COUNSELLING FOR ANXIETY

We offer counselling in a safe and supportive environment for individuals to explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors related to anxiety.

How can Therapy help with Anxiety

Therapy offers a supportive and validating environment where individuals can express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences without judgment.

Therapist helps client to

  • understand triggers and underlying causes
  • teach practical coping skills to help individuals manage anxiety symptoms in real-life situations.
  • relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises, mindfulness practices,
  • cognitive restructuring to challenge and reframe negative thought patterns.

 

Behavioral techniques such as exposure therapy or systematic desensitization to gradually expose individuals to feared situations or stimuli in a controlled manner may also be utilised whenever suitable for the client. This helps reduce avoidance behaviors and desensitize individuals to anxiety triggers.

What is Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural human response to stress or perceived threats, characterized by excessive worry, fear, and apprehension. While it’s normal to experience occasional anxiety in response to life’s challenges, anxiety becomes a concern when it becomes excessive, persistent, or interferes with daily functioning.

Anxiety can present itself in the following ways

  • Generalized Anxiety: Persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, family, or finances, even when there is little or no reason for concern.

  • Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks characterized by sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and shortness of breath.

  • Social Anxiety (Social Phobia): Fear of social situations and interactions due to a fear of being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated in public.

  • Specific Phobias: Intense fear or avoidance of specific objects, activities, or situations, such as heights, spiders, flying, or enclosed spaces.

 

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety can involve both emotional and physical components, often accompanied by cognitive distortions as well as behavioural signs.

  • Physical Symptoms:
    • Shortness of breath or hyperventilation
    • Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
    • Muscle tension or tremors
    • Sweating
    • Dizziness or lightheadedness
    • Nausea or stomach discomfort
    • Headaches or migraines
    • Fatigue or weakness
    • Restlessness or feeling on edge
  • Emotional Symptoms:
    • Excessive worry or fear
    • Irritability, impatience or agitation
    • Nervousness
    • Feelings of apprehension or dread
    • Feeling overwhelmed
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  • Cognitive Symptoms:
    • Racing or intrusive thoughts
    • Catastrophic thinking (imagining the worst-case scenarios)
    • Difficulty making decisions
    • Difficulty concentrating
    • Memory problems or blanking out
    • Trouble focusing or mind going blank
    • Heightened sensitivity to potential threats or dangers
  • Behavioural Symptoms:

    • Avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations or triggers
    • Seeking reassurance from others
    • Ritualistic behaviors (e.g., checking, counting, repeating actions)
    • Difficulty sleeping or insomnia
    • Changes in appetite or eating habits
    • Procrastination or avoidance of tasks

Counselling for Anxiety

Contact us if you have any questions regarding anxiety or will like to seek therapy for struggles with anxiety issues

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