Anxiety, Worry & Panic: Effective Strategies to Calm the Anxious Mind

CPD

Handouts

Faculty

Jennifer L. Abel, PhD Related seminars and products

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Jennifer L. Abel, PhD, international speaker, author and clinical psychologist, has specialized in the treatment of anxiety disorders for over 20 years. Before opening a private practice, she served as the associate director of the Stress and Anxiety Disorders Institute at Penn State under the direction of the leading expert in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), T.D. Borkovec.

Her first book, Active Relaxation (Self-Published, 2010), has received outstanding reviews from mental health care professionals and anxious readers alike. Her second book, Resistant Anxiety, Worry, and Panic: 86 Practical Treatment Strategies for Clinicians (PESI, 2014), has received praise from top experts in anxiety management. Jennifer is also the author of The Anxiety, Worry & Depression Workbook: 65 Exercises, Worksheets & Tips to Improve Mood and Feel Better (PESI, 2018) and the Melt Worry and Relax Card Deck: 56 CBT & Mindfulness Strategies to Release Anxiety (PESI, 2016).

Dr. Abel has published many articles in professional journals and wrote a pamphlet about GAD for ABCT. She has been quoted by several popular magazines (e.g., Health, Prevention, Glamour) for her expertise in Worry. Dr. Abel presents to the public (e.g., Working Women’s Survival Show), as well as professionals (e.g., Australian Psychological Society; Anxiety Disorder Association of America).

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Jennifer Abel is in private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. Jennifer Abel receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Jennifer Abel has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Objectives

1. Demonstrate components of the “anxiety spiral” and utilize several evidence-based strategies (including self-controlled desensitization) to prevent exacerbation of symptoms.
2. Demonstrate five potential anxiety treatment pitfalls and learn evidence-based approaches to avoid or correct them.
3. Employ four mindfulness strategies for treating anxiety symptoms in a clinical setting.
4. Evaluate the inverse relationship between worry and problem solving, and identify its implications for treatment of anxiety.
5. Differentiate the clinical presentation of panic, worry and fear of guilt and how they compare to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and other anxiety disorders.
6. Develop clinical skills to address treatment-resistant issues, including perfectionism, subjugation, procrastination, illness anxiety disorder, and catastrophizing/intolerance of uncertainty.

Outline

• Examples of Worry Spirals and Panic Spirals
• The Empirical Evidence
• 3 Benefits of Catching Anxiety Early
• Reminders for Catching Anxiety Early

• Move Toward Relaxation vs. Away From Anxiety
• Process vs. Command
• Present Focus – Mindfulness as a Relaxation Tool
• Acceptance
• Observation of Thoughts and Emotion
• Labeling of Thoughts and Emotions
• Observation and Labeling Game

• Rationale for SCD
• Formal SCD
• In-Session SCD
• Active Relaxation

• An Alternative Way to Do Cognitive Therapy – B3s
• Find Alternative Thoughts
• The Role of “Shoulds” and “Need To’s”
• Change to “Want To’s”
• The Humor of Worry
• Deal with Superstitious Worry
• Limitations of Research and CBT Interventions

• Worry Prevents Problem Solving-Evidence
• 4 Ways to Do Problem Solving

• Dangers of a Poor Assessment
• Stop Encouraging Avoidance and Escape
• Assess for Negative Reinforcement
• Remove Crutches
• Traditional Exposure
• Interoceptive Exposure for Panic
• Finding and Flooding “The Real Worry”
• Risks Associated with Treatment of Panic
• Related Research Limitations

• Progressive-Muscle Relaxation
• Quick Alternatives to PMR
• Energy Conservation

• Illness Anxiety Disorder and Fear of Untimely Death
• Perfectionism
• Subjugation
• Catastrophizing/Intolerance of Uncertainty
• Procrastination

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Case Managers
• Addiction Counselors
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapist Assistants
• Speech Language Pathologists
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals