Helping Clients Breathe Through Panic Attacks with Nicola Pott

Good Enough Counsellors

Have you ever recommended breathing techniques to clients to help them manage panic attacks, trauma or anxiety? Have you considered how breathing may be able to help clients who feel angry? And if so, are you aware that some breathing techniques may be unsuitable depending on the client's existing breathing patterns?

In this podcast episode, Josephine Hughes interviews Nicola Pott, a trained counsellor and EFT practitioner with a background in physiotherapy. Nicola emphasises the importance of understanding individual breathing patterns to effectively manage anxiety, panic attacks, and anger. She shares her experiences with clients, illustrating how breath work can empower individuals to regain control over their symptoms and foster emotional healing. The conversation also highlights the significance of integrating somatic approaches into therapy, as Nicola explains how she tailors her techniques based on the physiological needs of her clients. Additionally, she introduces her training program, "Breathing for Calm," aimed at equipping other therapists with the knowledge and skills to safely implement breath work in their practices.

Takeaways:

• Breath work can help reduce anxiety and panic attacks by correcting over breathing patterns.
• Counsellors benefit from understanding physiological aspects of breathing to assist clients better.
• Different breath work techniques should be tailored to individual client needs for maximum effectiveness.
• Medical precautions are essential when using breath work, especially for pregnancy and stroke survivors.
• Nicola integrates her physiotherapy knowledge with counselling to adopt a somatic approach.
• Teaching clients about their breathing patterns empowers them to manage panic symptoms effectively.

Keywords

breathwork, counselling, anxiety, panic attacks, anger management, emotional freedom technique, somatic approach, physiotherapy, mental health, trauma, breathwork, therapy, training, counseling, EFT, trauma, anxiety, private practice, insurance, client care

Chapters:

• 00:40 - Introduction to Breath Work and Its Benefits
• 01:29 - Nicola's Journey into Counselling
• 05:20 - Understanding Breathing Patterns and Panic Attacks
• 08:08 - Empowering Clients Through Breath Work
• 18:43 - Integrating Breath Work for Trauma and Anger Management
• 12:57 - Case Study: Amy's Transformation Through Breath Work
• 27:20 - Developing Effective Breath Work Techniques
• 27:38 - Training Others in Breath Work
• 49:42 - Conclusion: The Future of Breath Work in Therapy

You can find details of Nicola's Breathing for Calm course HERE and if you'd like to read more about Nicola's therapy practice, click HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.