Anxiety is our internal alarm system for potential risks, real or imagined. Anxious thoughts can magnify small concerns (like traffic or dentist visits) or help us reasonably respond to life’s weightier issues (ill health or job insecurity). Fear, however, arises with tangible threats right here and now.

But here’s the twist – our brains blur fact and imagination. So, our bodies react similarly to anticipatory anxiety and immediate fear.

Anxious thinking creates a feedback loop. Anxious thoughts prompt stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) that cause physical sensations (rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing) which, in turn, intensify anxious thoughts, perpetuating the cycle.

Monkey therapy combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Internal Family Systems, as well as neuroprocessing and body-focused interventions. Interventions are collaboratively created to address your unique needs.

Monkey therapy works by helping you:

Interrupt the anxiety feedback loop. Anxiety is a mind and body feedback loop. Anxious thoughts prompt anxious sensations which intensify anxious thoughts, sometimes to the point of causing panic attacks.

Monkey therapy breaks the cycle by addressing all of aspects of your anxiety: emotional reactions, thought patterns, negative beliefs, behaviour, physical symptoms, and hidden sources.

Uncover the origins of your worries and fears. Anxiety affects how we see the world every day. Often times, these deep-seated cognitions are outside of awareness. When you uncover the perceptions, beliefs, and thinking patterns that cause and perpetuate your anxious feelings, you can begin to change them.

View situations in new more useful ways. Monkey therapy helps you to challenge the thoughts and beliefs are making you anxious. And then guides you in replacing them with more realistic and healthy alternatives.

Calm your mind and body. Learn skills to calm the physiological effects of anxiety so you can think more clearly, process information, and implement cognitive and physical self-soothing skills.  

Desensitise your fears. A neuroprocessing intervention called Brainspotting targets anxiety-inducing stuck points. The process desensitises of past triggers and strengthens your resilience to stressors.

Release long-held trauma. Anxiety can be a symptom of unrecognised or hidden trauma. Trauma interventions are available if the need arises.

Gain a sense of control. Learn how to connect directly with the anxious parts of you and meet them with compassion and patience. Gain the ability to self sooth when you need it most. As a result, you can decide how to respond to anxious emotions instead of being overwhelmed by them.

Harness the strength of your emotions. Emotions function as powerful guides for action. Anxiety, for instance; brims with energy, priming us for readiness. When we learn to calm intense anxious emotions, we can tap into their energy for positive outcomes. This approach not only sharpens your ability to navigate challenges but also nurtures deep self-awareness and emotional resilience.

Find a way out. Sometimes our anxiety is a completely natural response to our environment. We may feel stuck in a stressful and unhealthy situation with no clear way out. Monkey therapy provide a safe space and effective process for problem solving. The process includes coping strategies, realistic options, and actionable plans, as well as guidance and support throughout a transition. 

Build resilience. Sometimes the stressful situation is outside of your control. Gain the coping skills to manage stresses and to bounce back from setbacks.

Connect with others. Anxious thoughts can stop us from connecting with others in a meaningful way.  Explore how your anxiety is affecting your relationships and develop healthier ways of relating to others. 

Put it all into practice.  Change the default behaviour patterns that contribute to your anxiety. Using agreed-upon exercises, you practice newfound beliefs and ways of being outside the therapy session.

Make it last. As a result of more positive outcomes, you strengthen your new mindset. In turn, these positive experiences reinforce positive moods, ultimately changing your brain’s ability to regulate mood over time.