Description
Anxiety has become overwhelmingly pervasive in today's day to day life. This anxiety can manifest in acute ways, such as panic attacks, emotional overwhelm, behavioral shut down, or as "free-floating" anxiety that includes persistent worry, irritability, fatigue, and confusion. It tends to overwhelm our senses in subtle ways, sometime outside of our awareness all together. It negatively impacts our family life, school or work capabilities, and daily functioning. It weakens our confidence and can wreak havoc on our self esteem and productivity.
This group will focus on how to better understand the way anxiety impacts your life as you gain insight and understanding of your unique thought and behavior patterns. Throughout the group, we will learn how and why our brain reacts to anxiety the way it does, and we will identify and practice specific and effective coping skills that address anxiety in the moment.
As we get a chance to practice alternative ways of responding to anxiety triggers, you will notice improved self confidence and esteem, you will have more space to engage in validating and productive activities, you will see benefits within interpersonal relationships, and feel more calm, present, and joy throughout your life.
Group Therapist
Lauren Rosenthal is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist located in Soquel, CA. Lauren works with children, young adults, and adults across a wide range of mental health challenges. Many of her clients become overwhelmed by feelings of helplessness or fear as they navigate major changes, chronic pain, or conflicts in their relationships. She also offers couples’ and family sessions for those who would like to grow their bonds with loved ones and to work through conflict, discomfort, or stress occurring within those relationships.
Lauren teaches clients effective coping strategies to employ when faced with emotional or physical distress. She often brings in concepts from neuroscience to help clients understand what’s happening internally for them, and taps into the mind-body connection through breathwork and Somatic Experience therapy. She also incorporates therapy approaches like Internal Family Systems and attachment-based therapy to provide clients with different perspectives from which to view their challenges. Lauren believes that all individuals have the capacity to make positive change in their lives, and she provides a deep sense of support to her clients as they work towards this change.
Lauren studied extensively with renowned mindfulness instructors Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield, fulfilling certification as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher. To further trauma informed care, Lauren received certification from Integrative Psychiatry Institute’s Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy program. If traditional psychotherapeutic methods fall short, psychedelic intervention can offer alternative benefits and provide a radical path towards healing.
Lauren believes that therapy is a collaborative process where both the client and the therapist lead one another forwards. Clients begin to notice unhealthy patterns in their behavior and in their thoughts, and learn from Lauren how to practice self-compassion and to avoid the intense feelings of shame that can hold them back from joy and peace.
