The Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT DECONSTRUCTING ANXIETY

DECONSTRUCTING ANXIETY INTENSIVE

Cost: $699 (or 3 payments of $254)

With the revolutionary understanding that anxiety (fear) is at the root of all suffering, you will gain insight into the five core fears–“universal themes of loss”–we all share, including:

• abandonment (loss of love), 

• loss of identity, 

• loss of meaning,

• loss of purpose and 

• fear of death.  

We develop our primary defenses, usually early in childhood or at times of trauma, as our best attempt to protect ourselves from these fears, but always at too great a cost.  This leaves us constantly holding vigil, on the lookout for the resurfacing of the fear.  We build our entire personality upon this fear-defense dynamic.  When it spins out of control, an anxiety disorder develops.  

The theory and techniques offered in this workshop, such as “The Alchemist”, “The Witness” and “The Warrior’s Stance”, will teach you how to uncover the core fear and chief defense quickly and reliably.  These will be understood as the architects of personality and the creators of our perceptual world.  Armed with this knowledge, new strategies for “doing the opposite” of the chief defense and its secondary defenses have proven extremely successful in even the most anxious clients.  Incorporating psychodynamics, mindfulness, Gestalt, CBT and transpersonal psychology, participants will undergo the actual techniques being presented, making for a rich and highly experiential presentation. 

At the deepest level, we will pinpoint the precise moment where resistance is created and how to release it.  This leads to the ultimate goal of letting go “the resistance to resistance”, a key to transforming our entire view of Self and redefining the limits of the human experience.  The way is then paved for the final section on “Vision Questing”, wherein the five core fears are fully resolved, and one may live their lives with a solid sense of identity, meaning, purpose, love and even a true freedom from the fear of death.​

Come prepared for an exciting adventure into the deepest regions of the unconscious, where the hidden fears at the source of our difficulties live, to bring them out into consciousness, available for rapid and lasting transformation.

Times given are Eastern Time

​Our most popular paid program. Register now to secure your spot.

Thursday

7:30-9:30 p.m.–Introductions and Setting Intentions​

Friday

11:00-11:45 a.m.–Theoretical foundations of the “Deconstructing Anxiety” model
11:45-12:15 a.m.–Exercise–“Digging for Gold”: Finding Your Core Fear
12:15-12:25 p.m.–Break
12:25-12:45 p.m.–Exercise–“Who are you Really?”: Finding Your Chief Defense
12:45-1:45 p.m.–Q and A and practice of exercises
1:45 p.m.-2:30p.m.–Lunch
2:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m..–Review of the Core Fear and Chief Defense
3:00 p.m.-3:45 p.m.–How to Heal Anxiety: “Doing the opposite” of the Chief Defense
3:45 pm.-4:45 p.m.–Exercise–“The Alchemist”: Asking “What Happens Next?”
4:45 p.m.-4:55 p.m.–Break
4:55 p.m.-6:20 p.m.–Q and A and Further Practice of All Exercises
6:20 p.m.-6:30 p.m.–Homework​

Saturday

11:00-11:15 am.–Review of Homework
11:15-12:15 a.m.–Exercise—“The Witness”: Enhanced Mindfulness Practice
12:15-12:30 p.m.–Building a new association to one’s core fear
12:30-12:40p.m.–Bk
12:40 p.m.–1:30 p.m.–Q and A and Further Practice of “The Witness”
1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m.–Lunch
2:00-2:30 p.m.–Integrating the results into everyday life
2:30-3:30 p.m.–Exercise—“The Warrior’s Stance”
3:30-3:45 p.m.–Break
3:45-4:45 p.m.–Integrating “The Alchemist”, “The Witness” and “The Warrior’s Stance”
4:45-6:155 p.m.–Q and A and Further Practice of All Exercises
6:15 p.m.-6:30 p.m.–Homework​

Sunday

11:00-11:30 a.m.–Review of Homework
11:30-12:30 p.m.–Exercise—“Resolving the Resistance to Resistance”
12:30 p.m.-12:40 p.m..–Break
12:40 p.m.-1:30 p.m–Integrating all of the exercises
1:30 p.m.-2:15 p.m.–Lunch
2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m.–Integrating the results into everyday life
2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.–Exercise—“Vision Questing”: Finding one’s “Mighty Purpose”
3:45 p.m.-3:55 p.m.–Break
3:55 p.m.-4:45 p.m.–Integrating all of the exercises with the Vision Quest
4:45-5:30 p.m.–Q and A
5:30-6:15 p.m.–Keeping the practice fresh
6:15 p.m.-6:30 p.m.–Suggestions for continuing the practice after the seminar

Learning Objectives

This training is built on the foundational principles of the Deconstructing Anxiety model, which offers a powerful path to healing and personal transformation.

