R117: Treating the Anxious Client

Today, in these unprecedented circumstances, every therapist needs to have a set of skills for enabling people to calm themselves down, challenge the distorted beliefs that keep them afraid, and learn to summon the internal resources to surmount their fears. This Reading Course will deal with addressing both the symptoms of anxiety as well as eliminating its etiology. Margaret Wehrenberg offers what she calls "the 10 Best-Ever Anxiety-Management Techniques" for handling symptoms. Bruce Ecker demonstrates how to get at the psychological roots of anxiety by deciphering its hidden logic. Reid Wilson shows how to help anxious clients by challenging their attitudes towards worry, certainty, and comfort. Miriam Greenspan talks about how to help our clients get beyond being at the mercy of the scary headlines.

Course Readings

The 10 Best-Ever Anxiety-Management Techniques: There Are Effective Alternatives to Medication by Margaret Wehrenberg

Everyday Courage: Helping Anxious Clients Open the Door to Uncertainty by Reid Wilson

The Hidden Logic of Anxiety: Look for the Emotional Truth behind the Symptom by Bruce Ecker

Befriending Our Fears: How to Handle Anxiety in the Age of the Orange Alert by Miriam Greenspan

Learning Objectives

1. Name three anxiety-management techniques
2. Discuss the role of symptom coherence in treating anxiety
3. Identify underlying beliefs about anxiety that prevent change
4. List three questions to help clients with post-9/11 fears