Anxiety and the Nervous System Bundle | Therapist Version

Anxiety and the Nervous System



When might this be helpful?

You might find this resource useful if you are working with someone who...

• experiences racing thoughts, a tight chest, restlessness, shutdown, or the quiet urge to make themselves small
• feels shame about their anxiety, on top of the anxiety itself
• has an alarm system that stays switched on long after the danger has passed
• shows patterns of people-pleasing or fawning
• believes their anxiety is a flaw, a weakness, or evidence that something is wrong with them

This resource is designed to help

Rather than offering quick answers, this resource helps clients to:

• understand anxiety as a protective response of the nervous system, rather than a flaw
• recognise the five survival states: fight, flight, freeze, flop, and fawn
• notice where anxiety lives in the body, and which survival state tends to show up
• see how shame appears alongside anxiety, and amplifies it
• move toward the honour response, meeting anxiety with dignity rather than judgement

This is not a resource about getting rid of anxiety. It is an invitation to meet it with honesty, curiosity, and authentic self-honour.

What's included?

• Printable A4 PDF resource and worksheet, in both Print and Fillable formats
• Therapist Companion guide
• A reflective worksheet with six therapeutic prompts

Suitable for

This resource may be helpful when working with clients navigating:

• anxiety
• chronic stress
• a dysregulated nervous system
• shame around their responses
• trauma-related activation
• people-pleasing and fawn patterns
• the quieter ways anxiety can remain present in daily life

Not designed for

This resource is not intended to:

• replace therapy
• be used during acute crisis
• provide diagnosis
• fix, remove, or push away anxiety, or regulate in a particular way

How it can be used

The Therapist Companion offers context and guidance for bringing this resource into session.

• Individual therapy
• Trauma-informed practice
• Client handouts
• Supervision or therapeutic discussion

The therapeutic approach

Every Place to Talk Therapies resource is grounded in the same principles:

• trauma-informed
• neuroaffirming
• shame-sensitive
• honouring
• relational
• evidence-informed
• practical enough to use in your next session

Licence

This purchase includes a single practitioner licence. You may print and use this resource within your own practice with your own clients. This resource may not be shared, resold, redistributed, copied, edited, rebranded, or uploaded elsewhere.

Disclaimer

The resources available in this shop are therapeutic tools intended to support professional practice and personal reflection. They are most safely used alongside the support of a qualified therapist, counsellor, GP, or healthcare professional. They do not constitute therapy, clinical advice, diagnosis, or a substitute for professional mental health support. Purchasing and using this resource does not create a therapeutic relationship with Place to Talk Therapies or any of its practitioners.

If a client is in crisis, please direct them to their GP, call 999, go to A&E, or call Samaritans on 116 123.

Price and Fees

Prices shown are set by Place to Talk Therapies and do not include any transaction or processing fees applied by Payhip.

Refunds

As this is a digital download that becomes available immediately after purchase, refunds are not available once your purchase is complete.