As helping professionals, we know all too well how debilitating anxiety can be on our clients’ ability to lead full and joyful lives. Often their own self-critical thinking, avoidance and reliance on

safety behaviors only exacerbate their pain. We also know that COVID 19 has doubled the increase in for mental health problems for those who had the virus.

Course Description:

This highly interactive, experiential workshop teaches participants how to engage, even the most anxious client, with practical, “doable” skills that will increase our clients’ confidence and ability to overcome anxiety. This workshop will teach clinicians how to help clients identify, manage and combat symptoms, as well as insidious, unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. By enhancing clients’ problem-solving abilities and overcoming avoidance; clinicians will finally be able to help clients enhance their confidence and succeed in moving forward from the trap of anxiety. There will be a brief presentation of what the latest research reveals about we know of how COVID 19 has impacted how the human brain functions and the link to mental illness. In addition, a rare opportunity to discuss case examples of how we are seeing this manifest in our clients.

Teaching Methods:

•This course is geared toward adult learners.

•This highly interactive Workshop employs didactic, as well as experiential learning. The use of PowerPoint & various forms of media will be used for instructional purposes to allow for different participant learning styles and creativity.

•Interactive activities such as role-play and will allow participants to practice intervention skills and techniques that are taught in the Workshop.

•Discussion of how to apply treatment techniques and case examples that illustrate this will occur throughout.

Learning Objectives: 

• Participants will learn to help clients identify and redirect their attention to understanding anxiety instead of “beating themselves up for,” being anxious about being anxious.

• Participants will review the various causes of anxiety and what keeps clients in a perpetual, vicious cycle of avoidance and worry.

• Participants actively engage in learning and practicing concrete treatment interventions that interrupt the vicious cycle of anxiety and avoidance behaviors.

• Participants will learn to teach their clients problem-solving skills that result in solutions to decreasing avoidance and anxiety.

• Participants will learn controlled breathing visualization and progressive muscle relaxation techniques proven to be useful in treating anxiety.

• Participants will be able to provide strategies for clients to let go of ‘safety behaviors,” and have increased confidence in their abilities to master and manage their feelings.

• Review and explore methods to challenge cognitive distortions as they related to anxiety