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Inspiring stories can make it seem as though one breathing exercise changed everything. Here is a more realistic view of learning emotional skills.

Recovery stories leave a lot out

Inspiring stories about overcoming anxiety often squeeze a long, complicated journey into a single memorable moment, perhaps one breathing exercise or one breakthrough session. In reality, the person may have had several kinds of support while slowly learning new ways of handling emotions. A tale like that should not become a promise that a single technique will make anxiety vanish.

Starting with a real situation

Trained in psychotherapy as well as acupuncture, Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, works with clients at the Freshwater clinic, close to Balgowlah, Manly and the rest of the Northern Beaches. A helpful place to begin is a moment when feelings become hard to manage, for example:

• a conversation that tends to escalate;
• a moment at work when you freeze;
• an evening routine that tips into worry.

From there you can talk about what you would like to do differently.

Skills introduced gradually

New strategies can be tried one at a time and reviewed against what happens in your week. Progress may look like catching a reaction a little sooner, or pausing before you respond, rather than never feeling upset again. Strong feelings are part of being human.

Shared direction and review

Your goals stay in the foreground. Talk about the patterns you are curious about, the ones that feel most stubborn and the small signs that would tell you something is shifting. Christine can explain how you will look back over the work together, what happens if your needs alter between appointments and whether your GP or another service might add something useful.

Kindness towards slow progress

Learning a skill rarely happens in a straight line. Noticing one small moment when you responded the way you hoped is worth bringing to your next session in Freshwater, where it can be explored and built on.