Are these thoughts often accompanied by uncomfortable physical sensations, such as a racing heart, shortness of breath or chest and/or stomach pain? Do you constantly feel on edge and find it difficult or even impossible to relax? Perhaps you struggle to stay present and focused, especially if your mind is often somewhere other than where you actually are. Or maybe physical symptoms, phobias or incessant fears have caused you to avoid certain places or events. Have you turned to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to mitigate or cope with stress, fear or worries? Do you wish you could breathe, relax, release the pressure and know that everything will be okay? Living with anxiety can be an isolating, frustrating and even frightening experience. It can negatively impact all aspects of your life, from your relationships to work performance to your ability to engage in social activities. While it’s normal to experience some level of stress around things like money and deadlines, when stress crosses over into anxiety, worries, fears and panic can impact your ability to function normally and even become debilitating.

If you’re experiencing heightened anxiety, you are not alone. Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health issues today, affecting more than 40 million people in the U.S. Anxiety can be generalized or present through certain phobias, OCD behaviors and panic attacks. It is often caused by heightened discomfort in social environments, test taking and giving presentations. Anxiety also manifests through a variety of symptoms and presents on a wide spectrum. Some people are biologically predisposed to anxiety or grew up with an anxious parent and go through life always feeling stressed and on edge. Others develop anxiety following trauma or a significant life transition or loss. And, some people develop anxiety so severe that it significantly limits their lives. The good news is that while anxiety is one of the most common ailments facing Americans, it’s also one of the most easily managed and even overcome. With the help of skilled and understanding anxiety therapist and an effective approach, you can experience significant relief.

Anxiety therapy can be incredibly effective. It can help you cultivate a sense of calm, increase self-awareness and provide you with the tools to manage anxiety. While anxious thoughts and feelings are challenging to control, you can slow them down, shift into a healthier perspective and let go of fear and self-judgment. In safe, confidential and nonjudgmental anxiety counseling sessions, we can help you lean into anxious thoughts and feelings rather than resist them. It is often said that what you resist persists, and that is very true of anxiety. Rather than trying to stop or control anxiety – which exasperates symptoms – by slowing everything down and bringing awareness to thoughts and feelings as they arise, symptoms often lose their power and even disappear. In sessions, We can help you learn how to go into body sensations, such as tension, shallow breathing or a racing heart, and breathe into the places that seem to hold uncomfortable energy. As you stay with it as much as you can, you’ll begin to notice that the feelings dissipate. Through anxiety treatment, we can also help you release the feelings of self-judgment and negative stories that often contribute to negative, anxious thinking. Rather than get stuck in harmful thinking patterns, you can learn to use your body, breath and relaxation techniques to stay calm and grounded in the present moment. You can also learn how to detach your thoughts from feelings and begin to see that the anxious “you” is not really you – it’s just a series of racing, often illogical, thoughts and feelings that have hooked up together to produce anxiety. We can also explore healthy, effective ways for you to cope with stress, such as exercise, yoga, meditation and breathing techniques. With guidance and support and a willingness to explore your anxiety, you can let go of fear. You are bigger than your anxiety, and through anxiety treatment, you can realize that it does not have to maintain control over you. It is possible to make friends with your anxiety and move forward into a calmer, more productive and happier way of being.

Medication can be helpful in cases of extreme anxiety. However, if it is used, it should be done so in combination with therapy. While medication can relieve some symptoms, it does not treat the root cause of anxiety issues. In order to achieve lasting relief, you need to develop an increased resilience and learn how to accept and manage your anxiety in a given moment. Once you can do that, anxiety loses its power.

We firmly believe that there is nothing inherently wrong with you or anybody else for that matter. We’re all just told that there is, or we convince ourselves it is so. In anxiety treatment sessions, you can learn that anxiety is not your fault. It’s a reaction to certain things occurring in your life. The good news is that anxiety is part of the human condition and by learning to accept it, you can begin to resolve it.

Like anxiety itself, anxiety treatment is highly individualized and the length of treatment will depend on the severity of your anxiety. If it’s deep, treatment may take time. And, in all honesty, for some people, anxiety never really goes away. Even if your anxiety persists, you can develop skills to handle it with more ease. That said, most of my clients see differences and experience relief after just a few sessions.