Anxiety & Panic

Specialties

Three core elements:

(i) A trauma-​informed orientation — the role of unresolved life issues in maintaining the problems we want fixed.

Asking the question: «What has happened to you?» as opposed to the conventional medical model characterised by the question: «What is wrong with you?»

(ii) A philosophical change emphasis — the bottom line of «having a good life» while recognising the realities of an imperfect world and fallible human beings meaning that frustration and adversity are unavoidable — weave around it

(iii) A skills based learning agenda — become optimally equipped to implement strategies consistent with limiting or eliminating the interfering effects of the problems we want changed

The techniques that I routinely utilise are: REBT; Tapping; hypnotherapy; and general CBT

Come to be able to readily adopt a flexible, tolerant, accommodating and accepting attitude and mindset, not only towards yourself, but also when you inevitably encounter frustration and adversity

History

Established in 1988.

After training for the first time in 1987 with Prof David Barlow, the principal initiator of the modern enlightened approach to anxiety and panic reactions, I set up what is now Anxiety Trauma & Panic Services to bring his approach to Perth.

I first trained with Dr Albert Ellis in New York in 1990 and then added elements of his work to my developing approach. I subsequently trained and had supervision from Al many times in New York and around the world before he died a few years ago.

In the past 15 years I have added the work of Dr Roger Callahan with whom I first trained in California in 1998. He discovered and developed thought field therapy (TFT), which was rearranged as EFT by others and is now often referred to as Tapping.

The approach is now: Understanding the mechanisms of anxiety from Barlow; Instituting a philosophy of self-​acceptance, tolerance, accommodation and flexible thinking from Ellis, and; Resolution of previously disturbing and traumatic life issues from Callahan.

Meet the Business Owner

Christopher S.

Business Owner

Christopher is a clinical psychologist with BSc and BPsych from UWA and a MAppPsych (Clinical) from Murdoch University. He has a DipClinHyp from the University of Melbourne through the Australian Society of Hypnosis.

Chris is committed to taking the view of a person and their unique set of life experiences essentially asking the question — «What has happened to you?» rather than the more usual medical-​model approach of identifying a diagnosis, essentially labelling or pigeon-​holing a person, through asking the question: «What is wrong with you?»

Chris works from a framework that has «Symptoms» at the top; «Vulnerabilities» in the middle; and «Unresolved life issues» on the bottom. We all tend to have different kinds of vulnerabilities — e.g. addictions, depression, or anxiety. The vulnerability does not necessarily manifest that problem; but the burden of unresolved trauma, loss or disruption — and/​or dysfunctional parenting — can tip things. So he works at both top & bottom levels.