Anxiety is a reaction to a current situation, a worry about future events or as a result of a previously traumatic experience. We all experience anxiety at some point in our lives but it’s only when we find it difficult to control our worries, feelings and physical symptoms that anxiety is no longer a temporary response but has become a condition that adversely affects our day to day living and the quality of our lives; anxiety as a condition is often misunderstood and can be both incredibly frustrating and debilitating.

Conventional medicine has yet to fully understand the various causes of anxiety but considers factors including hormonal imbalance and living with a long term/chronic condition. In my experience as a professional alternative medicine practitioner, I have found that there are many different factors that contribute to anxiety and it is likely that there as yet undiscovered causes that conventional medicine may not be fully able to address until we consider the whole person, with the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of ourselves all taken into consideration.

Many feelings of anxiety have their root in fear, whether real or perceived. I consider both to be very affecting and indeed very real for the client. It can often be very difficult for clients to verbalise exactly how they feel and this can be frustrating, adding to their anxiety. Anxiety can become normalised - often clients 'get used to' living with anxiety to a point where it feels like their normal state of being, and this can make it very difficult to see that there is something wrong. If you have been living with anxiety for a long period of time, it may be difficult to see that your symptoms and responses may in fact be a result of anxiety and are not actually your natural state of health with a balanced response to stress. In working with clients with anxiety, their symptoms of anxiety are often more as a result of life experiences which caused the body to respond in specific ways. These can be varied and complex, are individual to each person and, in my experience, are often very similar to those who have experienced trauma. I feel this is one of the cruelties of anxiety - it actually prevents us from understanding when we need help because, over time,  it begins to feel 'normal'. 
 
Anxiety is a condition that is often emotional in its root cause but one which presents itself very much physically in a myriad of ways; from mental overactivity, nausea, insomnia and panic attacks to feelings of being overwhelmed and unable to cope, and a tendency toward obsessive and compulsive behaviours if left unaddressed. The symptoms of anxiety can be managed successfully with holistic approaches and this is my initial first step in supporting you. From there, we look at the possible causes and how we can heal from these. Emma*, one of my clients who was living with debilitating anxiety for many years, shares her story of how support sessions have helped her. Emma attended intensive weekly sessions for the first 6 weeks and then fortnightly sessions for a few months following. She now attends sessions every 4 - 6 weeks as part of her self care, when she feels she needs a little additional support or when she is faced with something challenging that she feels has triggered her old way of coping.  You can read Emma's story here.

Support Plans
For support sessions for anxiety I request a commitment to a minimum of 4 sessions.
One to one support plans are dedicated to finding, addressing and managing the root cause(s) of your anxiety using various holistic approaches. The sessions create a safe space where you are listened to with empathy and compassion and emotionally supported throughout.

Plans are available over the course of 4, 8 and 12 weeks, with ongoing sessions if or when required. The initial 4 week plan consists of an initial first visit, consultation and treatment followed by 3 x 90 min weekly sessions, including holistic counsel, a review of how the sessions are progressing, the appropriate therapy and the way forward. This may include some techniques for you to do between appointments at home.  If you would like to discuss which plan my suit you best, or any aspect of the plans, a free 15 minute telephone consultation is available.
 
All appointments are booked and secured in advance for the date and time we agreed and this will usually be at the same time each week. Appointments are attended at my private practice in East Kilbride.

Useful Reading
Phytotherapy, using plants for healing, can be incredibly useful  for stress management and emotional support. Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways to address the many facets of anxiety that affect every day life - please visit my blog post Essential Oils For Anxiety for the essential oils I recommend for external application, how to use them and safe dosage.