Therapy for Anxiety
Living with Anxiety? Reclaim your Peace of mind
Do you constantly feel on-edge and worried about things that may go wrong? Anxiety as a mental health issue involves excessively feeling anxious and worried; to the extent that it becomes difficult to control and may affect one’s well being and functioning.
PULSE offers evidence-based therapy for anxiety by a clinical psychologist. These are psychotherapy interventions that have been supported by research as effective in reducing anxiety.
Benefits
Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety
Emotional
- Frequent feelings of anxiety or panic
- Irritability
- Stress
Cognitive
- Excessive worrying
- Irrational fears
- Negative thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
Physical
- Restlessness
- Muscle tension
- Trembling
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbance
Behavioural
- Avoidance of situations and places that may trigger anxiety
Experiencing some level of anxiety or some of these symptoms occasionally is a normal part of life. However, experiencing them frequently and excessively; to the extent that they are interfering with daily functioning or quality of life; may indicate the need for professional help.
Common Anxiety Conditions
Generalised Anxiety
Persistent and excessive worry about various everyday things, often without a specific cause.
Panic/Anxiety Attacks
Experiencing sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear, often accompanied by physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
Social Anxiety
Excessive fear of social situations and scrutiny by others, leading to avoidance of social gatherings or interactions.
Substances / Medication-induced Anxiety
Experiencing anxiety as a withdrawal symptom from regular substance use (caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or medication). It may make quitting attempts especially challenging.
How Psychotherapy Can Help with Anxiety
1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
The premise of CBT is that the way we think has a direct impact on how we feel and behave, and vice versa.
Across various types of anxiety, there is usually a common thinking pattern of over-exaggerating the danger in various events or the likelihood of things going wrong. This triggers the excessive feelings of fear and anxiety.
A major part of CBT is helping people to learn to identify when their thoughts are exaggerated, and to change their thoughts to more realistic, helpful ones. This can have an immediate effect on reducing the feelings of anxiety.
2. Exposure Therapy
Another common tendency in anxiety conditions is to avoid the specific situations, people or places that tend to trigger anxiety. For example, someone with social anxiety may avoid all social gatherings at work.
While avoidance is a natural reaction, it worsens anxiety in the long run. Recovery from anxiety usually requires people to face situations they have been avoiding.
Exposure therapy is a part of CBT that involves gradually exposing people to the things they fear and learning overcome their anxiety through manageable steps.
3. Psychoeducation
Having a solid understanding of your condition, triggers and how treatment works is key to being able to successfully manage it. As part of therapy, our psychologist will educate you on:
- The condition, your symptoms and your triggers in daily life.
- Intervention strategies and an overview of your therapy plan.
4. Mindfulness & Relaxation Techniques
You will also learn techniques to self-manage your anxiety, such as breathing techniques, and mindfulness or relaxation strategies.
Meet our Psychologist
Lead Clinical Psychologist
Dr Jaswyn Chin
Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), James Cook University Singapore
Bachelors of Art in Psychology, Murdoch University Australia
Registered Psychologist with Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Dr. Jaswyn is a registered clinical psychologist with over 10 years of experience. She has extensive experience providing intervention for various a wide range of mental health issues from anxiety, depression, grief, insomnia, OCD, personality disorders, stress management to trauma.
Dr Jaswyn adopts a person-centred approach to therapy where she believes in working collaboratively with individuals through the process of recovery. She is also trained in multiple therapeutic modalities including cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and eye movement desensitisation reprocessing therapy (EMDR).
During her free time, Jaswyn enjoys music and plays the piano. She is also a keen learner of new languages and loves to travel.
Embark on a path of physical and mental well-being.
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PSYCH x TCM for Anxiety
In conjunction with our PULSE TCM clinics, you have the option of adding traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapies which work through the physiological routes to reduce the symptoms of depression/anxiety/insomnia.
By integrating TCM with our psychologist services, you would likely experience faster, amplified improvement in your symptoms while working on making the critical changes for long-term recovery through psychotherapy.
FAQ
A clinical psychologist usually has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master’s or Doctoral degree in clinical psychology. They would have received longer, more comprehensive training on psychological theories, mental health conditions, assessments, and therapeutic techniques. They are qualified to work with clients on a wider range of issues, from general life challenges, emotional problems, to mental health conditions.
A counsellor or therapist, on the other hand, usually holds either a bachelor’s degree in counselling or psychology and/or a postgraduate diploma or master’s degree in counselling, which usually focus on general counselling or therapy skills. A counsellor or therapist typically helps clients on general life problems and challenges, such as stress, family or relationship issues. They may not have the resources or capacity to handle mental health cases such as clinical depression, anxiety or other diagnosed psychological conditions.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have completed medical school with further specialised training in psychiatry. In practice, they focus on diagnosing and treating mental health conditions through prescribing psychotropic medications (e.g. antidepressants, anxiety medications). A psychologist, on the other hand, aims to help clients improve through therapeutic interventions. They focus on psychoeducation as well as changing the way clients respond (think and behave) to improve their conditions.
Psychiatrist consultations are usually much briefer than therapy sessions, typically ranging from 15 to 30 minutes. The session usually focuses on keeping track of the patient’s symptoms and responses to medication, and in adjusting the prescription. Some psychiatrists; although less common; may also provide psychological interventions.
It is common for clients with mental health conditions to see a psychiatrist to help alleviate some of their symptoms through medication, and also work with a psychologist to make longer-term changes that will help them recover from their conditions. Our psychologist would refer a client to also see a psychiatrist whenever it is deemed necessary.
There isn’t anything specific required from you. Our psychologist would guide you through the session by asking questions to get the information needed. Simply show up on time or slightly early on the appointment day to fill out the necessary forms.
The therapy sessions at PULSE is up to 60 minutes. When needed, there is also the option to extend the therapy time (charges apply).
This varies widely among clients and usually depends on many factors, including the severity of their conditions, or complications of their presenting issues, motivation towards the therapy work, and more. Some clients may resolve their issues within a few sessions, while others may need long-term support. As a general guide, four to eight sessions are more common.
PULSE+ Allied Health clinic is located at Camden Medical Centre, by Orchard Boulevard MRT.
Simply fill out our Appointment form below and we will get back to you to confirm the appointment.
Have more questions?
Visit our AskPULSE portal to ask our PULSE+ Allied Health specialists or PULSE TCM Physicians any questions about your health or our services.