Anxiety

It’s common to experience a level of anxiety in our day to day lives however, we find those feelings may persist long after the event has passed. They may even intensify as we anticipate a future event or situation. Symptoms of anxiety can present as physical symptoms (e.g. increased heart rate, sweating, tingling or numbness in body parts, fast breathing, etc.) or come in the form of thoughts that may be unwanted, intrusive, or reoccurring without being able to “shut the brain off.” At times we may be able to cope with these symptoms effectively and other times they may become too difficult to control or manage. These feelings or thoughts may begin to interfere with daily functioning and ultimately impact how we live. Excessive and persistent worry, and fear may creep into every day situations causing us to avoid certain places, people, or situations to even isolating from others. When symptoms begin to interfere with daily living, or when previous coping skills become less effective, seeking treatment can be helpful. 

 

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a gold standard treatment for a variety of anxiety disorders such as, General anxiety disorder (GAD), Social anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). 

 

CBT is a short-term therapy with people observing marked improvement in just a few sessions. The overall goal is to improve symptoms by helping you develop more balanced thoughts about yourself, others, and the world. You will learn how to develop goals and problem-solving skills that will increase motivation to engage with daily living. A course of CBT can range anywhere from 6-20 sessions.