Case Report

Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example

Volume: 12 Number: 3 September 30, 2025
TR EN

Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example

Abstract

This single-case study examined the effectiveness of Metacognitive Theory-Based Psychological Counseling (MT-PC) in addressing symptoms of generalized anxiety. The intervention was carried out through nine individual counseling sessions with a 22-year-old client who reported persistent worry, uncontrollable thoughts, and physiological manifestations of anxiety. The counseling process was structured according to Adrian Wells’ metacognitive model and aimed to facilitate the client’s recognition and reevaluation of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, as well as the development of more flexible attentional strategies. Throughout the sessions, techniques such as worry postponement, attention training, detached mindfulness, and Socratic dialogue were employed. To assess the intervention's effectiveness, the Worry Beliefs Scale and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were given before and after the intervention. The results revealed significant reductions in both anxiety levels and maladaptive metacognitive beliefs. By the end of the counseling process, the client began to perceive worry as a manageable cognitive process and developed a more detached and flexible approach to intrusive thoughts. These findings suggest that MT-PC may be a viable approach at the individual level in treating generalized anxiety symptoms. However, further research involving larger and more diverse samples is needed to evaluate the generalizability and long-term effectiveness of this approach.

Keywords

Project Number

355

Ethical Statement

Araştırma süreci ve raporlamada hiçbir etik taviz verilmemiş, tüm süreç etik ilkelere uygun yürütülmüştür.

References

  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
  2. Arslan, G., Aydoğdu, U., & Uzun, K. (2025). Longitudinal impact of the ACT-based positive psychology intervention to improve happiness, mental health, and well-being. Psychiatric Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-025-10145-7
  3. Aydoğdu, U., & Karataş, Z. (2025). Psikolojik danışman adaylarının psikolojik esneklik ve psikolojik katılıkları. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Education Faculty(74), 262-282. https://doi.org/10.21764/maeuefd.1554997
  4. Aydoğdu, U., & Karataş, Z. (2025). Worry Beliefs Scale: A Scale Development Study. Adıyaman University Journal of Educational Sciences, 15(1), 87-115. https://doi.org/10.17984/adyuebd.1595236
  5. Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(6), 893–897. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.56.6.893
  6. Davey, G. C., Hampton, J., Farrell, J., & Davidson, S. (1992). Some characteristics of worrying: Evidence for worrying and anxiety as separate constructs. Personality and Individual Differences, 13(2), 133–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8869(92)90036-O
  7. Ehring, T., & Watkins, E. R. (2008). Repetitive negative thinking as a transdiagnostic process. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 1(3), 192–205. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijct.2008.1.3.192
  8. Ehring, T., Frank, S., & Ehlers, A. (2008). The role of rumination and reduced concreteness in the maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression following trauma. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32(4), 488–506. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-006-9089-7

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Counselling Psychology

Journal Section

Case Report

Publication Date

September 30, 2025

Submission Date

March 30, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 1, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 12 Number: 3

APA
Aydoğdu, U., & Tagay, Ö. (2025). Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, 12(3), 545-576. https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR
AMA
1.Aydoğdu U, Tagay Ö. Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi. 2025;12(3):545-576. https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR
Chicago
Aydoğdu, Umut, and Özlem Tagay. 2025. “Working With Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example”. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi 12 (3): 545-76. https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR.
EndNote
Aydoğdu U, Tagay Ö (September 1, 2025) Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi 12 3 545–576.
IEEE
[1]U. Aydoğdu and Ö. Tagay, “Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example”, AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 545–576, Sept. 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR
ISNAD
Aydoğdu, Umut - Tagay, Özlem. “Working With Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example”. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi 12/3 (September 1, 2025): 545-576. https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR.
JAMA
1.Aydoğdu U, Tagay Ö. Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi. 2025;12:545–576.
MLA
Aydoğdu, Umut, and Özlem Tagay. “Working With Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example”. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, vol. 12, no. 3, Sept. 2025, pp. 545-76, https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR.
Vancouver
1.Umut Aydoğdu, Özlem Tagay. Working with Anxiety Symptoms through Metacognitive Theory in Psychological Counseling: A Case Example. AYNA Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi [Internet]. 2025 Sep. 1;12(3):545-76. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA59DW86HR