Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Bethlehem, PA

Erin: I use CBT and mindfulness approaches when treating anxiety. I find these approaches help clients to better understand what is contributing to their anxiety, what they are experiencing both internally and externally, and how to manage their symptoms more effectively.

Jami: My go-to approach for treating anxiety is understanding the root, then identifying healthy coping outlets to calm down the root trigger. I prefer working on the root first so that we can identify specific, personalized coping plans that really work rather than a blanket one-size-fits-all approach.

Erin: Here are a few of the tools that I teach clients in helping clients to better manage their anxiety:

• Mindfulness techniques such as RAIN (Recognizing their emotions, Allowing their emotions to be there, Investigating their internal and external experiences that may be connected to the emotion, and Nurturing themselves in that moment and after that moment)
• Recognizing, reframing, and challenging distorted thinking patterns
• Identifying and utilizing effective coping skills to help them regulate in different moments when triggered

Jami: I teach the following tools in anxiety therapy:

• Early recognition: Early recognition of the very beginning signs of anxiety is key in employing coping strategies early on where they'll be more successful.
• Grounding skills: Grounding skills are anything that uses your 5 senses to bring you into the present moment, which is much easier to deploy under duress than breathing or talking it out.
• Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing, can be a great preventative exercise to lower stress and reduce anxiety before it happens.
• Healthy habits: Healthy habits like good sleep, limiting caffeine, and exercising can go a long way in helping address and prevent anxiety.

Erin: I know that clients are making meaningful progress in a few ways. First, I can usually tell in the way in which clients are talking about their experiences. I can hear when the tools we discuss are being applied in a way that expands their perspective and helps them to manage their symptoms more effectively. Second, clients typically tell me that they are feeling better. Third, I see progress in the behavioral actions and changes that clients make in their lives over time. These signs of progress make this job so incredibly rewarding!

Jami: I know a client is making meaningful progress in anxiety therapy when they're able to better recognize their anxiety early, employ coping strategies effectively, and identify an idea of what triggered it.

Erin: Clients can supplement their time in therapy by listening to podcasts or reading books that may apply to what they are trying to work on. It's also always very helpful when clients are tracking their thoughts and feelings outside of therapy in order to provide the most accurate information in sessions. And of course journaling can be an incredibly valuable way for clients to explore and organize their thoughts and feelings in new ways. A few podcasts that I love and recommend are “The Happiness Lab,” “Where Should We Begin?” and “We Can Do Hard Things.” A few of my favorite book recommendations are “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,” “Book of Joy,” and “Wherever You Go, There You Are.”

Jami: Clients can supplement their time in anxiety therapy by practicing coping and grounding skills outside of sessions daily as well as keeping a log of anxious moments and triggers.

Erin: To prepare for your first session you may want to think about what goals you have for therapy and what you want to get out of this experience. Most importantly though, you just come as you are!

Jami: To prepare for your first anxiety therapy session, you can find a safe, calm, private place to hold the session, take a few deep breaths, and prepare your mindset to be open to trying new things.