Ian Bonner (he/him)

Anxiety can have a wide range of physical, psychological, and social causes. I have significant experience and training assessing and treating the root causes of anxiety and selecting the right approach to treatment. I trained at Emory University's student stress clinic and biofeedback lab in proven skills to manage and reduce anxiety symptoms. I also utilize CBT skills to help people understand their "threat detection" system and gain control over it.

My dissertation research focused on the ways in which men are socialized to be disconnected from their feelings and often have no language for being able to describe what they feel or what they need to feel better. This can make starting therapy daunting since men especially often don't know where to start. I use a combination of psychoeducation and personal narrative building to help men figure out their emotions and gain significant control over how they express those feelings.

My dissertation research focused on the ways in which men are socialized to be disconnected from their feelings and often have no language for being able to describe what they feel or what they need to feel better. This can make starting therapy daunting since men especially often don't know where to start. I use a combination of psychoeducation and personal narrative building to help men figure out their emotions and gain significant control over how they express those feelings.

The majority of my professional life has been in LGBTQ+ organizations, training sites, and practices. I am a regular presenter on LGBTQ+ affirming clinical care and trans affirming care. I understand that the unique contexts in which queer people grow up create differences in how LGBTQ+ people feel and what they need VS their cis and heterosexual peers. I'm particularly interested in helping LGBTQ+ people explore how cultural messages impact feelings of safety and self-worth.

I utilize mindfulness skills to help treat a wide variety of concerns. The first step in managing an emotion is to notice it. I work carefully with clients to help them develop an awareness of their emotions and physical sensations associated with those feelings. From there, we work on focusing our attention on what is being experienced in the present moment and assessing what, if anything, needs to be done about it. This can lead to improved coping and a sense of control.

I'm passionate about IFS treatment and have seen dramatic success in helping people get unstuck from past patterns of behaving and healing from trauma and hurt. IFS involved identifying parts of us that developed as "protectors" to help us cope with the world. The problem is that old ways of coping don't always serve us so well as time goes on. IFS helps clients to understand why they feel and act they way they do, appreciate where that came from, and unlocks ways to heal and change.

CBT is a powerful and useful tool for clients to help manage emotions. I use CBT in conjunction with other more depth oriented techniques when a client's beliefs about a situation are causing an outsized emotional reaction to it. Often, things in life seem more scary and overwhelming than they truly are, and CBT is a potent tool to help clients overcome fears and stop avoiding things like work, difficult conversation, career change, or social situations.