Avoiding difficult feelings
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Fictional case for peer practice.
Avoiding difficult feelings
A fictional client avoids situations that might provoke anxiety.
Client role brief
You value close friendships but have been declining invitations because of anticipatory anxiety.
- Protects
- Declines invitations and stays home.
- Fears
- The anxiety that builds before social plans.
- Underneath
- Missing friends, because closeness matters to them.
For the person playing the client: guard the first two, and let what is underneath show only when the therapist makes room for it.
Therapist objectives
- Clarify values
- Explore experiential avoidance
- Identify a small committed action
Reflect afterward
What did you notice? Which response helped exploration? What would you try differently?
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