Margaret Wehrenberg, Psy.D.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with anxiety disorders will be felt for a long time to come. Rates of new-onset anxiety rose dramatically, and factors such as long-covid introduced aspects to anxiety such as ‘brain fog’ and new-onset panic and anxiety. Additionally, 24/7 negative news and the lurking threat of new variants have created ‘ambient anxiety’ that fuels the vigilance and persistent worry that are hallmarks of anxiety disorders. The spread of confusing information on social media particularly affects adolescents’ experience of anxiety and therapists can be watchful for ‘contagious panic and anxiety’. For a time, isolation felt like safety, but now, as people, emerge from restrictions, ‘cave syndrome’ affects all ages, causing especially those with social anxiety to struggle with the new ‘re-entry anxiety’. In this session, Dr. Wehrenberg will focus on practical strategies that will help any client with anxiety to suffer less panic, to increase stress resilience, and to block worry (especially health anxiety). Join us and get new ideas to manage anxiety in a world where pandemics are real.

“Presenter was extremely well-informed and was up to date with current apps. She was warm and engaging.”-D.C., Psychologist, California

The smartphone has changed the social world and, while social challenges have always created anxiety for some, today’s online social world has raised the bar, creating more anxiety for people of all ages, adolescents and young adults in particular. From FoMO (fear of missing out) to NoMophobia (no mobile phone phobia) and from perfectionism to procrastination, the impacts of social media have exacerbated anxiety. This seminar will offer pragmatic tips for therapists to broaden their ability to mitigate anxiety in clients who have become overly attached and overly affected by their social media world.

You will get a brief overview of the neuroscience that undergirds the compulsion for continuous connection and a look at the impact of stress responses that create the circular pattern of using social media raising anxiety – turning it off raising anxiety – turning it on. We will explore the comparison fallacy and social media’s impact on anxiety, shame and low self-esteem that interferes with healthy social and personal development. And the primary focus of this session will explore pragmatic ways to decrease our clients maladaptive use of social media (including texting) and increase their productive use of smartphones to manage anxiety.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with anxiety disorders will be felt for a long time to come. Rates of new-onset anxiety rose dramatically, and factors such as long-covid introduced aspects to anxiety such as ‘brain fog’ and new-onset panic and anxiety. Additionally, 24/7 negative news and the lurking threat of new variants have created ‘ambient anxiety’ that fuels the vigilance and persistent worry that are hallmarks of anxiety disorders. The spread of confusing information on social media particularly affects adolescents’ experience of anxiety and therapists can be watchful for ‘contagious panic and anxiety’. For a time, isolation felt like safety, but now, as people, emerge from restrictions, ‘cave syndrome’ affects all ages, causing especially those with social anxiety to struggle with the new ‘re-entry anxiety’. In this session, Dr. Wehrenberg will focus on practical strategies that will help any client with anxiety to suffer less panic, to increase stress resilience, and to block worry (especially health anxiety). Join us and get new ideas to manage anxiety in a world where pandemics are real.