Introducing FATE Therapy
It’s said that a name is important and, while Zolana Therapy was a great name for the first three years of my practice, “Zolana” didn’t embody the essence of the practice I was aspiring to build.
Enter FATE…
FATE came to me while I sat at a hair salon last September. Maybe my crown chakra was activated (IYKYK); either way, I immediately loved it for the following reasons:
FATE is an acronym: From Anxiety to Excitement
FATE represents the part of me that is driven by intellectualization, loves science, and is fascinated by human evolution
FATE honors my interest in spirituality and alternative treatments
Initially, FATE was only meant to be used as an offering within my practice (see The FATE Intensive), but, upon much reflection, it became clear to me that my expertise lies in treating anxiety so niching down — you could say — was fated. My skillful approach lies in helping my clients through fear and supporting their highly sensitive nervous systems because I've experienced the same anxiety, perfectionism, and dysregulation they see me for.
For a long time, I thought fear was holding me back and something I had to “overcome” to feel more confident expressing myself fully. I now understand that fear is not a block; rather, it is trying to protect and serve me in its own way. I needed to rewire my nervous system so that it could learn that there is a huge difference between fear and danger (our brain often relies on us to know the difference!). My biggest takeaway: fear shouldn’t be a deterrent when confronting something scary; the threat of danger should be. Fear is a companion that will accompany you on most journeys that involve doing something unfamiliar. Even when it’s in our best interest, change can be scary so a part of us will likely resist following through.
This is where the excitement piece comes in!
“Unlike anxiety, excitement takes an optimistic approach and focuses on all the potential positive outcomes that can result from an experience. ”
Studies have shown that reframing anxiety as excitement can help improve our performance (read more in The Atlantic). Participants engaged in activities that can induce high arousal like public speaking or singing in front of a group. Some groups were instructed to affirm “I’m excited,” “I’m nervous,” or nothing at all. Researchers found that between the three groups, the excited group performed with more confidence, sang better according to tests, and was more persuasive in their speeches. This is because anxiety and excitement are both high arousal states with similar sensations (e.g., increased heart rate, alertness, breathing, etc.); however, unlike anxiety, excitement takes an optimistic approach and focuses on all the potential positive outcomes that can result from an experience.
According to the Harvard Business School professor studying this phenomenon, it takes much more effort to convince ourselves to remain calm (a low arousal state) when we feel anxious because we’d essentially be invalidating the sensations we’re experiencing right before an activating situation. Next time you notice you’re tempted to say you feel nervous about a work presentation or an upcoming date, remember this study and affirm that you’re excited instead.
One more note about FATE…
FATE also represents the kismet journey we’re all on to shed the fear we inherited for evolutionary purposes so that we can fully embrace our most excited, magnetic selves. Fear was very much essential to our survival as a species and, while anxiety still has some protective components, its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages in our modern world.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety and want to feel more secure within yourself so that you can express yourself more fully (socially, creatively, professionally, and more), book a consultation call with me to get started.
P. S. Any Bashar fans out there? FATE + The Formula = ✨✨✨
