Techniques to Deal with Anxiety
Anxiety Management Techniques
Anxiety attacks can be debilitating, putting a halt to your day until it passes. Every patient experiences anxiety differently, with different causes, symptoms, and treatments. It’s important to diagnose anxiety as early as possible to avoid future agony. Identifying triggers and planning effective treatments helps to keep it under control so you can get on with living your life. Here are some of the causes and symptoms of anxiety attacks, as well as treatments in Honolulu, Hawaii, that may be effective and techniques that can help you reclaim control.
Diagnosing and Treating Anxiety
Generalized anxiety is not restricted to any one age group and can appear in both children and adults. It is usually caused by a combination of biological and environmental influences. Typical causes and triggers of anxiety include:
Brain chemistry: Some people have imbalances in their brain chemistry, which can result in other disorders like depression.
Genetics: Some research suggests that anxiety disorders may run in families. This could be due to genetic factors, the environment inside the home, or both.
Personality: People whose personality is naturally timid, nervous, negative, or cautious could be more susceptible to developing anxiety disorders.
Development: How a person develops throughout their life could impact their vulnerability to anxiety.
Experiences: Traumatic experiences, especially during childhood, often lead to anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Significant life changes may also have an impact.
Medical history: Certain conditions within a person’s medical history may increase their risk of developing an anxiety disorder.
These triggers can manifest in different ways. Some common symptoms of anxiety include:
Excessive worrying about events which do not have an impact equal to the worry
Excessively planning solutions for numerous worst-case scenarios
Seeing situations as threatening when they may not be
Struggling with uncertainty
Indecisiveness due to fear about making the wrong decision
Not being able to let go or move on from worries
Feeling restless or on edge
Trouble concentrating
Fatigue and/or insomnia
Muscle tension and muscle aches
Trembling
Excessive nervousness
Excessive sweating
Nausea
Diarrhea
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Irritability
Best Anxiety Management Techniques
There are things you can do at home to prevent and control anxiety. Here are some great tips for anxiety management:
Keep a journal. The act of writing about events in your daily life can help you to gain perspective and stay calm about their outcomes. It will also be helpful when meeting with a therapist because it will enable you to point at certain things that may be causing anxiety.
Prioritize issues in your life. Anxiety can strike when events seem more traumatic than they need to be. This causes you to spend too much time and energy worrying about them. You can avoid this by practicing careful time management.
Stay active. Keeping up with a routine of exercise and physical activity can help reduce stress, manage anxiety, and keep your mood positive.
Get enough rest. Anxiety can often cause fatigue, and not sleeping well can make it worse. Make an effort to get enough sleep to reduce stress. If you find yourself struggling with insomnia, speak to your doctor about treatment so you can sleep better.
Relax. Use relaxation techniques, such as meditation or yoga, to keep your stress level low and make it easier to manage your anxiety.
Take a break. When you feel anxiety or worry setting in, take conscious steps to cut it off – take a walk, dive into a hobby, tackle a manual chore. This will break the cycle and keep you from dwelling.
Anxiety Therapy/Teletherapy
Treatments for anxiety vary by patient since not every treatment will be effective for every person. Generally, cognitive behavioral therapy is regarded as one of the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders. It is a short-term treatment which focuses on teaching specific skills so the patient can manage their anxiety and return to everyday activities.
Teletherapy is also an effective form of therapy for anxiety disorders. This involves communication via video, phone, or email for the treatment of anxiety. Patients who are very busy with families and work may find this option helpful. It is also ideal for those who suffer from extreme anxiety that keeps them from leaving their home.
Don’t Suffer from Anxiety Alone
Anxiety can intrude into your daily life, keeping you from socializing and participating in certain situations that cause stress. There are techniques you can use to manage your anxiety, but they should be used in conjunction with therapy from a professional. This will give you the support and insight you need to be successful in your quest for a healthier and less stressful life. Dr. William Conti at East-West Therapy Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, can help you identify your triggers and establish a plan of treatment. He offers traditional therapy, teletherapy, and counseling for anxiety. He also can help with other issues, such as depression, grief, addiction, eating disorders, sexual identity, and others. Contact East-West Therapy Hawaii today to make an appointment for treatment of your anxiety in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Benefits of Couples Therapy
Most couples try to work things out on their own, or with the advice of family or friends. But many more couples today are turning to couples therapy to sort through and resolve their problems. If troubled couples don’t seek help from a professional, a good relationship could be lost forever, and this could even impact future relationships.
