When working with a therapist for anxiety, you can expect a variety of approaches and techniques depending on their training and therapeutic orientation. Here’s what you might encounter: Initial Assessment and Goal Setting: Your therapist will likely begin by discussing your anxiety, its impact on your life, and your goals for therapy. Your anxiety therapist… Read More »Working with an Anxiety Therapist
What is Havening? Havening is a psychosensory therapy developed by Dr. Ronald Ruden and his brother Dr. Steven Ruden. It is a set of techniques that leverage touch, attention, and positive visualisation to relieve emotional distress and promote healing, particularly for trauma, anxiety, and stress. It is based on the idea that the body is… Read More »What is Havening?
Havening is a safe practice. While there are a few caveats and some situations where it might be advisable to proceed with caution, the overall consensus amongst the practitioners is that Havening is a safe and effective therapeutic tool. Here are some key points that address the safety of Havening: Havening does not involve drugs… Read More »Is Havening Dangerous?
Here are some key distinctions, keeping in mind that specific coaching approaches may vary: Focus: Traditional therapy often examines past experiences and underlying causes of anxiety to achieve symptom reduction. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), for example, seeks to identify and challenge negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to anxiety. SFBT, on the other hand,… Read More »Key Differences Between Coaching and Conventional Therapy for Anxiety
The development of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) leads to more effective treatments for anxiety disorders because it shifts the focus from symptom control to cultivating psychological flexibility. This approach acknowledges the inherent struggles of being human and reframes anxiety as a normal human experience rather than a problem to be eradicated. Here’s a detailed… Read More »Development of ACT and More Effective Anxiety Disorder Treatments
There is a strong connection between stress and anxiety, both anxiety and fear are natural human responses, often triggered by perceived threats or dangers. Anxiety, however, is future-oriented, stemming from anticipation of potential threats and often leading to worry, while fear is a response to a present and immediate danger. The body’s stress response is… Read More »Understanding the Stress-Anxiety Relationship
Over the past 2-3 decades how people with mental health issues can be helped has been significantly changed. It is only with the better research methods, and better understandings of how the brain and mind work, that have allowed professionals to develop and grow new approaches to helping people with mental health, and here in… Read More »Different Approaches: The Medical Model vs. Solution-Focused Therapy
Havening Techniques® (also known as Delta Wave Techniques) are a type of psychosensory therapy that uses sensory input, specifically touch, to alter the mind and body. Havening can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including trauma, anxiety, stress, phobias, chronic pain, and addiction. The Havening touch works by sending signals to the brain… Read More »Using Havening To Reduce the Impact of Trauma, Anxiety and Stress
There is a strong link between sleep and anxiety. Lack of sleep can increase anxiety symptoms, while good sleep can help reduce anxiety. Inadequate sleep increases cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for the “fight or flight” response. High cortisol levels keep the body in a state of heightened alertness, making a person feel “on edge”… Read More »Sleep and Anxiety: Reducing your anxiety by improving sleep
The amygdala, a small almond-shaped structure located deep within the brain, is often referred to as the brain’s “smoke detector” or “survival alarm”. It is responsible for quickly identifying potential threats and triggering a response, even before conscious awareness. Here’s a breakdown of the amygdala’s functions in relation to anxiety: Threat Detection and Rapid Response:… Read More »The Amygdala: A Key Player in Anxiety Responses
Trauma can lead to several physiological changes, such as changes in brain wave patterns and an increase in stress hormone activity. These changes are the result of the brain’s attempt to protect itself from further harm. However, they can also lead to several problems, including anxiety. Trauma changes the way a person experiences the world.… Read More »The Connection Between Trauma and Anxiety
We all know about habits however we tend to think of them in the bad things they do for us. Habits are just automated thinking. Things were done so often it becomes automatic or semiautomatic to do them. Habits can be good as well. Think of cleaning your teeth, it takes little thought to… Read More »Habits to Develop to Overcome Anxiety
Coaching approaches are now being used far more commonly to help people overcome anxiety. New ways of thinking new tools and new techniques. This is a brief overview of how a coaching approach works. Shifting the Focus: Instead of concentrating on reducing distress or merely surviving, the coaching approach aims to help the individual thrive… Read More »A Coaching Approach to Overcoming Anxiety
Your brain changes in response to how you think and what you think about. Prolonged periods of anxiety bring about brain changes. Changes that are reversible. As your brain changes how and what you think about also changes. Understanding a little of the science behind what is going on between your ears will give you… Read More »Brain Changes Due to Anxiety
Names, and details of people and organisations have been changed to maintain their privacy. The case studies below will will go into details of how these transformations occurred. Early on in my practice, many decades ago I saw a client who’d been sent by their employer, a local brewery. They’d been sent because they were… Read More »Disorganised To Organised