exercises

By Michele L. Blume, PsyD, SEP, author of Mindful Somatic Awareness for Anxiety Relief

The world around us appears to be moving through some kind of transformation. Change abounds. And wherever there is change, there is usually fear. And wherever there is fear, there is usually an effort to suppress it. Or, often, to make it go away altogether.

By Mary NurrieStearns, LCSW, RYT

Thoughts about anxiety and the physiological experience of anxiety go hand-in-hand. When your clients talk about anticipated difficult events and how they cannot cope with what might happen, their bodies generate a fear response. This is a great therapeutic opportunity. Utilize such moments to teach your clients how to respond to anxiety-producing thoughts.

Pause. Gently, clearly state, “Let’s pause for a moment.” This gets your client’s attention, directing it away from the anxiety-producing thoughts.