Jenna*, who was 37 years old when she came to us came in with complaints of being stressed and body pain not excluding pressure in the eyes, back of the neck, muscle tension, headaches and so much more. She said she had been facing this for 4 years now with no respite.

After the intake session, it was clear that Jenna* was struggling with anxiety. The therapeutic process began by psychoeducating her about the connection between the brain and body and how our own thought processes can worsen the manifesting physical symptoms. The initial sessions focused on mindfulness of breathing and practiced the same in sessions as well. As the sessions progressed, more techniques like visualization and progressive muscle relaxation were introduced to Jenna*. In order to further relax, Jenna* started having a regular routine of exercises and pursued a hobby. Mindfulness activities like body scan were also introduced to deal with the physical complaints that were manifesting. Though the symptoms didn’t completely go away, Jenna* did mention that she felt her symptoms decrease in intensity.

For the thoughts that cause anxiety, a mix of acceptance and being compassionate to Jenna’s* inner self helped her take charge of her emotions as opposed to being a victim of her thoughts which earlier made her feel helpless. Further, she was given positive self affirmations to tell herself and to maintain a gratitude journal.

Over 3 months later, Jenna* found it much easier to manage her thoughts further reducing her physical symptoms of anxiety.

(*name changed for anonymity)