Anxiety Therapy

It can be difficult to sometimes to understand our emotions. Anxiety may at times show up differently for different people. Some may experience irritability while others may feel on edge or constantly worried. Some may have a difficult time stopping intrusive thoughts or find themselves ruminating often. Anxiety can at times get in the way of having healthy, meaningful relationships or perhaps get in the way of living a full, meaningful life at home or work. 

However it shows up for you, it can be hard to know how to navigate if you're feeling exhausted from trying things unsuccessfully or feel overwhelmed as to what to do or where to start. 

What To Expect In Sessions

In sessions, we will spend time helping you build your toolkit that works for you, so that you feel well equipped to coping with feelings of anxiety. Some short-term goals may include achieving better sleep, going out and spending time with friends more frequently, reducing how often or how intense anxiety attacks happen. 

Additionally, we will work on exploring where anxiety stems from, understanding your triggers, your history and guiding you toward the best way of treating your specific symptoms. Gaining understanding of how your anxiety works and how it affects your body and mind can help you feel empowered and reduce the power these symptoms have over you. Long term goals for anxiety may be aimed at helping you visualize the best version of you and your life and coming up with steps that can get you there. 

Methods I may use in therapy:

There is no single method I like to use, but rather a combination of methods tailored to fit your unique set of symptoms and preferences. 

Behavioral approaches to treatment may include exposure to fears you may face, either by visualizing them in a safe and controlled environment. Repeated exposure will allow your body's anxiety response to become less frequent and intense over time. 

Other methods may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which helps gain awareness of unhelpful thoughts and reframing them. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used to become connected with your values and align your life to what's most important to you, leading to a reduction of anxiety. We may also use Somatic therapy, which helps become aware of your body and utilizing the body to cope with feelings of anxiety. It also allows us to connect our body experiences to our mind's and guiding to notice an release physical tension and fight/flight responses that get trapped in the body. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is also another way of guiding you gain insight into the different parts of yourself and addressing these needs in healthy ways. Breathwork can help with regulating your nervous system and gain control over your body's physiological responses.  

If you'd like to read more about anxiety and how to cope with it, check out my blog to learn ways to dealing with anxiety!