Ways of Working with Anxiety

A Multifaceted Approach

Anxiety often presents itself as a symptom of deeper challenges. Addressing it effectively requires understanding its roots, building on strengths, and reshaping negative thought patterns. Here are three key strategies counselors use to help individuals manage anxiety and move toward a healthier mental state.

Identifying the Root Causes of Anxiety

One of the first steps in addressing anxiety is identifying the factors that trigger or exacerbate it. Through open conversations, counselors work with clients to uncover distressing experiences, current challenges, and potential triggers. Anxiety often signals underlying issues that may need attention before the anxiety itself can diminish. By addressing these root problems—perhaps with the help of additional professionals—a client’s overall distress may decrease, reducing their anxiety in the process. Counselors play a crucial role in seeing the bigger picture and ensuring their clients have access to the support they need.

Adopting a Strengths-Based Approach

Individuals struggling with anxiety often focus on the negative aspects of their lives, leading to diminished self-confidence and self-esteem. A strengths-based approach shifts this focus, encouraging clients to acknowledge and harness their positive attributes, talents, and available resources. By drawing on successful past experiences and identifying personal qualities like kindness, determination, or thoughtfulness, counselors help clients recognize their inherent strengths. As clients begin to appreciate and build on these strengths, they develop greater resilience and confidence in managing their anxiety. This approach emphasizes that everyone has unique resources to draw upon, fostering a mindset of empowerment and possibility.

Implementing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Negative thought patterns often underlie anxiety, shaping behaviors and emotions in unhelpful ways. CBT offers a powerful tool for identifying and reshaping these patterns. Clients learn to trace the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and actions, and to view challenging situations from a more constructive perspective. With practice, CBT helps individuals deconstruct unproductive thought patterns, evaluate their validity, and rebuild them in a way that promotes positive outcomes. By integrating CBT into daily life, clients can transform anxiety into an opportunity for growth and resilience.

Anxiety is a deeply personal experience, and no single method works for everyone. By addressing root causes, embracing strengths, and reshaping thought patterns, individuals can regain control and move forward with greater peace of mind. Remember, managing anxiety is a journey—and with the right tools and support, it’s one you don’t have to take alone.

More Reading: Generalised Anxiety

Understanding the symtoms of anxiety

Dr Mel Wong

Founder, Counsellor, Gumboot Counsellor, Registered Teacher, and Researcher