Anxiety counselling teaches clients how to work through difficult feelings and behaviours that are often a result of anxiety. We use proven counselling modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness.
Dina Lanzi (She/Her/Hers) is a registered Clinical Counsellor who works with individuals from a person-centred, holistic, and self-compassion lens. She supports clients who are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief/loss and life changes and transitions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective form of anxiety counselling that helps people identify and challenge maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. Its overarching goals are to normalize emotions, decrease destructive or unhelpful behaviours, and develop healthy behaviors. While the specifics vary depending on which disorder it is being used to treat, all CBT follows these three main principles.
A counsellor who uses this approach believes that your perception of a situation often determines how you react to it more than the actual facts do. It also recognises that some thoughts are irrational and can affect how you feel emotionally and physically, such as all-or-nothing thinking or catastrophizing (thinking the worst will happen). CBT encourages you to identify unhelpful patterns of thought and replace them with more helpful ones.
CBT can help you address an anxiety disorder or any other mental health issue such as depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and so on. It can be provided on a 1-to-1 basis with a therapist or in groups with other people who have the same problem. Sessions typically last about 30-60 minutes each week or fortnight at first, and then become less frequent as your symptoms improve.
To begin this type of counselling, you will need to find a therapist who is certified by an accredited body. You can search online to locate a professional who works with anxiety counselling. Make sure to consult your healthcare insurance to see if they cover this type of treatment.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems in the world. It can impact your daily life and affect relationships, work, and your physical health. Fortunately, anxiety counselling is available to help you manage your symptoms. The counsellors at our clinic have the experience and training to provide you with effective treatments that will improve your quality of life.
In ACT therapy, your counselor will teach you to accept painful emotions and thoughts without trying to control them. This is called “expanding”. You will learn to let go of your negative beliefs and focus on living a meaningful life. Your counselor will also teach you to take committed action that aligns with your values.
This treatment can help you cope with a variety of symptoms, including social anxiety, panic attacks and phobias. The therapy can also be helpful if you suffer from chronic stress, grief or trauma, or other psychological conditions.
The counsellors at our clinic have the compassion, training and expertise to provide anxiety counselling services for children, teens, adults, couples and families. We can help you find effective ways to manage your anxiety, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or mindfulness techniques. We can also teach you to deal with other related issues, such as depression and PTSD. These therapies can be used in combination with other treatments to achieve the best results.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy is a method of treatment that helps individuals find their voice and explore the stories they have told themselves about their lives. It focuses on the way in which trauma impacts self-esteem, abilities, and relationships. Its objective is to help people reduce the impact of trauma by letting go of negative beliefs and assumptions.
During the first session, patients tell their story to the therapist. The therapist will validate and witness their experience, while providing empathy and acceptance. This fosters a sense of trust and connection that allows patients to explore their stories more freely. The therapist will also encourage patients to focus on their strengths and offer alternative interpretations of their experiences.
The next step is externalization, where the therapist helps the patient separate their problem stories from them. This is a key part of narrative therapy, as it allows the patient to realize that their problems do not define them. This can be hard to do at first, but with time, the patient will see that their problematic stories are not who they really are.
The final step is deconstruction, where the therapist will examine and challenge dominant societal or cultural narratives that contribute to individual issues or distress. This promotes critical thinking, social awareness, and personal empowerment. This approach teaches individuals to identify and replace the stories that are contributing to their anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness therapy is an approach rooted in Eastern meditative techniques that encourages a nonjudgmental perspective. It teaches people to observe worrisome thoughts and learn how to accept situations for what they are, instead of fighting them. This helps them become less reactive to anxiety-provoking experiences, which can lead to better emotional regulation and improved life quality. This type of therapy can also help reduce the effects of chronic pain and other psychological issues.
Studies show that mindfulness meditation can improve self-reported levels of social anxiety and reduce negative emotions like depression. These benefits are achieved by practicing mindfulness exercises with the help of a trained specialist. These exercises can include meditation, breathing exercises, and other activities that train the brain to be present in the moment. A mindfulness therapist will teach you different methods and techniques that you can incorporate into your everyday routines.
Research shows that mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy can treat a variety of psychological issues. These treatments are often used to alleviate symptoms of recurrent depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. They are particularly effective for patients who do not respond well to standard antidepressant medications. Moreover, they can be beneficial for treatment-resistant depression, as they have been shown to curb relapse rates. However, they do require a lot of time and dedication from the patient. anxiety therapy north Vancouver