Core Concepts You Will Learn:

• Anxiety is at the root of all suffering.

• Every life problem can be traced back to a single core fear.

• We develop a chief defense to protect against this fear — but it ultimately intensifies the anxiety.

• True healing begins by doing the opposite of this chief defense.

• Beneath all defenses lies a deeper strategy: the need for control.

• The final layer to overcome is our resistance to letting go of resistance itself.

• When these patterns are resolved, the “Vision Quest” opens — a direct path to greater fulfillment and purpose.

By the End of This Training, You Will Be Able to:

• Clearly describe the core fear/chief defense model and how it shapes personality

• Explain why anxiety is the underlying cause of all emotional suffering

• Apply the principle of “doing the opposite” of your chief defense to promote healing

• Effectively use powerful tools including:

  • The Alchemist

  • The Witness

  • The Warrior’s Stance

• Identify and resolve the resistance to resistance at the heart of all defenses

• Embark on your own Vision Quest, aligned with a “mighty purpose” that transcends fear

A groundbreaking, cutting-edge seminar for rapidly uncovering the root causes of anxiety in even the most difficult circumstances. You will learn never-before-presented techniques for releasing the resistances that keep anxiety alive, getting at their source and transforming them into a sense of high purpose and meaning, yielding powerful change and lasting results.

Accessibility and Eligibility

Dr. Pressman is committed to making the Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive accessible to everyone who wishes to attend.
To support this:

• Payment plans are available: 3 monthly payments of $254

• Partial scholarships are offered for those with demonstrated financial need

To inquire about a scholarship, please fill out the form below or email us at admin@toddpressman.com.

Who Is This Intensive For?

The Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive is ideal for:

• Mental health professionals, including:

  • Social Workers

  • Marriage & Family Therapists (MFTs)

  • Counselors

  • Psychologists

  • And others in the field

• All experience levels — from beginners to seasoned practitioners

• Anyone seeking to overcome anxiety, depression, or stress and achieve deeper fulfillment in life

CE information

Please read carefully if you are a health professional seeking CE credits.

This seminar offers 30 CE credits for qualifying health professionals. CE credits are administered and paid for separately through our third-party CE provider.

Important Notes:

• CE credits are not included in the $699 seminar fee.

• After registering for the Intensive, email us at admin@toddpressman.com to receive the CE registration link.

• You must register for CE credits separately through the CE provider.

• CE credit is only available to those who apply for it.

Your Responsibility:

• Verify with your licensing board that the CE credits from this seminar will be accepted.

• Follow all instructions provided by the CE provider to receive your certificate.

• Please do not contact Dr. Pressman or Pressman Seminars with CE-related questions, as we are not authorized CE providers.

PRESENTER BIO

PRESENTER: TODD E. PRESSMAN, PH.D.

Dr. Pressman is a clinical psychologist and international seminar leader. He is widely known for his work with Deconstructing Anxiety, Transpersonal Breathwork and A Course in Miracles.

He graduated with degrees in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and Saybrook Institute. His books Deconstructing Anxiety: The Journey from Fear to Fulfillment, Radical Joy: Awakening Your Potential For True Fulfillment and The Bicycle Repair Shop: A True Story Of Recovery From Multiple Personality Disorder have all received high acclaim. In 1982, he traveled the world to study the great wisdom and healing traditions, including with a Zen master, a Jain family, a Zoroastrian high priest and a Sri Lankan firewalker. His education also includes an internship under Stanislav Grof, M.D. at the Esalen Institute.

With a background deeply rooted in tradition (he was groomed by a father whose teachers were taught by Sigmund Freud), he has integrated this wide-ranging experience into a new program of psychological development called “Deconstructing Anxiety“. His working model is based on Michelangelo’s ideal: to release the statue from the stone, the authentic Self from the overlays of imposed identity, into the discovery of freedom, joy, and fulfillment.