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The Benefits of Relationship Therapy:
– An objective view of your relationship. A non-biased professional can see things in your relationship that you may overlook.
– Help in gaining insight into your relationships and/or behavior. It’s hard to fix an issue if you don’t realize what it is or how it’s affecting each other.
– Resolving patterns that aren’t working in your relationship. A good couples therapist can help you identify harmful patterns and replace them with ones that help your relationship grow and improve.
Couples therapy can also be accessed via teletherapy, which is a term used to describe online therapy, where an individual or couples interact with a therapist over the internet via Skype, video, Facetime, or another mode of video/audio communication. It’s the same kind of face-to-face interaction you’d receive in a therapist’s office.
Teletherapy is a good option for those who may not otherwise seek therapy the traditional way. It avoids traffic, travel time, and is perfect for those with hectic schedules, or for those who feel more comfortable doing therapy in their own home.
What to Expect in Couples Therapy
In couples therapy, a couple can expect to take an honest look at their relationship and talk about behaviors and emotions, and underlying problems. This can be uncomfortable for a couple who lacks communication skills but is actually very helpful in working through issues and saving the relationship. It takes honesty and willingness to listen and, in some cases, turn negative thought patterns and behaviors into positive ones.
How Couples Therapy Can Help Your Relationship
Couples therapy can help your relationship in a number of ways:
– Helps you identify what is and what isn’t working in a relationship.
– Evaluate your relationships with an objective eye.
– Gets to the root of the problem with the analysis.
– Offers solid, practical advice on how to fix your problems by changing broken patterns.
If you live in Honolulu and Waikiki and would like to talk to a professional about the possibility of couples therapy, simply pick up your phone and give East-West Therapy Hawaii a call or fill out our contact form here.
Teletherapy is more than just a trendy way to participate in couples therapy—it actually could save your relationship.
How Therapy Can Help Make it Easier Coming Out to Family & Friends
What Does Coming Out Mean?
“Coming out of the closet,” or sometimes simply “coming out,” is a term used for the process that LGBT individuals go through to accept their orientation or identity and share it with the rest of the world, especially the people closest to them. It can be a difficult and anxiety-ridden process for many of these individuals. It’s a personal choice to come out, but having a solid support network can help.
Finding Help When Coming Out
An important part of a support network during the process of coming out is a therapist who will be both empathetic and objective. They should be familiar with issues that are common to the LGBT community, including the difficulties associated with coming out.
LGBT Teletherapy Counseling
Teletherapy is the name for mental health services conducted by electronic means. This could be through video sessions, like Skype calls, or verbal communication over the phone, email, messaging, or other mediums. Many patients can benefit from teletherapy, such as those who travel frequently, have very busy schedules, or deal with anxiety that keeps them inside their home. It can be especially helpful for LGBT individuals who wish to keep their sessions private and confidential.
Don’t Do It Alone – Seek Help From an Experienced Professional
An experienced therapist can help make coming out easier for LGBT individuals. East-West Therapy Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii, offers one-on-one counseling and support groups. They also offer teletherapy and online therapy for those too busy or anxious to meet in person. The center’s primary therapist, Dr. William Conti, is experienced in individual therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy. Contact East-West Therapy Hawaii today to find out how they can help you!
Managing Depression Through Teletherapy
What is Depression Teletherapy?
Also called telepsychology, telemental health, telepractice or distance therapy, it’s one aspect of virtual medicine. People who need depression therapy sometimes can’t travel to a therapist’s office — those who live in rural areas or need a specialist not available locally. For them, a virtual office visit can provide the mental health care they need via email, online chat, phone call or video conference. Obviously, there are limitations — the therapist can’t see the full body language of the patient, and your teletherapist must have a license in your state.
So far, however, the benefits have outstripped the challenges. One study indicated that, after 18 months, three-quarters of patients using phone-based therapy reported their depression much or very much improved. Less than two-thirds of that study’s participants receiving regular care made the same self-evaluation. One study is hardly conclusive, but it says the program is working for some and should be on the options list.
Using Teletherapy to Manage Depression
Regardless of how the teletherapy is conducted, some generalities apply:
Therapy sessions are private between you and your therapist, as with more traditional methods. It focuses on altering your activities and thinking patterns to produce a happier, healthier life.
You, the patient, always control your therapy. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to. What might you discuss? Anxiety, conduct boundaries, communication skills, depression, personal/professional goals, sleep habits, relationships and more.
