The Wellness Counselling Group consists of professional and qualified Psychotherapists and Counsellors who provide an empathetic, proactive environment for personal empowerment.

How To Cope With & Conquer Anxiety

At the Wellness Counselling Group we utilize a highly effective Anxiety Management Program to help you overcome your negative, irrational thoughts so you can become an assertive, empowered person ready for the challenges that life sends you.

• Those of you that are tired of worrying all the time over trivial things.
• Those of you who experience physical signs of anxiety – headaches, abdominal knots / butterflies, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, hot and cold flashes, sweating, and many others.
• Thinking a trauma over and over again and avoiding things that remind you of that trauma – eventually leading to phobias.
• Those of you who fear failing or challenging yourself and therefore never end up accomplishing what you would like to accomplish (public speaking = affect on career etc…)
• Those of you who fear separation from a place such as your home, or from your family members.

We can help.

One of the first treatments used with Anxiety and Panic Disorders is Psychological Treatment (before medication is required). There are three elements to treatment that help those cope and conquer anxiety disorder.

Cognitive / Behavioural Therapy

This element is very useful as well with depression and is used with teenagers and adults with anxiety disorder. This consists of learning how thought patterns can lead to worsening of your anxiety. Statements such as ‘I am going to pass out if I don’t lie down’; or ‘I will die if I have another panic attack’; or ‘ When my eyes blur or I feel dizzy it means I have a brain tumor’. Working with a therapist who provides you with homework assignments, reading, writing and talking about these thoughts will help control and eliminate these negative and irrational thoughts.

Pro’s of this is, it is helpful with many disorders outside of anxiety.

Con’s are that you need to be motivated to work outside of the counselling session, you need to see someone regularly for a period of time, and it does not work quickly.

The use of all three elements have been found to be extremely effective in working through Anxiety Disorders. Because of how interactive the therapist and client are using these three elements, this is the most hands-on, productive and proactive way to overcome anxiety and keeps it from overtaking your life again.

The above forms of therapy and relaxation are key components to helping you understand and manage your anxiety and stress related issues. All of these areas are covered using multiple forms of media and counselling / coaching.

Behavioural

Gradual Exposure to the topic or object that you have developed fear / anxiety towards. This is done by developing a hierarchy of fears, or ‘steps’ starting from the least anxiety producing to the most. Step by step you and your therapist will climb this hierarchy, building confidence, self-esteem and reducing the anxiety associated with each step.

The pros are this can lead to a great sense of personal accomplishment and there are no side effects to this procedure.

The cons are you need to be committed to challenging your fear, and it does not happen quickly.

Relaxation Techniques

Some specific relaxation techniques can help ‘ride out’ panic.

One is slow regulated breathing, this involves inhaling through your nose and exhaling through the mouth in a slow rhythmic fashion. Usually to the count of 4 for each inhale, and then again for each exhale. If practiced at least 2-3 times / day this will become an automatic response when feeling panicky and anxious.

Talking to and distracting yourself is anther form of relaxation. That is positively responding to physical symptoms your body is eliciting. Such as a gurgle in your stomach – which may lead you to panic and think you are going to have diarrhea. Instead rationalize the thought, that perhaps it was something you ate, and gurgles are part of regular body noises that everyone has. Then do something to distract yourself from this thought such as go for a walk or clean.

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