Lean into your anxiety with us!

I am delighted to be writing my first blog post and welcome you all to Forward Thinking Psychological Services. Please watch this space for updated blogs and other resources that we will post to help you move towards wellness and recovery in your life.

I recently attended the International OCD conference. It was virtual this year and blew me away with the ability of the speakers to engage thousands of people from all over the world as we discussed the latest research and treatment approaches for individuals experiencing OCD.

If you are experiencing symptoms of OCD and other anxiety-related disorders, you might be engaging in a great deal of avoidance behaviours. This might include avoiding friends and family and other social situations. You might be avoiding showering because your rituals take an exhaustingly long time and it is easier to not shower. You might avoid leaving your home for fear of contamination. And, sometimes, you might even avoid getting out of bed because everything in your life is just too time-consuming.

An important idea within our treatment approaches for anxiety involve the concept of leaning into the discomfort and distress. What does this mean? It means that we need to welcome in negative emotions, embrace them instead of avoiding them. It means that we need to learn and believe that anxiety – while challenging and uncomfortable – is nothing more than that. There is no danger in feeling anxious – only discomfort. Do I enjoy feeling anxious – absolutely not! Are there times that I am anxious – absolutely yes, especially more so lately during this global health crisis we are all living through! It also means that we make a deal with ourselves to move towards what is of value to us, instead of away from it. Let us help you lean into the anxiety at Forward Thinking Psychological Services. We look forward to working with you!

DISCLAIMER: This content is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Only a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose a mental health disorder. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for therapy. Visiting this website should not be considered to be equivalent to a relationship with FTPS. Mental health concerns should only be discussed in the context of providing professional services after the consent process has been completed with a qualified FTPS associate outside of our website.