Anxiety Treatment - Boulder, CO - Scott Lilleston
Do you stress about finishing everyday tasks?
Do you have difficulty sleeping at night?
Do you feel tense and uncomfortable all the time?
Are you having difficulties maintaining relationships?
Do you have a hard time prioritizing and focusing?
If so, you’re likely struggling with some version of anxiety, which nearly 18% of the adult US population suffers from. There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that most of the people suffering from anxiety don’t receive help. The good news is that anxiety treatment is highly effective and help is just a phone call away!
Anxiety is the chronic activation of your nervous system's fight or flight response. When your nervous system is activated so often like this, it can have drastic effects on your health, personal life, work life, and overall wellbeing. As you probably already know, anxiety is one of the most uncomfortable experiences to manage. And why should you? It’s not natural to suffer from anxiety all the time.
There are answers.
Using my holistic approach to wellness, we will tease apart and understand the multitude of factors that lead to the stress and anxiety in your life. We will also identify any overlapping symptoms, such as other emotional issues or physical issues. It’s very common that anxiety is amplified by other challenges you may be facing.
Your specific symptoms related to anxiety are personal to you. They are based on your current life situations, past experiences, and belief systems.
At the onset of anxiety treatment, many people don’t fully understand their bodies' response to anxiety. For instance, you might notice significant changes in appetite, sleep deprivation, agitation, or extreme restlessness.
For others, the anxiety could manifest as physical symptoms in the body. In fact, many people actually go to doctor offices complaining of physical symptoms and leave with a referral to an anxiety specialist. I’m always amazed at the intelligence of the body when it wants us to pay attention to its cues for healing.
Have you experienced one or more of the following:
Chronic headaches
Digestive issues
Muscle pain
Increased heart rate
Dizziness
Restlessness
Once you’ve ruled out any medical disorders, this likely indicates your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert and that you’re suffering from anxiety or panic attacks.
After a traumatic event, this is a typical physiological response that needs to be addressed in order to resolve the trauma to the nervous system. However, for those struggling with chronic anxiety, this type arousal of the nervous system happens too frequently, for too long and sometimes without a predicating incident. Many people who suffer from chronic anxiety also have a list of other symptoms such as:
Sleep issues
A lack of focus and attention
High blood pressure
Heart palpitations
Suppressed immune system
Infertility
Premature aging
Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
There is a tremendous amount that your body can tell us about the underlying causes of your anxiety.
My approach to anxiety treatment, which is deeply influenced by Hakomi, focuses on increasing somatic (body-centered) awareness. With the Hakomi lens, we see the body as a reservoir of information and stored experiences, which include physical symptoms as well as psychological and emotional experience. Our experiences are a pathway that helps us shed light on, understand, and shift the patterns and beliefs that have remained unconscious.
In Hakomi we refer to these patterns and beliefs as “core material.” Core material includes habits, behaviors, beliefs, and even general attitudes about life. In our work together we will discover what your underlying core material is to better understand what’s causing your anxiety and how to alleviate it.
“Hakomi is an excellent system for learning key emotional intelligence skills.” - Daniel Goleman, Author of Emotional Intelligence
Once we recognize the patterns that are no longer useful for you, we can come up with an anxiety treatment plan that meets your needs. You will leave our sessions with the tools to successfully eradicate your anxiety outside of the office setting.
The good news is that you do not have to let anxiety control your life. With my holistic approach, I will support you in finding an effective strategy to treat your anxiety so it no longer runs your life. It’s time for you to take control back!
Please reach out for a consultation to see how I can help you so you don’t have to face this alone any longer.
“I came to Scott when I was at the end of my rope. Everything was going wrong in my life and I did not know where to turn. He provided loving and supportive environment where I felt safe and truly heard. Scott is a very skilled therapist and I would recommend him to anyone.”
