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, May 29 – Sunday, Jun 1, 2025

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

• Anxiety is the source of all suffering

• Every problem deconstructs down to a single core fear

• The core fear is maintained and aggravated by the chief defense

• Healing anxiety is a matter of “doing the opposite” of the chief defense

• There is a core defense underneath all chief defenses—the strategy of control

• The final defense to work through is the “resistance to resistance”

• When all five core fears are resolved, the “Vision Quest” opens a path to fulfillment

At the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

• Describe the core fear/chief defense model of how we build our personalities

• Explain why anxiety is at the source of all suffering

• Understand the principle of “Doing the opposite” of the chief defense

• Master and effectively use the techniques of “The Alchemist”, “The Witness” and “The Warrior’s Stance”

• Uncover and resolve the “resistance to resistance” at the root of all defenses

• Undergo a “Vision Quest” for moving through anxiety with a “mighty purpose”

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.

Who this seminar is for:

• Anyone Interested in Deep Personal Healing, Growth and Fulfillment
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Therapists
• Counselors

CE Credits Information – PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. There are 2 different CE companies to choose from depending on what you need.

THIS SEMINAR GIVES 30 CE CREDITS TO QUALIFYING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. CE companies linked below set their own CE prices separate from the cost Dr. Pressman’s Seminar.​

Click the registration buttons below to register for CE’s. (This is a separate registration process for CE’s through our 3rd party CE providers.)

The CE Credits are only for those who apply for them. For information on CE credits, click a registration button below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CE credits for this seminar are paid for and processed separately from registration for the seminar itself.  The fee for the seminar is $699 and it must be paid separately from the fee for CE credit.

It is your responsibility to (1) ensure your accrediting board approves the CE’s for this seminar and (2) to keep track of the instructions for obtaining your CE certificate. Please do not contact Dr. Todd Pressman/Pressman Seminars on how to obtain your CE’s as we are not CE providers and unable to answer questions related to CE’s.

Click a button below to register for CE’s, paying careful attention to the two different sections as they are for different boards.

It is Dr. Pressman’s hope that everyone wanting to take the Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive is able to do so. Therefore, payment plans are welcome – 3 monthly payments of $254 each. Partial scholarships are also available for those with demonstrated need. Fill out the form below to inquire about a partial scholarship or email admin@toddpressman.com for more information.

The Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive gives 30 CE credits for qualified professionals.  Please see the CE Credits section below.

The Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive is appropriate for social workers, MFT’s, counselors, mental health professionals, psychologists, and more. The Intensive is appropriate for all levels – from beginner to advanced. 

The Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive is also appropriate for anyone interested in resolving anxiety, depression, and/or stress and seeking greater fulfillment in life.

Please note: the Deconstructing Anxiety Intensive is a prerequisite for the Certification Program.

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.