| Summary: | In this second of six sessions, Martin M. Antony demonstrates his cognitive-behavioral approach with a 28-year-old female client experiencing chronic anxiety and panic attacks. Antony checks in on the client's progress with her first bibliotherapy homework assignments and learns that the client is struggling with the cognitive component of therapy. Antony explains that continued thought suppression could increase the intensity and/or frequency of these anxiety-provoking beliefs, which will only prolong the problem. Rather, he encourages her to confront her fears and not engage in safety behaviors, such as checking. He reviews the three therapeutic goals established in the first session (e.g., anxiety reduction, panic attack elimination, and self-pressure alleviation) and addresses the need for her to come to a more realistic and balanced perspective. To facilitate this cognitive shift, he assigns a thought record exercise for her to log her stressful situations, corresponding moods and thoughts, evidence that supports these thoughts, evidence that does not support these thoughts, balanced perspectives, and reevaluations of her moods.
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