Holistic Approaches to Anxiety Counseling in Charlotte, NC: Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit
The mind, body, and spirit may be defined as separate entities but they do work with each other and are interconnected. When most people think about counseling the focus is on being able to process experiences through talking alone. However, there are many different interventions that apply to therapy and counseling that don't focus specifically on just speech to help heal. Your therapist in Charlotte, NC might encourage meditation in sessions, or even yoga. If you have experienced trauma in the past or recently that has impacted your anxiety EMDR could be an appropriate approach for you. Below we will explore some holistic options that you can discuss with your therapist that might be helpful for managing anxiety.
1.) Guided Meditations
Guided meditations are a great tool to help with moving towards the present. Anxiety can pull us to be future or past-oriented in thinking. To help get out of the cycle guided meditations can be relatively helpful. Your therapist might take you through some guided meditations to help or they might have some pre-recorded audio that you can listen to on your own time. Either way, getting into the habit of meditation can help you to identify what is going on within your body to then be able to self-soothe your system when things feel overwhelming.
2.) EMDR
EMDR is a therapeutic technique that is used to help process anxiety, depression, and trauma. Your therapist will have to be professionally trained in this approach to be able to utilize it in session. If your therapist isn't trained in this approach they may be able to refer you to someone who specializes in this. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization reprocessing, it uses back-and-forth eye movements to create bilateral stimulation that helps reduce vivid and emotional associations with trauma.
3.) Exercise
Movement is so important to incorporate every day. Exercise helps to decrease tension in the muscles and changes brain chemistry to release more serotonin which helps reduce anxiety symptoms. Exercise also gets you to get your mind off of the anxiety and on to something else. Different activities that involve exercise can expose you to new hobbies like yoga for example. Depending on the way you choose to exercise might also help you to meet new people and expand your social network. One change to your lifestyle with exercise could lead to other positive changes that can help to reduce anxiety symptoms.
4.) Diet Changes
Another way to keep anxiety in check is by asking yourself what you are putting into your body. If you consume more caffeine that could have implications on anxiety levels. Alcohol can interfere with sleep even though it may feel like it initially is able to create a calming effect. Food sensitivities might also contribute to changes in mood so if you are eating foods that make you feel more bloated and sluggish then it may be best to look into how you can add more foods that would be beneficial to a balanced diet.
5.) Praying and engaging in religious practice
Engaging in religious practice can be beneficial in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Religious practice might include reading religious texts and engaging in studying every day. It may include praying or even attending a religious service. Putting anxiety on to your higher power can help to reduce the amount of stress that you put on yourself about the situation that you are in and how much power and control you put on yourself for the problems you face. Prayer also reduces the amount of isolation that can be felt when you have your own anxieties. Stress and anxiety are all a part of the human experience but you don't have to go through it alone.
Begin Anxiety Therapy in Pineville, NC
Coping with anxiety can take time and support. This is why our team of caring therapists is happy to offer support in addressing your mind, body, and spirit. You can start your therapy journey from our Charlotte, NC-based practice by following these simple steps:
Fill out our contact form
Meet with a caring therapist
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Other Services Offered With Inward Counseling
Inward Counseling is happy to offer support with a variety of mental health concerns in addition to anxiety therapy. Other services offered include therapy for depression, family, Christian counseling, and EMDR. We also offer trauma therapy and couples counseling. Visit our blog or about page to learn more today.