The therapist will help you choose enjoyable activities or better ways to do what you already do. Over time, new habits form as you begin to experience positive feelings; you repeat the positive behaviors, leading to more fun in daily activities which leads to physically feeling better.
How long does teletherapy take? Sadly, that’s entirely individual; it takes as long as it takes. Humans are complex creatures, there a few quick fixes to our problems.
The Top Psychotherapist in Honolulu
East-West Therapy Hawaii offers individuals a safe, supportive, encouraging, non-judgmental, and nurturing space where they may explore and grow. Dr. William Conti, Ph.D., uses Carl Jung’s methodology because Jung’s concepts connect the psychological and spiritual aspects of life. He’s found that psychological terminology is often used to describe experiences which are actually spiritual and vice-versa. Whether via teletherapy sessions or in-office depression therapy, Dr. Conti and the staff always put our patients’ health as our top priority.
What Is The Jungian Methodology?
What Is The Jungian Methodology?
Western medical models tend to view inner struggles as symptoms or disorders that need to be fixed. The Jungian methodology, however, disagrees with this view. Created by Swiss psychologist C.G. Jung (1875 – 1961), the Jungian methodology views these struggles as a means of communication from the psyche. According to this methodology, your psyche uses these inner battles as a way to announce that something new is on the horizon.
The Jungian Methodology is often considered a psychology of your unconsciousness. It uses conscious, unconscious and physical manifestations, energies and behavior to investigate and determine the psyche’s call. (This is unlike Western medical models which typically only addresses the conscious and psychical indicators.) It often includes dream work, active imagination, explication, and amplification. In the Jungian methodology, these techniques help the therapist and patient to identify what the psyche is attempting to convey.
Benefits of Using the Jungian Methodology
The benefits of the Jungian methodology go beyond the Western medical models. Therapists who employ the Jungian methodology do not judge, isolate, or fix a person. With the Jungian methodology, a therapist does not negatively label an individual. Instead, they work with their patients to fully understand the changes the psyche are calling for. Providing them with a positive, supportive environment, therapists who utilize the Jungian methodology enhance individuality and foster humane relations.
Every person’s psyche strives to help him or her live up to their full potential. Jungian methodology helps support one’s journey and personal development. Because the Jungian methodology focuses on all of your personal energies, it creates a more conscious and balanced psyche.
A Wholesome Approach to Teletherapy
East-West Therapy in Hawaii offers Jungian methodology-style therapy. However, sessions are not limited to in-person treatments. Dr. Conti also offers teletherapy sessions.
Still using the Jungian methodology approach to wellbeing, teletherapy sessions allow Dr. Conti to work with patients who may not live in the immediate area. They also allow local patients to continue their therapy sessions while away on travel. This means patients can continue to work on understanding their psyche and finding balance any time, anywhere.
The Jungian methodology approach can help anyone find the balance between his or her psyche needs. Contact East-West Therapy today to find out more!
Reduce Your Stress Levels and Panic Attacks with Anxiety Therapy
We have all felt some levels of anxiety at some point in our lives. However, for some, anxiety goes beyond an occasional occurrence. Life with anxiety can prevent you from thoroughly enjoying life. At East-West Therapy, we strive to help you break free of the chains created by anxiety.
Benefits of Anxiety Therapy
If your anxiety is significantly impacting your ability to partake in and enjoy life, it is time to evaluate what events, activities or behaviors are triggering these feelings. Anxiety therapy is a great way to safely explore these imbalances in your life in a secure, nonjudgmental way.
At East-West Therapy, we work with you to address ongoing issues and help you to develop healthy coping mechanisms. Because each individual feels and reacts to things differently, our therapist will aid you in determining what your specific anxiety disorder is trying to tell you.
Anxiety therapy comes with plenty of benefits. It helps you to learn to rationalize a situation before anxiety can escalate it. By being able to calm your thoughts and take the time to think – you can take control of your anxiety before it takes control of you. This control can also help you to change how you feel about yourself, encouraging positive thoughts instead of discouraging ones.
Anxiety Teletherapy
Anxiety teletherapy is a great way to connect with your therapist in today’s modern society. No longer do you need to rush across town to attend an anxiety therapy session. Now you can log in and enjoy the help of your therapist from virtually anywhere.
