You’ve got a major meeting coming up, maybe an exam or a big game, and you’re feeling anxious about how well prepared you are. Perhaps you’ve been putting off an important discussion out of fear you may not perfectly verbalize your thoughts.
These are just a few situations that may cause you anxiety. While nervousness or anxious feelings are natural and can be helpful, for some people anxiety is debilitating, leaving them stuck and unable to take action, says Langley Psychotherapist Dr. Ellie Bolgar.
“It’s part of life to sometimes feel scared and worried about things,” she says. “Conscientious people worry, but for certain people it is difficult to keep it under control and manage their emotions.”
Therapy can help you overcome limiting perceptions
Dr. Bolgar says anxiety results when you perceive something you’re experiencing in life is larger than your ability to deal with it. Those perceptions, related to overall confidence and sense of security, usually begin developing at an early age, she adds, and until the root causes are addressed, anxiety can be difficult to control.
“People can learn to change how they perceive what they are scared of and respond differently,” she says. “We can help people develop coping skills to manage their fears and their anxious thoughts, and develop greater confidence about themselves and their ability to handle that anxiety.”
Diagnoses of anxiety are significantly increasing in children, teens and adults, Dr. Bolgar notes, and more anxiety medications are being prescribed than ever. Counselling and psychotherapy offer you a way to explore the heart of the problem and help you find solutions that can work for you.
Learn how your brain can change
Rewiring those parts of your brain from which anxiety stems is possible. The key to that healing is a need to believe in the value of self, Dr. Bolgar explains, and deciding to see beyond the limits of one’s fears or past mistakes.
“It is a process that gets easier with practising self-compassion, and a way of life that gradually transforms people from being helpless victims of their circumstances to being powerful, co-creators of their reality,” she says.
Alongside therapy, neurofeedback – an advanced technique for helping to train the brain – is available as a potential option for you in the treatment of anxiety. Ask Dr. Bolgar for more details in this area.
Fellow professionals available to help
As of March 1, Dr. Bolgar will be working with four other experienced counsellors who can help you:
- Dr. Natasha Panina-Beard
- Diane Cronk
- Jill Craven
- Matt Vlasic
To book an appointment to talk to any of the therapists about anxiety or other issues, or for more information, call 604-371-0198, email info@drbolgar.com or visit drbolgar.com.