Stress Management
4 Sessions: $780
This brief 4 session protocol is designed for the busy executive or others who experience uncomfortable levels of anxiety or stress, but who may not meet the full diagnostic criteria for an Anxiety Disorder. This brief but broad spectrum approach has been shown to be effective in medical populations and is the same treatment outline utilized by Dr. Oakley in previous research showing that individuals with Hypertension (high blood pressure) could reduce medication requirements.
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Individuals will learn the following skills during two weekly sessions (45 minutes per session) for two weeks and then once every other week for two weeks. The course is taught by Dr. Oakley in an individual format that will address your unique circumstances. Additional sessions may be added but are not typically required:
- Cognitive Therapy for Stress Reduction: Individuals will learn the basics of Cognitive Therapy to identify inaccurate thoughts that create unnecessary stress and replace them with more accurate/productive thoughts utilizing Thought Records.
- Time Management: Individuals will learn how to apply Time Management principals to their unique individual schedules. The goal is to create a balanced lifestyle by identifying and focusing on high priority items (personal and professional) while respecting and working within your limitations.
- Applied Relaxation Training: Individuals will learn a variety of the most scientifically supported relaxation training methods in a system that includes generalization strategies so that these skills can applied throughout the day “in the heat of the battle”. Participants will receive a Relaxation CD that includes the relaxation training program that Dr. Oakley has utilized in previous research and shown to be effective in medical populations. The goal here is to recover from the “flight or flight” responses that our body engages when under stress. The “Relaxation Response” has been shown to produce physiological responses similar to anti-anxiety medications but without negative side effects. This is a skill that is very helpful to address the unpleasant physical manifestations of stress such as headaches, neck pain, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and feeling “wound up” or “on edge”.