The benefits of anxiety teletherapy expand upon those offered by the traditional office setting. At East-West Therapy, we offer two versions of this digital therapy. Video sessions allow you and your therapist to communicate visually and verbally for the duration of your session. For those who prefer just verbal communications, we offer teletherapy sessions via the phone or computer. This means you can still be at your kid’s soccer game, traveling for work, or within the safe confines of your home and still receive quality anxiety therapy.
If you are tired of living with anxiety, contact us today to learn more about our anxiety therapy and teletherapy services.
What to Ask to Find the Best Therapist in Honolulu, HI
The technological revolution of the twenty-first century has made a wide array of activities easier to do. Whether it is getting information about what you don’t know through Google, seeing your loved ones who live a long distance away through Skype, or getting instant news through news service websites, technology has made a lot of things easier. One area that many individuals are now using technology to do is therapy.
Teletherapy is helping a lot of individuals get the help they need when they don’t have the time to go in to see the therapist. While this is spreading across the United States, teletherapy has just recently begun to get more popular in Hawaii, where Dr. William Conti at East-West Therapy is offering teletherapy to help provide needed therapy to as many as possible.
There are several common questions that people should ask when entering a teletherapy session. These will help you get as much as possible out of your teletherapy sessions, both the current one and those you will do in the future:
When can I make an appointment next?</h2?
Communicating with your therapist that you are interested in undergoing more sessions can help let them know that you are willing to undergo the process of therapy. Therapy is more often than not a process requiring multiple appointments, so establishing early on that you are willing to undergo the process will prepare both you and your therapist.
How can I access resources given to me by my teletherapist?
Since teletherapy is, by nature, a remote exercise, you may be troubled on how to get the resources offered by the therapist. If it is a prescription, the teletherapist will contact your doctor directly for the script. Any other resources your teletherapist will likely make available to you over the internet, in the form of ebooks, pdfs, or audio and video files.
How do I take advantage of teletherapy if I am traveling?
This is truly the beautiful thing about teletherapy: anywhere that you have service or access to Wi-Fi can get you access to your therapist. It matters not if you are at home or away, so traveling doesn’t take away from your ability to take part. The only thing that will stop you is your desire not to do it.
If you are in Hawaii or anywhere else in the United States and want to try teletherapy, contact East-West Therapy and Dr. William Conti today!
Tips for Successful Teletherapy Sessions
Therapy and counseling has finally come into the twenty-first century with the advent of teletherapy: therapeutic sessions undertaken over the telephone or through a video messenger service with a licensed therapist. Many patients are opting for this method of counseling for a variety of reasons, including more convenient scheduling and the ease of being able to do it in the comfort of your own home.
If you are one of the patients looking into undergoing a teletherapy session or are getting yourself ready for a teletherapy session you may be looking for tips on how to make the session as beneficial as possible. The following are a series of tips that can help you get as much as possible out of the session.
Establish Your Teletherapy Mindset
First, you should pay attention to your mindset. Approach the session with an open mind, meaning that you should not be expecting any one thing but allow the session to flow. While you can have a rough plan on what you would like to talk about, don’t shut down any avenues of discussion the therapist may open with you. Know that the therapist is trying to help you grow, and by keeping an open mindset you can also have a growth mindset that will allow you to get as much as possible out of the session.
Set Up Your Safe Space
The second tip is to pay attention to your environment. Try to do it in an area that you are already comfortable in. Set your seat up in a position that allows for maximum comfort, sitting on your couch or a sitting chair in a position that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. The more relaxed you are in the session, the more open your mind will be and the more you will be able to communicate with the therapist.
Remove Distractions
Finally, remove any distractions that may occur during your therapy session. If you live with others, ask them to stay quiet for an hour or so. If you have children, ask someone to watch them. If you are able to, do the therapy session in a room that you can close the door. The more distraction-free the environment is, the better the session will go.
Schedule Your Successful Teletherapy Session Today!
Teletherapy sessions can be as beneficial as face-to-face meetings: in fact, with the use of Skype, they become face-to-face sessions from the comfort of your own home. Follow these tips to make the session as beneficial as possible for you. Check out what to expect at your first session and call East-West Therapy at 213-880-8262 to book your first teletherapy appointment
What to Expect at Your First Teletherapy Appointment
If you’ve decided to try teletherapy, you already know that it is an easy and convenient alternative to traditional therapy that takes place over the phone from wherever you are. No need to take off work early and fight rush-hour traffic to get to your therapy sessions- now you can get the beneficial therapy you need from the comfort of your home, office, or anywhere that offers a good amount of privacy. All you need is your phone!
