Rebecca Ward, LMFT, SEP, PCC, MA

Licensed Therapist

Rebecca A. Ward, LMFT, SEP, PCC is the Founder of the Iris Institute, a San Francisco, California-based business focusing on using somatic expertise to teach individuals and groups the skills to deal with dilemmas using interventions, including her own Original Blueprint® method. Ms. Ward specializes in treating stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP), and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Rebecca holds an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University and an MA in Organizational Leadership from The George Washington University.

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Q&A Comments (49)

Who gets anxiety, stress, or depression and how common are they?
Anyone can experience anxiety or depression. Most people think that if stress and anxiety start in the mind, then anxiety and stress is really about a cognitive issue. And that's not true. It's the nervous system. We're unconscious to what's happening in our bodies, but there's an autonomic nervous system there that has a threat bias and it communicates to your brain how it's supposed to feel and think about the situation. So if the nervous system has a perceived threat of something, it's going to tell the brain, get out of here or don't move or fight back. It could be your boss, an irrational thought, or any kind of stimulus triggering the response. Depression is a little different, but generally speaking, these issues can affect anybody.
How do you deal with an anxiety relapse as it's happening?
Place a hand over your heart and another hand on your belly. Focus your attention on the breathing inside your chest. This is a quick way to lower your stress. Take a minute and do three long, deep, in-breaths through your nose, track each breath as it moves into your chest and belly and out through your mouth. Keep your tongue relaxed while you do this. This is a great way to calm your body down.
How do you deal with a trauma from your past?
The best way is to go to therapy. Find a therapist with a specialization in some working with trauma survivors. If it's causing you anxiety today, seek out somebody who's had some kind of training in a somatic-oriented modality: somatic experiencing practitioners, hakomi sensory motor psychotherapy, or some form of talk therapy with an element of mindfulness.
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Co-authored Articles (3)