Anxiety & Depression Index

    Panic Attacks Part 1: What is Panic & Why We Need It

    Panic Attacks Part 1: What is Panic & Why We Need It

    Panic is a normal, necessary physical response to the brain perceiving a significant threat.  We release adrenaline to prepare ourselves to fight or flee (run away). The trouble is, when our brains can't tell the difference between a physical threat and an emotional one...here comes a "panic attack!" ...
    Other Anxiety & Depression Links

    Other Anxiety & Depression Links

    Here are some additional resources for anxiety and depression that I haven't had the chance to write individual summaries for...yet! ...
    Article: Not Hungry in the Morning - Dr. Kristen Allott, Naturopathic Physician

    Article: Not Hungry in the Morning – Dr. Kristen Allott, Naturopathic Physician

    It's not unusual, when I start to discuss this with my clients, for folks to tell me, "Well, I'm really not hungry in the morning."  Breakfast sets the tone for your nutrition for the day ...
    Stages of Change

    Stages of Change

    The Stages of Change model can help us to be patient with ourselves. It can help us to recognize how really ready we (or someone we care about) might actually be to make a significant change in our life. ...
    Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County

    Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County

    The Crime Victims' Ccenter makes the cold and unwelcome world of the court system feel managable by practically, and sometimes literally, holding your hand every step of the way.  ...
    Panic Attacks Part 2: The Antidote to Panic - Relaxation Breathing

    Panic Attacks Part 2: The Antidote to Panic – Relaxation Breathing

    It is literally impossible to be truly breathing in a relaxed way and to be experiencing a full-blown panic attack at the same time. Add relaxation breathing as another tool in your tool chest! ...
    Panic Attacks Part 3: Fear of the Fear - Don't Let Panic Attacks Take Over Your Life

    Panic Attacks Part 3: Fear of the Fear – Don’t Let Panic Attacks Take Over Your Life

    When panic attacks strike, anxious people can worry so much that they might happen again, they actually develop a "fear of the fear." This kind of fear is what starts to make a person's world smaller and smaller as they avoid more and more situations that might trigger panic. BUT, this can be turned around! ...
    The Effect of "Power Posing" Likely Depends on Context and Our Thoughts

    The Effect of “Power Posing” Likely Depends on Context and Our Thoughts

    One study found that, if you are a person who struggles with a lot of negative self-talk, power posing can actually have the opposite effect and decrease self-confidence.  Other studies suggest that power posing can also be used to increase the likelihood of us doing things that amount to an abuse of power ...

    Healing Yoga

    Healing Yoga

    While it's unfortunate that this local business is closing it's doors, it's helpful to know that there is such a thing as a yoga therapy blend ...
    Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County

    Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County

    The Crime Victims' Ccenter makes the cold and unwelcome world of the court system feel managable by practically, and sometimes literally, holding your hand every step of the way.  ...

    Illustration of (Some) CBT Concepts

    Illustration of (Some) CBT Concepts

    CBT is the strongest, research-backed therapeutic approach in the treatment of anxiety and, additionally, to be very effective for a whole host of other mental health issues. Come learn more about it! ...

    John Mulaney And Stephen Colbert Explore Each Other's Deepest Anxieties

    No Description

    Everyone Has To Like Me

    (Note: The part of the conversation that I'm talking about begins around 4:30.) Words of wisdom can come from so many places.  I was pleasantly surprised when I watched this clip of two famous men inadvertently having a truly deep ...
    Podcast: Optimizing Brains by Dr. Kristen Allott, Naturopathic Physician

    Podcast: Optimizing Brains by Dr. Kristen Allott, Naturopathic Physician

    I am a big fan of Dr. Allot's work.  I have been providing her information to my clients for years now, and it has played a significant role in how I work with clients who come to me with anxiety, ...
    TED Talk - What Fear Can Teach us presented by Karen Thompson Walker (video)

    TED Talk – What Fear Can Teach us presented by Karen Thompson Walker (video)

    When deciding what shipwrecked castaways should do to try to save their own lives...Fear Brain: "Oh, being eaten by cannibals, that's the scariest possibility. We should definitely not go where there might be cannibals." Logic Brain: "Yeah, that does sound scary but it's not very likely to happen. If we go the long way to avoid the cannibals, our food supplies will definitely run out." What to do? ...
    Panic Attacks Part 3: Fear of the Fear - Don't Let Panic Attacks Take Over Your Life

    Panic Attacks Part 3: Fear of the Fear – Don’t Let Panic Attacks Take Over Your Life

    When panic attacks strike, anxious people can worry so much that they might happen again, they actually develop a "fear of the fear." This kind of fear is what starts to make a person's world smaller and smaller as they avoid more and more situations that might trigger panic. BUT, this can be turned around! ...
    TEDx UC Davis: Getting Stuck in the Negatives (and how to get unstuck) presented by Alison Ledgerwood, PhD (video)

    TEDx UC Davis: Getting Stuck in the Negatives (and how to get unstuck) presented by Alison Ledgerwood, PhD (video)

    Dr. Ledgerwood's research show us that our brains are hardwired to subconsciously focus on negative information, despite positive information to the contrary.  However, when we make a conscious decision to shift our focus to positive things...things that are already there ...
    TEDx Talk: Feeling Good presented by David Burns, MD

    TEDx Talk: Feeling Good presented by David Burns, MD

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the premise that our thoughts, emotions, and behavior are all interrelated and affect one another.  Because of this, if we learn to identify when we are having "thought errors" that distort our perception of reality, often ...
    Panic & Time Magazine's "How to Increase Mental Toughness: 4 Secrets From Navy SEALs and Olympians" by Eric Barker

    Panic & Time Magazine’s “How to Increase Mental Toughness: 4 Secrets From Navy SEALs and Olympians” by Eric Barker

    Our body's ability to prime itself for a life-saving level of physical response, "fight or flight," is a gift...but it can feel like a curse if you struggle with panic attacks ...
    TED Talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are presented by Amy Cuddy, PhD (video)

    TED Talk: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are presented by Amy Cuddy, PhD (video)

    Using research science to back up her ideas (in a very NOT boring, sciency way) Amy Cuddy tells us how a simple thing like our posture affects us (our body chemistry and how we perceive ourselves) and other’s perceptions about us. ...
    NPR's TED Radio Hour: Maslow's Human Needs

    NPR’s TED Radio Hour: Maslow’s Human Needs

    Take a dive into thinking about these Maslov's human needs in our modern time by listening to people’s individual stories that illustrate this interesting way of thinking ...

    Shyness & Social Anxiety

    Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven, Step-by-Step Techniques for Overcoming your Fear by Martin M. Antony PhD and Richard Swinson MD FRCPC FRCP

    I recommend using this book when working with adults and some teens who have high levels of shyness and social anxiety.  In a clear, and easy to read fashion, this book takes you step-by-step through the process of learning about how ...