Lesson 1Comprehensive clinical history: psychiatric history, medical history, family psychiatric history, developmental and trauma screeningThis part shows how to gather full clinical history covering psychiatric, medical, family, developmental, and trauma areas, and arrange it to spot vulnerability, strength, and factors keeping anxiety going.
Documenting past psychiatric diagnoses and careMedical history, pain, and chronic illness impactFamily psychiatric history and genetic loadingDevelopmental milestones and attachment patternsTrauma exposure, timing, and current impactLesson 2Structured diagnostic instruments and symptom scales: GAD-7, PDSS, SP-specific measures, PHQ-9, OCD and PTSD screenersThis part looks at key tools for anxiety and related symptoms like GAD-7, PDSS, social anxiety and specific phobia scales, PHQ-9, plus OCD and PTSD checks, with tips on picking, scoring, and using in practice.
Choosing appropriate anxiety rating instrumentsAdministering and scoring the GAD-7 and PDSSSocial anxiety and specific phobia measuresUsing PHQ-9 for depressive comorbidityBrief OCD and PTSD screening toolsLesson 3Formulating working diagnoses: documenting primary, secondary, and rule-out diagnoses with evidence-based justificationThis part teaches clinicians to pull data into solid working diagnoses, separating main from secondary issues and possibles, justifying each with evidence, timelines, and impact on daily life.
Differentiating primary and secondary anxiety disordersUsing timelines to link onset, triggers, and courseRule-out diagnoses and provisional formulationsDocumenting evidence supporting each diagnosisRevising diagnoses as new data emergeLesson 4Substance, sleep, and lifestyle assessment: caffeine, alcohol, sleep patterns, exercise and their impact on anxietyThis part covers checking substances, sleep, and lifestyle factors affecting anxiety like caffeine, alcohol, sedatives, exercise, screen time, and how to weave behaviour changes into the treatment plan.
Evaluating caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and sedativesAssessing sleep patterns, insomnia, and circadian issuesExploring exercise, movement, and sedentary behaviorScreen time, social media, and arousal regulationMotivational strategies for lifestyle modificationLesson 5Applying DSM-5-TR/ICD-11 diagnostic criteria: mapping Laura’s symptoms to specific phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder with differential diagnosisThis part shows applying DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 to tricky anxiety cases, using Laura’s story to match symptoms to specific phobia, panic, and GAD, with careful sorting of differences.
Reviewing DSM-5-TR anxiety disorder criteriaKey ICD-11 distinctions for anxiety diagnosesMapping Laura’s symptoms to specific phobiaIdentifying panic disorder and agoraphobic featuresDifferentiating GAD from other anxiety conditionsLesson 6Medication and medical screening coordination: when to request medical evaluation, relevant labs and cardiac/neurological red flagsThis part stresses working with doctors to rule out medical causes of anxiety, knowing when to get labs or scans, and spotting heart, hormone, brain warning signs needing quick medical check.
Identifying medical conditions that mimic anxietyKey labs and tests for anxiety-related complaintsCardiac and neurological red flag symptomsReviewing current medications and side effectsCommunicating findings with prescribers and PCPsLesson 7Cultural, gender, and occupational factors: assessing work stressors, commuting context, and cultural beliefs about anxiety and help-seekingThis part checks how culture, gender, job shape anxiety show-up, seeking help, risks, with ways to assess work stress, commute wahala, discrimination, cultural views on symptoms.
Exploring cultural beliefs about anxiety and stigmaGendered patterns in symptom expression and rolesAssessing job demands, control, and job insecurityCommuting, shift work, and environmental stressorsAddressing discrimination, bias, and marginalizationLesson 8Risk assessment and safety planning: suicidality, self-harm, harm to others, and acute medical risksThis part details ways to check suicide risk, self-harm, violence, medical emergencies, and build practical safety plans with supports, checks, emergency steps.
Screening for suicidality and self-harm behaviorsAssessing risk of harm to others and violence historyIdentifying acute medical and withdrawal red flagsDeveloping and documenting safety plansCoordinating with emergency and crisis servicesLesson 9Setting assessment-linked treatment priorities and measurable baseline outcomesThis part explains turning assessment into clear treatment priorities and baselines, matching goals to client values, symptom weight, life impact across anxiety issues.
Ranking target anxiety disorders and key symptomsDefining functional and quality-of-life treatment goalsSelecting symptom and functioning baseline metricsCollaborative goal-setting and expectation managementLesson 10Initial session data collection: presenting complaint, symptom timeline, trigger mapping, severity and functional impairmentThis part covers first session best practices: getting main complaint, symptom timeline, triggers, safety habits, rating severity, life impact across areas.
Clarifying the client’s presenting problems and goalsBuilding a detailed symptom and onset timelineIdentifying triggers, cues, and safety behaviorsRating severity, distress, and daily impairmentSummarizing initial case formulation with client
