Gerry was a 28-year-old engineer whose anxiety was interfering with his ability to concentrate, causing him to lag in his projects at work.  He mentioned his parents had divorced when he was in grade school.  They argued a lot, which made him feel distracted, stressed out and anxious.  There was no one to comfort him.  He had trouble concentrating in school, but his symptoms flew under the radar screen, so he was never evaluated.

Gerry particularly liked the grounding techniques we tried.  We practiced together in the office, and then he practiced at home.  He learned to become aware of the disagreements at work that were triggering his stress and inability to concentrate, and started to apply the same techniques.   We also talked about his fears and concerns as we went along.  With practice, he learned how to bring his anxiety level down, and hence, improve his concentration.  We then revisited his past.  Using the same tools, he was able to calm himself down as he talked about his parents arguing.  As he became less anxious, he was able to view their arguing from a different place.  His work improved, and his concentration and confidence returned.