Carol King - Understanding Anxiety: Our Invisible Handicap to Happiness and Success

I have many people to thank for making this book possible. My clients, from whom I learned a tremendous amount, form the basis of the book. I particularly appreciate their courage to seek treatment and their openness in sharing their deepest fears with me.

I would never have had the knowledge, writing skill, or confidence to write a book had it not been for two of my professors at the Pennsylvania State University who had confidence in my ability and offered tremendous support. Ted Huston taught me to think like a psychologist in researching and writing. Indeed, he taught me to write. Ted and Graham Spanier saw my potential when I arrived at Penn State, a nave young woman of 23 who had been raised in a small Midwestern town. Because of them, and the rest of the faculty in Individual and Family Studies, this graduate program was exceptionally nurturing. I look back on those years as being among my best experiences.

Thanks to my supervisors in a number of positions that I held after I completed my doctorate. Their support allowed me to flourish in applying what I had learned in graduate school. Initially, Linda Peterson encouraged me to pursue a clinical route when I worked with her at the Counseling Center, Inc. Later Ed Crane, George Krolick, Steve Flannigan, Thomas Guthrie, Lee Salter, Mike Bachman, and Tara Pressley all were extremely supportive of my clinical work.

My husband who is also my best friend has provided unconditional love and support as he endured many months of my preoccupation with this book. He looks at me through rose colored glasses and has never doubted that I could do whatever I set out to do. My four boys have always been the center of my universe no matter what I was trying to do professionally. From the age of three when we moved across the country for me to attend graduate school, Greg, my oldest, has been a part of my adventures. While most young children emulate their parents cooking, cleaning or doing carpentry around the house, my Greg spent several hours one day highlighting his Richard Scarry book with a yellow marker as he had seen me do with my textbooks. With his engaging and ever enthusiastic personality, he forced me to relax and have fun when I wasnt on campus. In adulthood, Greg has inspired me to face my fears by mastering a number of potentially dangerous sports such as back country skiing and kite boarding. I cant begin to thank my second son, Sean, who was born on a weekend between my Friday and Monday statistics class and helped author this book. Working together on this project has been an amazing and satisfying experience that not every parent gets to enjoy.

Jeff, son number three, seems to have completely conquered any anxiety that he might have had. Not only is he an avid rock climber, which terrifies me, but he has traveled the world, exploring approximately 80 countries often by bike. My youngest son, Tyler, has encouraged me at every step along the way in writing this book. He is probably my biggest fan and cheerleader. His faith in me, his enthusiasm and encouragement for me to write, and his pride in my finishing the book has been extraordinary.

This book is dedicated to my two treasured grandchildren, Phillip and Evelyn. May they conquer stress and overcome anxiety throughout their lives.

Thank you to C. Deborah Laughton for encouragement to pursue this book. Thank you to Professor Jessica Collett at UCLA for reviewing draft materials and providing helpful feedback. Thank you to Kelly Anderson for her enthusiastic reading and edits.

Sean Kelly: It was fun to work with my mom on this book. We both love all things social science and enjoy putting ideas down on paper. The many years of clinical work that generated the vignettes and insights in this book represent a lifetime of work. I am so glad my mom is sharing that impressive work here in this book from McFarland.