Managing Anxiety Workshop
Note from class facilitator Ben Taylor: Hi! Thanks for your interest in this class. I created this workshop after speaking with hundreds of individuals struggling with anxiety and spending countless hours researching how to help them. I’ve learned that most of us were never taught how to think about emotions effectively.
If you could have taken this class in elementary school, you might not be reading this page now. Nevertheless, if the best time to learn these skills was in childhood, the next best time is now. I created this class to teach anxiety management skills to more people more quickly than I can by only offering individual sessions. I understand participating with strangers in mental health related class is scary. I hope you hear that I see that challenge and work hard to make these classes comfortable, safe, and useful.
Ideal For Anyone With
- Excessive worry
- Rumination
- Intrusive thoughts
- Difficulty focusing on anything except anxiety
You Will Learn
- The biological role and process of anixety
- To quickly recognize your own anxiety symptoms quickly
- How to manage moments of intense anxiety
- To quickly identify your personal values
- How to do what matters to you when anxious
Theoretical Framework
This class will teach you the basics of a therapy theory called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT. ACT is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which emphasizes the ability to manage distress while choosing behaviors that are meaningful and value aligned for you. . ACT skills will help you learn to spend less time fighting with your emotions and more time doing things that actually matter to you.
Six Processes of ACT
Acceptance
The ability to notice and embrace emotions, thoughts, and physical feelings as they are occurring without fighting or avoiding them.
Defusion
Defusion refers to the ability to break out of the “struggle” or “spiraling” with anxious thoughts.
Being Present
The ability to bring the mind to focus on what is currently happening in any given moment.
Self Context
The ability to recognize how your own patterns, history, relationships, and values influence emotions in any given moment.
Values
Learn to know your core values and be able to choose actions reflective of your values in any given moment.
Committed Action
Committed action means combining all the previous skills to choose an action reflective of your values.
What you can expect
Each class is held virtually using Google Meet with audio and video. In each class, facilitator Ben Taylor, LPC-MHSP, will introduce a skill(s) related to one of the six core components of ACT.
Classes are structured similarly to traditional class settings. Ben will spend time reviewing and detailing skills each week. At times, questions or opportunities for input will be presented to the group. Sharing of personal experiences is always voluntary. Emotional safety is an important piece of all classes.
At the end of each class, ideas for outside practice of skills is reviewed. The next class will pick up with a brief review of the previous weeks skills.
Benefits of group classes
More Perspectives
Joining a group provides a jump start to self-help. Being in a group allows you to benefit from the accumulation of ideas, experiences, and support.
A Support System
Classes offer a built-in support system of people who are sharing an improvement journey with you. They root for you, advocate for you, and support you when needed.
Great Addition to Individual Therapy
Groups help reinforce goals from therapy as well as introduce new ideas and skills to be processed in individual therapy. Groups also offer a place to practice skills which can be processed with your therapist.
Groups Are Just Plain Helpful
It sounds simple, but it’s true. Groups help people accelerate their progress. Being a part of a safe, supportive, and focused group offers an energy to participants that make doing hard things a little easier.
Class Details
When: Thursdays 5pm – 6:30pm for 6 consecutive weeks.
Where: Classes are held virtually and confidentiality using Google Meet.
Cost: Classes are $45 per class if paying privately. Otherwise class price is determined by your insurance carrier.