| Counselling treatment including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
The Reconnexion counselling for anxiety disorders is predominantly based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT provides strategies to successfully decrease the level of anxiety.
Although acknowledging the influence of the past on the present situation in helping to create anxiety, CBT is a very practical therapy which is concerned with managing the present anxiety rather than analysing the effects of the past.
The psychologist uses CBT to teach strategies to lessen anxiety, which are practiced between sessions. The counsellor then helps the person with an anxiety disorder to move from one step to the next, and assists in overcoming any barriers or difficulties along the way.
Anxiety disorders put a person into a vicious circle of fear. The elements of counselling treatment are designed to enable a person to break out of the vicious circle in a number of different ways.
The following are elements of the counselling approach:
Information and understanding about anxiety and the physical causes and symptoms of anxiety. This helps to help allay the fear that “something is wrong with me”.
Relaxation and breathing control help to reduce the level of anxiety. Regularly practiced relaxation also repairs some of the stress to the body caused by chronic anxiety and improves sleep. Slowing the breathing reduces symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.
Cognitive therapy aims to assist the person with an anxiety disorder to understand the role that our thoughts play in increasing our level of anxiety. It is the thought we have about a situation rather than the situation itself which increases anxiety. For example, the thoughts: “I hope I don’t have a panic attack” Or “I know everyone will be staring at me thinking I’m an idiot” instantly bring on feelings of anxiety. Counselling assists the person to learn to recognise fear or anxiety inducing thoughts, and then to train the mind to challenge or disregard the thoughts – thus reducing their power to generate anxiety.
Exposure to formerly feared and avoided situations or activities is an important step. Having become competent with breathing and managing anxiety producing thoughts, the person is then encouraged to undertake all activities, large and small, which have been avoided because of anxiety. This is done by breaking down tasks into manageable small steps, until the anxiety no longer stops the person from participating fully in life.
Structured problem solving techniques can also help many people with anxiety disorders when anxiety freezes the person’s ability to make a decision.
Mindfulness meditation is offered and can help people to understand the way the mind works and to assist in the strategy of disregarding or disengaging from fearful thoughts. Regularly practiced meditation also calms the mind and body.
Reconnexion psychologists:
All psychologists at Reconnexion have many years experience in treating anxiety disorders and depression.
Our psychologists are chosen for their personal qualities as well as their expertise.
Each person coming to Reconnexion has unique needs and will receive an individually designed program of recovery in easily managed steps.
Counselling is viewed as a collaborative relationships where opinions and decisions are respected.
Reconnexion has specialist child and adolescent psychologists. | 
