Adaptive Anxiety Therapy Homework Page
Welcome to the Adaptive Anxiety Therapy homework site. Adaptive Anxiety Therapy is an advanced form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that focuses on modifying harmful beliefs and behaviors to help clients become better adapted to the experience of anxiety.
Being better adapted to anxiety beats chasing symptom relief because symptom relief is temporary and can contribute to a person living on edge not knowing when their symptom flair-up will happen. Being better adapted to anxiety means that you are less concerned with anxiety symptoms and more focused on the fact that you have the ability to confidently and skillfully tolerate anxiety regardless of intensity.
The Anxiety Conditioned Response
Adaptive Anxiety Therapy is designed to address The Anxiety Conditioned Response. The Anxiety Conditioned Response is a theoretical framework based on behavioral psychology. It provides insight into how and why anxiety issues are maintained over time.
Through the subtle ways that we think and act when anxious, a person can unknowingly condition themselves to have distressing anxiety experiences. Adaptive Anxiety Therapy can help a person to undo this conditioned response. Before starting this treatment program with Dr. Shawn Nabors, please watch the video below to learn more about The Anxiety Conditioned Response.
The Anxiety Conditioned Response
Stage 1: Cognitive Restructuring
Stage 1, Cognitive Restructuring is designed to decrease maladaptive responses to anxious thoughts and beliefs in The Anxiety Conditioned Response model. Decreasing maladaptive responses to these types of thoughts and beliefs is the first step in correcting The Anxiety Conditioned Response.
Module 1: Past Scary Assumptions
Module 1 will introduce you to the three levels of thinking in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; absolute beliefs, intermediate beliefs, and automatic thoughts. In this module, you will also be introduced to a specific type of automatic thought associated with anxiety called scary assumptions.
This module is designed to better help you and Dr. Nabors understand what your scary assumptions look like in past anxiety-provoking situations that are relevant to why you are seeking help with anxiety.
Key Concepts
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Absolute Beliefs
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Intermediate Beliefs (rules)
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Automatic Thoughts
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Scary Assumptions (anxious automatic thoughts)
Homework Packet
Module 2: Current Scary Assumptions
Module 2 is a continuation of Module 1. In this module, instead of tracking past anxious situations, you will track current anxious situations relevant to why you are seeking help. You will again identify scary assumptions you experienced in these situations.
Key Concepts
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Scary Assumptions (anxious automatic thoughts)
Homework Packet
Module 3: Absolute Beliefs
In Module 3, you will narrow down the scary assumptions from past and current situations that you believe trigger you the most. During your therapy session, you will start the process of turning your top scary assumptions into absolute belief systems.
Key Concepts
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Scary Assumptions (anxious automatic thoughts)
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Absolute Beliefs
Homework Packet
Module 4: Belief Exposure
Module 4 is designed to help you begin the process of desensitizing to your most triggering absolute beliefs. Desensitizing to anxious/triggering beliefs helps to lessen the emotional impact of a belief. In this module, you will listen to an exposure recording of your top triggering beliefs and track your level of desensitization to each belief.
Key Concepts
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Cognitive exposure
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Cognitive habituation
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Desensitization
Homework Packet
Stage 2: Behavioral Modification Skills
Stage 2, Behavior Modification is designed to decrease maladaptive behaviors that reinforce The Anxiety Conditioned Response. When maladaptive behaviors are decreased anxiety typically increases. Therefore, you will also learn techniques to increase your tolerance for anxiety. In addition, you will also start learning adaptive anxiety skills for managing acute and chronic anxiety issues.
Module 5: Neutralizing Beliefs & Modifying Behavior
In Module 5 will learn skills that help you become better adapted to anxiety. These skills are called Adaptive Anxiety Skills. The skills you will learn in this module are called Neutralizing Beliefs & Opposite Action. These skills are designed to help you decrease maladaptive beliefs and maladaptive behaviors in The Anxiety-Conditioned Response.
Key Concepts
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Adaptive Anxiety Skills
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Neutralizing Beliefs
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Opposite Action
Homework Packet
Module 6: Anxiety Tolerance
In Module 6 you will continue to learn skills that help you become better adapted to anxiety. This module will introduce you to the third Adaptive Anxiety Skill called Acceptance Focus. This skill will help you to build a strong and healthy tolerance for anxiety as you commit to more adaptive behaviors when anxious.
Key Concepts
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Adaptive Anxiety Skills
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Neutralizing Beliefs
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Opposite Action
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Acceptance Focus
Homework Packet
Stage 3: Exposure Training
Stage 3, Exposure Training is designed to begin the process of helping you to practice your Adaptive Anxiety Skills in addition to desensitizing & habituating to anxiety and anxious triggers. Sate 3 is the capstone of this treatment program. You will learn to skillfully lean into distressing anxious situations and build confidence for managing your anxiety once treatment has ended.
Module 7: Identifying Exposure Situations
In Module 7 you will compile a comprehensive list of anxiety-provoking triggers and situations that will later be turned into therapeutic exposures
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packet
Module 8: Exposure Creation -Contract - & Tracking: Easy (1-2)
In Module 8 you will in detail create an easy exposure with Dr. Nabors. You will engage in this exposure for a duration of two weeks. While engaged in this exposure, you will track your level of desensitization to the exposure. In addition, you will also use the short form of the Adaptive Anxiety Skills to reprocess each exposure completed. After completing a two-week duration of your exposure, you will meet with Dr. Nabors to assess if you should stay at the current exposure or move to a more advanced exposure.
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packets
Module 9: Exposure Creation -Contract - & Tracking: Somewhat Easy (3-4)
In Module 9 you will in detail create a somewhat easy exposure with Dr. Nabors. You will engage in this exposure for a duration of two weeks. While engaged in this exposure, you will track your level of desensitization to the exposure. In addition, you will also use the short form of the Adaptive Anxiety Skills to reprocess each exposure completed. After completing a two-week duration of your exposure, you will meet with Dr. Nabors to assess if you should stay at the current exposure or move to a more advanced exposure.
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packets
Module 10: Exposure Creation -Contract - & Tracking: Somewhat Difficult (5-6)
In Module 10 you will in detail create a somewhat difficult exposure with Dr. Nabors. You will engage in this exposure for a duration of two weeks. While engaged in this exposure, you will track your level of desensitization to the exposure. In addition, you will also use the short form of the Adaptive Anxiety Skills to reprocess each exposure completed. After completing a two-week duration of your exposure, you will meet with Dr. Nabors to assess if you should stay at the current exposure or move to a more advanced exposure.
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packets
Module 11: Exposure Creation -Contract - & Tracking: Difficult (7-8)
In Module 11 you will in detail create a difficult exposure with Dr. Nabors. You will engage in this exposure for a duration of two weeks. While engaged in this exposure, you will track your level of desensitization to the exposure. In addition, you will also use the short form of the Adaptive Anxiety Skills to reprocess each exposure completed. After completing a two-week duration of your exposure, you will meet with Dr. Nabors to assess if you should stay at the current exposure or move to a more advanced exposure.
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packets
Module 12: Exposure Creation -Contract - & Tracking: Hard (9-10)
In Module 12 you will in detail create a hard exposure with Dr. Nabors. You will engage in this exposure for a duration of two weeks. While engaged in this exposure, you will track your level of desensitization to the exposure. In addition, you will also use the short form of the Adaptive Anxiety Skills to reprocess each exposure completed. After completing a two-week duration of your exposure, you will meet with Dr. Nabors to assess if you should stay at the current exposure or move to a more advanced exposure.
Key Concepts
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Exposure Therapy
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Desensitization
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Habituation
Homework Packets