Anxiety and Panic

Anxiety and worry is a normal reaction to stressful situations. Our bodies are set up with a nervous system designed to detect danger and do one of three things - freeze or flee. For many people, the 'danger' is created by their exceptionally creative mind. The more creative we are, usually, the better we are at imagining paralysing 'what ifs'. These 'what if' thoughts lead us to dread social situations, paralyse our creativity, disturb our sleep, and make us doubt our ability to make the most simple decisions.  

The most tricky thing about anxiety is working out when to ignore it and when to pay attention to it. If we ignore our anxiety, it often worsens can build into panic attacks. If we give in to it, we can find that anxiety will quickly limit where we go, what we do, and how we spend our time.

Therapy with me can be an important step towards discovering how to tread that difficult line. 

I take a very practical and physical approach to anxiety. Talking about triggers and the causes of your anxious feelings is important, but it's also crucial to make sure you are breathing correctly because no amount of talking can help if you have a decade-long habit of holding your breath. I will also invite you to explore your thinking and show you how to unhook yourself from the relentless and often scary messages that your inner critic has for you. 

If you have any questions about how therapy with me might help you respond to your anxiety, please feel free to email or get in touch.