But what can you expect from your first teletherapy session? Here is an overview of what goes on during the first appointment, and how teletherapy can fit into your busy life while giving you the help and healing that can transform your life.
Meet and Greet
As with traditional therapy, the first time you meet your therapist during a teletherapy appointment will be something of a “getting to know you” session. Your therapist will ask you a little bit about yourself, including your key reason for seeking teletherapy. This way, your therapist can have the information he or she needs to set benchmark goals in order to help you with the most pressing issues in your life.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Once in a while, a patient may not tell the whole truth to a therapist; he or she may feel afraid of being judged, and might downplay or completely omit certain symptoms or behaviors that can lead a therapist to a diagnosis and proper course of treatment. It can be somewhat intimidating or embarrassing to confide in a therapist you’ve just met, but it is essential to your treatment to try to describe any and all emotions, behaviors, or impulses that you may be experiencing in order to help your therapist get to the root of the issue. Don’t worry if you don’t feel comfortable enough during your first teletherapy session to talk about the heavy stuff, but it is always the best policy to be honest and forthcoming with your therapist.
Ask Questions About Teletherapy
During your first teletherapy session, your therapist doesn’t have to be the one asking all the questions! Feel free to ask him or her anything you may want to know about his or her background, as well as any questions you may have about your treatment plan, so you know what to expect. Your therapist will honestly and thoroughly address all your questions and put you at ease so that you can begin your life-affirming, transformative work through therapy.
It’s never been easier to receive treatment from a licensed therapist thanks to teletherapy sessions available through East-West Therapy, you can get the help you need to live your best life, no matter where you are located! Dr. William Conti and associates are based in Honolulu, HI, but can offer therapy services to people around the globe. Let today be the day you decide to take charge of your life- call East-West Therapy at 213-880-8262 to book your first teletherapy appointment. A better life is just a phone call away!
Using Teletherapy to Conquer Phobias
Phobias are defined as extreme or irrational fears or aversions to specific things. While some people may have a phobia of dogs, spiders, or snakes, others may become terrified in a situation involving heights or enclosed spaces. Some of the most common phobias include aerophobia, a fear of flying; astraphobia, a fear of lightning and thunder; and mysophobia, a fear of germs. While not everyone has a phobia, they are very common and normal and can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy by a licensed and experienced psychotherapist.
If you aren’t able to make the time to travel to a therapist’s office for regular cognitive behavioral therapy sessions (or if you aren’t able to because you suffer from agoraphobia, which is a very real phobia of leaving your home), there is good news! At East-West Therapy in Honolulu, HI, we offer teletherapy sessions with a professional psychotherapist. Teletherapy is an over-the-phone therapy method that takes place at regularly scheduled times that are convenient for you and your therapist. All you need is a phone and a quiet, private space to have a full therapy session that is every bit as effective and beneficial as a traditional, in-person session with a psychotherapist.
During your teletherapy sessions to help conquer your phobia, your therapist may delve into your background and childhood to try to find a definitive event or circumstance that may have led to your extreme fear. Were you almost drowned as a child? This may account for your fear of large bodies of water. Perhaps you were in an auto accident at a young age, which could explain your phobia of driving a car. When your therapist is able to get at the root cause of your phobia, he or she can better understand how to help you overcome it so you can get on with your life.
A key part of cognitive behavioral therapy is exposure to the thing or situation that frightens you most. You may wonder how you can accomplish this through teletherapy, but the answer is simple. When your therapist feels that you are ready to face your fear, he or she can assign you a little homework that involves coming into incremental contact with the object of your phobia. You can report back to your therapist about the success of your exposure therapy during your next teletherapy session. As you accomplish these increasingly challenging goals, you will move toward your ultimate objective of putting your greatest fear behind you once and for all!
Conquer Phobias with Teletherapy
There is nothing shameful or embarrassing about having a phobia; however, if you find that your phobia is getting in your way and affecting your quality of life by severely limiting your activities, it may be time to get a handle on your fear and overcome it for good. With convenient teletherapy sessions from East-West Therapy in Honolulu, HI, you can work to overcome even the most debilitating phobia on your own time, so you can take back your life and live it to its fullest!
Call East-West Therapy today at 213-880-8262 to schedule an initial teletherapy consultation. Life’s too short to be afraid- call East-West Therapy today!
Copyright © - William Conti
