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Most of the time, anxiety disorders are associated with other psychological disorders. Our approach at our clinic is to provide an integrative model that focus on understanding and identifying the type of anxiety disorder, developing and proposing an effective treatment plan, and delivering that treatment plan collaboratively with the patient. We understand that anxiety disorders are highly complex with elements of both conscious and unconscious components. Our tools and resources will be able to speak to both levels of consciousness, offering a diverse and powerful treatment.

How do we do it?

Our integrative approach provides a perspective by analyzing how the anxiety disorder developed, maintains itself, and what thoughts and physiological reactions influence the patient. How the anxiety developed is influenced by conscious awareness which is influenced by thoughts of catastrophe. The unconscious mind also plays a role in how we feel. This unconscious interpretations of events also can bring on symptoms of anxiety for the patient. Researchers Kendall and Hollon 1989, argue that patients who report high levels of anxiety were more likely to have thoughts about not being able to control a situation, a perceived threat, or imaginal danger. Because we have to face stress every day, people with anxiety disorders are best to learn additional coping strategies to cope with the rigors of life. Our goal is to empower our clients so they can develop these strategies and recover well and be optimally healthy both physically and mentally.

Why therapy may have not worked before?

Some therapists only provide a fraction of the treatment that is required to treat an anxiety disorder. They may address the thoughts, but not have the skills to address the physical. They may also be limited in their training in delivering a highly focused program.  Focusing on the thoughts may create stagnation, which will ultimately keep the person away from facing his or her fears, which could result in a perpetuation of symptoms. This could lead to patients becoming anxious about becoming anxious.

Our resources have helped many see success throughout their treatment. Our treatment strategies are well supported by research and offer tremendous value to those experiencing difficulties with an anxiety disorder.

How do we tackle it head on?

Cognitive Distortions

First we assess the cognitive distortions that bring on the anxiety. This is again, the perceived threat, danger, loss of control or thoughts about not being able to control oneself. Remember, anxiety is a future orientated emotion, which people often think they are unable to control. We work by helping individuals rapidly shift their focus and remain attentive to the actual events that are occurring or could occur. We talk about problem solving and work on challenging these thoughts directly.

Preoccupation with Anxiety Symptoms

We recognize that anxiety is uncomfortable. We also understand that some people with anxiety disorders become preoccupied by their symptoms. Some become hyperaware of their symptoms and this could influence them to feel further detached from themselves and ultimately begin to lose trust in their capacity of managing their physiological symptoms when anxiety does come about. We work somatically with our patients, by helping them learn to trust their bodies again. This is done through the use of mindfulness and cognitive correction. We also use specific anxiety focusing techniques to help ease the feelings and sensations one would tend to experience during an anxiety provoking situation.

Rumination

Rumination is often referred as repetitive negative thinking. People who experience these difficulties often repeatedly focus on their negative symptoms and the consequences of their symptoms or situations. What lacks in rumination is active problem solving. This could include thinking about changing the situation or circumstance. Depressed people tend to have more negative ruminative thoughts than those who do not report symptoms of depression.

Worry

Those with anxiety disorders often differ from those with depression when it comes to how they process worry. Much of the literature suggests that those with anxiety tend to worry more than those with depression. The purposeful worry that happens with anxious individuals is quite purposeful. These individuals are attempting to solve a mental problem where the outcome is often at times uncertain. Worry can be managed with careful thought challenging and problem solving techniques. Acceptance therapy can also be very helpful in controlling the worry.

How we assess the development of an anxiety disorder

We focus on analyzing how it originates from the ‘early on’ traumatic experience. Much of the work focuses on how the early trauma influenced the individual’s capacity and how they may have felt ‘stuck.’ The person may have felt helpless or trapped. This incapable feeling can be relieved and restructured through careful cognitive work.

We then focus on identifying how similar situations may generate the same type of feelings that were triggered by the original traumatic episode. We analyze how the anxiety is perceiving a signal that catastrophe will occur. When the thoughts of anxiousness develop, people will tend to be too overwhelmed to focus on seeing things from a different perspective. In this instance we will help our clients develop reflexive thinking. This type of thinking helps them slow down and use their skills to analyze the situation differently.

We also talk about avoidance behaviours and how they tend to perpetuate the anxiety symptoms. Acceptance can defined as experiencing without judgment. This is accompanied by meeting the experience with curiosity and kindness. Acceptance is not completely about tolerating your symptoms, it’s about active embracing and seeing your experience through a compassionate lens.