonious process of separation and Ben did not have many opportunities to voice his feelings, and process them in a safe way. His perception of mom and dad’s hurt and mad feelings thrown at each other created a belief that “no matter how hard he tries, people will be hurt”. He slowly began to see his world in a way that validated this belief. It was as if he had put on a pair of glasses through which he saw everything through that lens. He began to structure his life so that he not take any social risks (or people will be hurt), and slowly he became more and more secluded and consumed with guilt, and fear.
Once we identified Ben/s underlying belief and explored the root cause of this belief, we saw a clear connection to his parents’ divorce. Then, using an integrative approach to healing working with both the conscious and subconscious mind, we helped 6 year old Ben (as well as adult Ben) heal. We gave him his power back, and the chance to feel as if he has an impact on his environment. That released most of the trauma.
How can you tell if you suffer from Anxiety?
- obsessive/ looping thoughts or images
- panic attacks
- phobias (irrational fears about something specific)
- Your world gets smaller and smaller as you avoid the fear
- Compulsion to do something to reduce the anxiety
- Can’t stop thinking
- Tension and fear when around people
The benefits of Therapy:
- A sense of calmness
- Control over your thoughts
- Tools to manage Anxiety/Depression
- A sense of power
- Gentleness and Compassion toward yourself
- Mindfulness
- Feeling happier and more fulfilled
Our work together will include:
- Education about how the brain works in anxiety and depression.
- Symptom management that you can start now to relieve the symptoms.
- Teach you tools to interrupt the pattern of Anxiety
- Explore how these patterns were created (biological background and family of origin).
- Identify the beliefs holding the trauma in place
- Take the beliefs to their root cause and heal the trauma
- Create new patterns that lead to health and well-being.
Recommended length of therapy 6-12 sessions
Fee $140 per hour
Let’s work together to help you find the relief you deserve, and the life you want.
Contact me for a FREE consultation.