Anxiety Treatment Calgary | Therapy & Counselling

Anxiety Therapy: A Path to Healing and Recovery

One aspect of our anxiety therapy in Calgary that can be particularly effective in treating anxiety is the identification and challenge of limiting beliefs. These beliefs that individuals hold about themselves and the world around them can restrict their thinking and contribute to their anxiety. By identifying and challenging these beliefs, individuals can learn to think more flexibly and reduce their anxiety. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who experience panic attacks, obsessions, or specific fears.

By challenging these beliefs, individuals can develop a more flexible mindset and alleviate anxiety. This is especially beneficial for those who struggle with panic attacks, obsessions, or specific fears. To address excessive worry or phobias, the approach involves reconditioning responses in the walnut brain, our primitive, pre-evolutionary brain comparable to our animal instincts. This involves utilizing psychological techniques inspired by classical conditioning, such as those employed by Pavlov with dogs, but with a modified approach to help individuals overcome negative emotional responses associated with specific experiences or stimuli.

Here’s a general outline of how reconditioning works:

• Identifying the concern: Through collaboration between the therapist and the client, the specific fear, anxiety, or negative emotional response that needs attention is pinpointed. This may pertain to a phobia, a distressing event, or an irrational conviction. The objective is to lay the groundwork for exposure therapy.
• Exposure: Incorporates gradual exposure as a fundamental aspect, with the therapist guiding the individual to face their fears in a controlled and secure manner. This exposure can happen either through direct experiences in real-life situations or through the use of mental imagery. The process of exposure follows a hierarchy, commencing with less anxiety-inducing scenarios and progressively advancing towards more demanding ones. This systematic approach is influenced by classical conditioning principles.
• Integration: Clients are prompted to actively process their fears by engaging in cognitive and emotional activities. These activities aim to facilitate a healthy integration of their experiences. Integration techniques may include identifying and questioning negative thoughts (cognitive restructuring), observing and accepting thoughts and emotions without judgment (mindfulness), or expressing and comprehending the emotions related to the experience (emotional processing).
• Habituation: Over time, as the client repeatedly confronts the feared stimulus and integrates their experience, they become less sensitive to it, and their anxiety or emotional response decreases. This process is known as habituation.
• Generalization and maintenance: Once the client has successfully habituated to the feared stimulus, they may need to practice confronting similar situations to generalize their new emotional responses. The therapist will also work with the client on strategies to maintain their progress and prevent relapse.

There are many potential factors that can contribute to anxiety. Some common ones include:

• Genetics: Anxiety can sometimes be inherited, so individuals with a family history of anxiety may be more likely to experience it themselves. Environmental factors: Exposure to stressors such as trauma, abuse, or other negative experiences can increase the risk of developing anxiety.
• Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as thyroid problems or chronic pain, can cause anxiety symptoms.
• Substance abuse: Substance abuse, including the abuse of alcohol or drugs, can cause anxiety and make existing anxiety worse.
• Personality traits: Individuals with certain personality traits, such as perfectionism or a tendency to worry, may be more likely to experience anxiety.

Say goodbye to anxiety!

Some quick tips to relieve anxiety and improve Mental Health from your friends at ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling.

By ShiftGrit

On Mar 10, 2023

Calgary Anxiety Psychologist: The Benefits of Overcoming Your Fears

• Anxiety therapy in Calgary can help you identify and address the root causes of your anxiety, leading to long-term relief.
• By learning coping skills and strategies through therapy, you can manage your anxiety and improve your overall quality of life.
• Therapy can help you develop a greater sense of control over your anxiety and reduce its impact on your daily life.
• Our Anxiety therapy Calgary can improve your relationships by helping you understand and address the ways in which your anxiety affects others.
• With the support of a therapist, you can learn to challenge negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to your anxiety treatment in Calgary.

FAQ

Anxiety Counselling: Understanding the Hidden Factors that May Contribute to Anxiety

Control Your Habits, Control Your Anxiety with an Anxiety Counsellor Registered Psychologist

• Nutrient deficiencies, such as low levels of vitamins B and D or low levels of omega-3 fatty acids
• Poor sleep quality or sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea
• Excessive caffeine consumption or other stimulants
• Hormonal imbalances, such as low levels of thyroid hormones or high levels of cortisol
• Certain medications, such as steroids or blood pressure medications, can have anxiety as a side effect anxiety can be caused by a range of lesser-known factors, including nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep quality, excessive caffeine consumption, hormonal imbalances, and certain medications.

Anxiety Counselling Calgary can help if you also focus on a range of lesser-known factors, including nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep quality, excessive caffeine consumption, hormonal imbalances, and certain medications.

It is important to address these underlying causes in order to effectively treat and manage Calgary anxiety with a registered psychologist anxiety counsellor.