When anxiety strikes, it can be a painful and destabilizing experience. At first, you may find yourself rolling with the worries and assuming that with time, the feelings will pass. However, for individuals who experience anxiety disorders, intrusive worries, fear, and hypervigilance can feel unrelenting and can have significant impacts on daily functioning. (1)

Anxiety is one of the most experienced mental health concerns. As such, it often goes untreated. New advances in technology and the mental health field have resulted in new and innovative ways for those with anxiety to get support.

Counselling in innovative ways

Counselling is a common form of treatment for anxiety disorders. Counselling can assist clients in understanding and coping with the anxiety that they face. Counselling typically involves working with a skilled counsellor to identify the root cause of your anxiety. Together, you and your counsellor will work to understand your anxiety and build healthy ways of coping, managing and reducing the symptoms you experience. (1) (2)

Over time, anxiety counselling Vancouver has identified many new and innovative avenues for clients to get help and support for their anxiety symptoms.

If you’re curious to know what those innovations are, some examples include:

  1. VR technology for mental health

Since the invention of virtual reality (VR), the quest to improve and expand the technology’s usage has continued. Aside from it being used for entertainment and education, VR is now also widely utilized in the healthcare sector. Because of the continuous innovation, the technology is made even more affordable, increasing its accessibility. (2)

Healthcare professionals use different virtual-reality tools to assist people with a variety of mental health concerns, including post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, phobias, and anxiety. VR has proven to be a successful tool for exposure therapy. Exposure therapy works by gradually and progressively desensitizing clients’ anxiety triggers by thoughtfully exposing clients to stimuli that evoke anxiety. This process of desensitization has been proven to reduce the client’s overall intensity of anxiety over time. VR is significantly helpful when conducting online counselling Vancouver since sessions are done virtually with the help of the internet and other necessary tools. (3)

  1. Telemedicine

There’s no doubt that technology has contributed significantly to the advancement of medical treatments and procedures. In particular, anxiety counselling is now made more convenient, thanks to the tech-based tool. Most notably, tech-based tools have expanded methods of communication between counsellor and client.  Healthcare providers and patients can choose to use web-chatting, text messaging, or video-chatting platforms to keep in touch and carry on with therapies and counselling sessions without the need to meet in person. (4)(5)

Video-chatting, for instance, is widely utilized in psychiatry and therapy as it provides an avenue for people to have face-to-face contact without having to be physically together in the same space. Aside from the convenience it brings, telemedicine reduces barriers and makes healthcare more accessible to folks who otherwise may have struggled to access services. (5)

Moreover, telemedicine streamlines many processes. Telemedicine innovations make it easier and quicker to conduct evaluations, schedule appointments, and prescribe or refill medications. Speciality treatments such as anxiety counselling are now accessible, efficient, and effective to a wider range of clients. (5)

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping people recognize and change disturbing or destructive thought patterns that can negatively influence emotions and behaviour. CBT aims to alter negative thoughts that may worsen mental and emotional difficulties. This therapy approach uses a range of interventions and techniques to help address and change negative thoughts. (1)

For individuals who experience anxiety, symptoms may include excessive worries, intrusive thoughts, increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest and panic. At times, these symptoms can feel overwhelming. CBT can assist client’s in understanding their unique experience of anxiety so that they can work to find effective ways to combat their symptoms. (6)

CBT supports clients in building awareness around the interconnectedness between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. This assists clients in understanding the exacerbating patterns they may be getting stuck in. CBT counselling sessions may include roleplaying techniques to help clients prepare for possible interactions that may be problematic or stressful. The treatment works to teach clients how to calm their minds and relax their bodies so they are better equipped to think more clearly. (1)(6)

  1. Wearable technology

Wearables are commonly used for general wellness and fitness purposes. Current wearable technology can be effective in monitoring breathing, heart rate, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Recent technological advances have resulted in wearable technology that can be used to keep track of anxiety and stress levels. (4)

Through these gadgets, mental health professionals can collect data that can significantly help in making anxiety counselling more efficient and effective. Wearables may not be the cure, but such innovation can assist patients in monitoring their symptoms, which gives them a chance to reorganize their thoughts or ask for immediate help before symptoms escalate. (7)

An excellent example of wearable devices that aid in anxiety counselling is a brain-sensing headband typically used when meditating. The headband track signals from the brain, which can help interpret mental activities. An additional innovation is a stress-relief bracelet you can wear on the ankle or wrist. This accessory works by emitting soothing and gentle vibrations that help calm the wearer. (7)

The bottom line

Coping with and managing anxiety symptoms can be a challenging and exhausting experience. There are many avenues for individuals to explore when considering options for treatment and support. It is possible that recent innovations in technology could provide unique and accessible means of support for those struggling to cope with anxiety. Anxiety counselling can surely benefit from a range of innovations such as CBT, telemedicine, wearables, and VR technology (1).

References

  1. “What to know about anxiety”, Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454
  2. “Five Tech Innovations That Changed Mental Health In 2020”, Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/11/25/five-tech-innovations-that-changed-mental-health-in-2020/?sh=421fc08c1e9c
  3. “Anxiety Therapy: Types, Techniques, and Worksheets”, Source: https://positivepsychology.com/anxiety-therapy-techniques-worksheets/
  4. “Technology Innovation in Mental Healthcare”, Source: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/resources/technology-innovation-mental-healthcare/
  5. “What is Telemedicine?”, Source: https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Telemedicine.aspx
  6. “What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?”, Source: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral
  7. “Providing care in innovative ways”, Source: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/01/cover-trends-innovative-ways

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