Just wondering about having my first therapy session to help deal with anxiety

Hi Rach! Thank you so much for your time asking this valuable question about your plan for your first therapy session! First of all, I want to thank you tremendously for reaching out for support at this time! That is so brave of you to reach out for help on this platform. I truly hope that this therapeutic process is what you are looking for!
I know that you mentioned that you would like to get to the root of your triggers for anxiety. My first thought on this is to come up with a check list of your triggers. Some questions you may want to ask yourself may include: How often do you feel triggered? Why do you think these things trigger your? How have you been coping with the triggers that you have been experiencing? What is the most productive way to manage the feelings that you have been having?

It may take some time to formally and fully explore these questions and that is okay! I want to address the feelings of anxiety that you have been experiencing. What are some of the symptoms of anxiety that you have been having? I really admire your goal of trying to deal with anxiety in appropriate and effective ways. I agree with you that therapy is definitely a helpful place to learn new skills and tools as a means to manage anxiety symptoms. It is a great sign that you have already begun to identify your feelings.

From my perspective, the first line of defense in managing anxiety is through relaxation, grounding and mindfulness based approaches. These strategies include, but are not limited to, guided imagery exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing techniques and identifying sensory experiences. Trying out new strategies to manage anxiety may seem like trial and error, but it is certainly going to be worth a try!

In regards to your first therapy session, every therapist will do things a bit differently. For example, some therapists might go over a standard bio psycho social intake assessment. Other therapists may administer a semi structured interview with some pre conceived questions, as well as additional questions that may be asked during the information gathering process. Some counselors, like myself, will allow time for you to share whatever you would like and truly get started with therapy in the first session.

I like to obtain information in order to meet clients where they are at and then provide ideas for creative problem solving as well as coping skills. I always assign "home work" in the initial session to give clients something to work on before the next time we meet. The BetterHelp platform has many worksheets that can be utilized as a resource and is helpful for many subscribers. It is typically up to you if you would like to meet via video conferencing, a phone call or live chat session. Feel free to take your time to discuss these options with your therapist before your initial appointment!

The fact that you want to think of ways to prevent your feelings of anxiety is a great sign! The best thing a client can do to manage anxiety is to set goals and work towards attaining those goals. Having a therapist assist you in coming up with objectives to work on is an ideal way to further develop preliminary goals that you already have come up with!

As a provisional art therapist, I always recommend utilizing drawing as a means for processing and self expression. The drawing directive that first comes to mind after reading your questions is the tree drawing assessment. You mentioned earlier that you notice the roots of your anxiety. I could see the roots of a tree being a great metaphor or symbol for the roots of the anxiety that you have been experiencing. The directive is simple in that all you need is a pencil and paper. You can draw a tree, paint one or even utilize sculpture as a means to create an image of a tree.

I am impressed with the hope that you already have that you will be able to make a positive change in your feelings of anxiety. I, also, have faith that you will be able to work on your goal of preventing the feeling anxiety that you have been having. I can tell that you to want to find a new perspective on your anxiety. I can say this: your anxiety is not you. Perhaps it would be good to think of your anxiety as something separate from yourself! I know that this is not an easy process. You may want to start by coming up with a symbol, a shape or a color to represent your anxiety. Perhaps you want to come up with a name or a personality to further describe your anxiety. If your anxiety were a person or a creature, what might that look like?

Take some time to visualize yourself in a peaceful place. When you think of your inner peaceful place, what might that look like? Perhaps you can hear certain sounds or smell certain scents. It would be nice if you could even imagine tactile sensations or tastes. Utilizing this sensory experience as a visualization technique may be a good place for you to start! You can always return to this peaceful place at any time!

I realize that living with feelings of anxiety is not easy. I would encourage you take time develop a safety plan for the times in which your anxiety feels unmanageable. It is okay to feel anxious at times in which it feels right to be anxious. If you are noticing yourself feeling anxious and it is not a good time to feel that way, it would be nice to have a plan in place to manage those feelings in a safe, appropriate and healthy way!

I hope that some of these ideas truly resonate with you! I want to thank you so much for your time reaching out for support, Rach!