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Systems and Anxiety

In many regards, psychological systems are coupled with the biological and social environment. Physical survival and bodily integrity, social belonging and sufficiently secure resources for the satisfaction of (basic) needs but also social standing, social influence, perception of competence etc. are considered desirable and maintenance-worthy assets. If the security of these assets is endangered, then anxiety is the resonance to be expected. The effect of anxiety is, thus, a particularly important resonance phenomenon with which people themselves, as well as teams, organisations and social functional systems must engage. As anxiety is contagious, which quickly defines the experience of the individual as well as the communication, these infect the field to a certain extent. Anxiety gives birth to anxiety. At the same time, anxiety (=brain stem process!) is usually not accessible to rational argument and communication built upon it (cerebrum process!). Anxieties, therefore, stoke the danger schema: one feels affected by developments which one does not desire. Trust is lost. This is accompanied by the fact that one feels rather impotent, because one wants to decide and is not allowed to. This, in turn, stokes the anxiety and alliances with others in silent or loud protest. On the basis of these narrow arguments alone one can, however, deduce, that for any change intention (in coaching, team and organisational consulting) the focus must also be kept on the anxieties, which are always triggered through the targeted change.