PRESENTATION PROPOSAL
Anxiety & Stress Relief is offering free presentations in Westchester County and Nassau County as part of a community project sponsored by Freedom From Fear known as “National Campaign on Anxiety and Depression Awareness 2006.” Information regarding this project can be found at:
http://www.freedomfromfear.org
A list of the most commonly offered presentations and workshops is presented below. Any of these presentations can be tailored to a particular context or problem area. Examples include: "Anxiety and Medical Problems" or "Handling Depression When You Lose a Loved One."
If you would like a presentation in your area, please call (516) 596-9150.
Please leave your telephone number and a time you can be reached.
Cordially,
Ray Lightstone, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Anxiety & Stress Relief
50 Hempstead Avenue, Suite I
Lynbrook, New York 11563
(516) 596-9150
92 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801
(914) 261-4389
ANXIETY & STRESS RELIEF WORKSHOPS
MASTERING FEAR: We've all experienced fear. But how many of us know how to handle it? This class will teach you how to avoid the traps that cause fears to grow. You will learn skills for managing fear and you will learn a procedure called "exposure" which will show you how to resolve your own fears. This class will include optional experiential exercises for those who are willing to work on their fears.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO STOP OBSESSING?: Obsessions and worry are problems for everyone. And when you try to stop them, they get worse. There's a method for controlling worry and obsessions. And it's probably the opposite of what you think. This class will teach you the method with a series of exercises.
DON'T PANIC!: Close to half the population has suffered at least one panic attack, and too many of us suffer far more than one. The excruciating terror of a panic attack is hard to explain to people who have never experienced one. People who suffer frequent attacks are often afraid to talk about panic. This class will explain why and help you break through this avoidance trap. This class will also explain why panic attacks occur and teach you the behavior therapy procedure for mastering panic.
MANAGING STRESS: When does stress become a problem you can’t ignore? The answer is not what you think? What are the early warning signs of stress? How can you respond to the warning signs? Learn techniques that take minutes or seconds to control your stress. Learn relaxation exercises that leave you feeling like you are melting in your seat. Learn to step back and look at your life as a whole to understand the impact stress has on you. This class will offer experiential exercises, including a number of relaxation exercises. So get ready for inner peace!
MANAGING PAIN: Why are some people able to tolerate a lot of pain? Are they tougher? Do they have better character? Not at all. These people are using pain management strategies, probably without realizing it that prevent the "pain" from turning into "suffering." This class will teach you the difference between pain and suffering. You will learn skills that teach you to pay close attention to pain sensations and to "relax into the pain." You will learn to change the self-talk that causes so much of your suffering. Finally, you will learn how your behavior causes much of your suffering and how to change “pain behaviors.”
I CAN'T SLEEP!: Sleep is a skill that can be mastered. But unlike many other skills, you can't make sleep happen. You can only allow it to happen. Learn about proper "sleep hygiene." Learn how food and exercise can interfere with sleep or enhance it. Learn the therapy approach for managing insomnia and a number of other sleep problems.
BEATING THE BLUES: Why are you blue? How can you escape the hopelessness trap? Can depression be helped without medication? In this class, you will learn "behavioral activation," a standard therapy technique that breaks the depression cycle? You will also learn how to change “depressogenic” thinking? This class will include experiential exercises that teach you to beat the blues.
FOOD FOR YOUR MOOD: Which foods contribute to depression and anxiety? Which foods act as natural antidepressants and natural tranquilizers? How can you structure a diet for optimal emotional well being?
HOW TO RELAX AND EXERCISE AT THE SAME TIME: Unfortunately, you may be exercising regularly with the best of intentions and increasing your stress level. How can you develop an exercise plan for optimal stress management and a positive mood?
The two classes above are usually offered in a single class.
DEALING WITH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION WHEN YOU HAVE A MEDICAL PROBLEM: Major illness brings with it a lot of anxiety and depression, both of which can prevent you from making good decisions and taking care of your health. Is there a method for choosing the right doctor? What questions should you ask your doctor? Do you need to educate yourself about your condition? And how do you manage your anxious and depressed feelings? This class will offer you a step-by-step guide for dealing with all of these problems at the same time.
PREVENTING ILLNESS: We all know medical conditions need to be treated, and we’re inundated with talk about treatments on television, in the papers and from our doctors. But how much do you hear about prevention? The topic is almost taboo, even though we all know preventing illness is much easier and much less costly than treating it. This class will talk about the most common causes of death, cancer and heart disease, and how to prevent them. We will also talk about how to prevent other medical conditions. Finally, we will talk about preventing psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety. If you are healthy, this is your chance to stay healthy. Perhaps your last chance. If you are suffering with medical problems now, this class teaches you how to look ahead and prevent things from getting worse.
ASSERTIVENESS AND ANGER MANAGEMENT: What can you do when someone gets you really mad? What if you're being manipulated, used or abused? This presentation teaches you how to communicate what you want directly without losing your temper. It will also teach you what to do about people who don't respond well to assertiveness.
MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS: We’ve all been told that it’s better to live in the here and now, but how do you do it? You spend most of your time anticipating the future and thinking about the past. You squander precious quality time filling your head with trivial details, such as your daily errands or a minor argument with a friend. You have only one life and it’s slipping by. Meditation practice teaches the basic skill of how to live in the present for 15 or 20 minutes, the duration of a formal meditation exercise. But mindfulness skills teach you to live a present-centered life, day in day out. Learn how to be present-centered when eating a delicious meal, sharing time with a friend or loved one, or when taking on a challenging problem. Learn to make the here and now your top priority, because the here and now is all you have.
SELF-HELP: This workshop offers an option to professional help. In our society, there’s a tendency to trust experts and rely on professionals to solve our problems. This class talks about self-help for medical problems and emotional problems. It talks about how to use self-help books, tapes and other materials. It talks about how to join or organize self-help groups. And it talks about how to make sure you stay in charge of your life when you have to rely on assistance from professionals.