Case Study- Stress and Anxiety

27TH APRIL 2016

Overcoming long standing fear of closing her eyes helps Karen address anxiety issues.

Background Karen, aged 46 from Dorset, suffered with stress and anxiety related to bullying at work. She found it impossible to relax, had difficulty sleeping and wanted to find the strength to withstand pressure at work and boost her confidence and self-esteem.

Consultation Karen had a real inability to relax and just wanted “to be able to switch off, to relax properly,”. She had suffered with an epileptic type seizure 20 years previously which had left her with a fear of closing her eyes, as she recalled being unable to open her eyes during the seizure. Ian was convinced that if Karen could relax, reframing techniques could be used to change her thinking and this would build her confidence and self-esteem.

Programme The focus of the plan was to use a range of therapies to enable Karen to relax, deflect stress and boost her confidence. The first priority was to provide reassurance that it was ‘safe’ to close her eyes during the session. To do this, she was shown relaxation techniques and created a mental ‘shield’ that made her feel protected and enter into a deep state of relaxation. Subsequent sessions built on the relaxation techniques and Karen reported finding it easier to sleep and waking feeling refreshed. Her mind set was changing so that previously unsettling thoughts of future events, such as an impending house move and birth of a grandchild, she was now feeling excited about and looking forward to new beginnings.

Outcome Karen worked closely with Ian to understand and uncover the reasons and triggers for her stress – much of which was related to things that had happened many years earlier. She was given the power to process past emotions with further work on confidence, emotional release and continued use of the personal shield. At work, Karen used her relaxation techniques to deflect the unreasonable behaviour of her boss and developed her resilience until the situation in time came to natural and positive resolution. Key to Karen’s success was her acceptance of change as a positive, progressive thing which was achieved through a reframing programme developed by Ian.