(19 min CLASS) Understanding Anxiety: Bottom-Up Approaches for Healing w/ Kevin McCarthy

Anxiety is something that happens in our nervous system in response to perceived threats. The physiological mechanisms that occur from anxiety are intended keep our physical bodies safe from harm. Over time, anxiety can be taxing to the nervous system and difficult to cope with.

This class offers a bottom-up approach to understanding our body’s responses to anxiety in a compassionate way. Kevin invites us to courageously embrace these responses with kindness. If we can meet the feelings of anxiety in a safe environment, our fight/flight baseline will decrease over time and our nervous system will feel more in tune with the present moment.

Reflection:

1 - What does my body need to feel safe and supported in my physical environment? (ie. lighting, blankets, knowing a door is locked, etc etc)

2 - Who, in my life, do I feel safe with?

3 - What does anxiety feel like in my body?

4 - What can I do to make my anxiety feel safe and loved?

Find a Therapist::

Find a Psychotherapist: www.psychologytoday.com⁣

Find a Somatic Experience Trauma Therapist: www.traumahealing.org ⁣

Find an EMDR Trauma Therapist: twww.emdria.org

Crisis Hotlines:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line: text TALK to 741741

SAMHSA Treatement Referral Hotline (Substance Abuse) 1-800-662-HELP

(4357) RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (5673)

Trevor Lifeline (suicide hotline for LGBT youth) 1-866-488-7386

International: http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html

MEET YOUR TEACHER

Guest Instructor, Kevin McCarthy is a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) and Advanced Rolfer™(CAR), specializing in the effects of trauma and chronic pain on the body. Kevin’s 12+ years of experience, along with these many and diverse skills are combined into powerful sessions dedicated to helping people find depth and meaning in their own healing experience. Kevin’s sessions are a surprising and effective mix of talk therapy, manual intervention and movement exploration structured to support the client’s realization of their emotional, mental and physical health in a safe and welcoming environment.