THERAPY FOR ANXIETY & STRESS

Helping you when things become too much

Anxiety makes you feel out of control

You walk through the day constantly questioning and worrying about what is going to happen next. The questioning never stops regardless of what you are doing. Your mind constantly anticipates the worst from getting your heart broken to fearing that things will never change.

Or even worse... you second guess EVERYTHING! Nothing can be simple. No decision is an easy decision. You are a prisoner in your own mind with no end in sight.

Your anxiety holds the key to your freedom.

You hope for freedom. You hope for change. You wait for it, but it doesn’t come.

As you wait, the second guessing and constant negative thoughts don’t stop. Doesn’t matter if you are trying to enjoy yourself at home or trying to focus on work. They are there, like a guest who over stays their welcome.

A guest who takes over your mind, your body and emotions.

Relevant Anxiety Blogs

Why Boundaries are Important to Safeguard Your Mental Health

Boundaries are the safeguard of our mental health. They protect us from anxiety, preserve our energy, and foster self-respect and well-being

Pressure, Perfection and Purpose: Encanto’s Lessons about Anxiety and Honoring Your Gifts

Encanto is an incredible movie that can demonstrate how family dynamics can play into how we view and treat ourselves. Read to learn how!

Elsa: The Anxiety Queen

Anxiety can teach us a lot about ourselves ... and one person that learned a lot through anxiety is none other than Elsa from Frozen!

It feels like an emotional rollercoaster. You worry about having fun because you know at some point the rug has will be kicked up under you.

The anxiety of waiting feels like a thousand needles on your chest. The emotional weight is heavy on your heart.

Anxiety Impacts All of You

Your body takes the brunt of it. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat, you can’t focus. Which eventually leads to a negative cycle of not being able to get stuff done which adds on to the constant negative thoughts.

It keeps piling on.

You want to relax. You want a break.

Plus you deserve a break, but it doesn’t come.

The thoughts, exhaustion, and heavy heart continue. It feels like it will never end.

You feel broken. You feel lost, alone, and helpless as you question whether things can be different.

You also question, why you?

What did you do to deserve this?

Your friends and family tell you that things are okay and they will get better. They simply don’t understand or don’t care to really listen.

They make you feel like you are over-reacting or exaggerating. You don’t feel validated or important, which only makes it worse.

They don’t get it.

You are left questioning who to turn to.

You want to feel heard and like somebody actually “get’s it”. You aren’t expecting them to fix it, you just want them to listen. You also want your feelings to be acknowledged and not pushed to the side.

But, you continue to feel alone.

So lonely to the point where you stop being honest with them about how you feel.

You stop talking. You stop asking for help. Instead you begin to create a mask.

At first this mask makes everything easy. You simply smile and nod and pretend.

You are finally the happy and bubbly person that people expect you to be. Everyone else around you is happy, so it is easy to blend in.

However, as time continues and as you continue to ignore the truth, the mask becomes harder and heavier to keep up.

In public you are one person, in private you become isolated and even more broken. Then, the cycle just starts over again.

Now you wonder how long you can keep this up. The constant up and downs make you lose sleep.

Which makes things even worse as you lose focus and confidence.

You know that what you want isn’t a lot to ask for. It is pretty simple, but getting there feels impossible and lonely. Not to mention scary.

How therapy for anxiety can help

You can do this. I am here to help you get there.

Imagine being able to wake up every day excited and energized. Imagine not having those constant fears and worries clouding your mind. Imagine feeling happy and confident.

You deserve those things. We all do.

Now you are probably thinking, “Well how do I get those things? How can therapy get me there?”

The first step to achieving the things you want, the things you deserve, is to take that step and call for help. Together we can create and plan out the day you have waited for. The day that feels like a new beginning, free of the worry, the feeling of not being good enough, and feeling alone.

Take back control from your anxiety

Next, is bracing yourself for change. Change is exciting but we have to get through the dark clouds before we can see our silver lining. I am here to guide you along that path. Helping you see what the future can bring and even embracing the moments that you want to forget but can’t.

So let us simply change the meaning, the questions, the worry to help change our future for the better. I can show you how, when you are ready. You have to be ready to accept change.

That’s the hardest part. Being ready to accept change.

I am here.

Waiting until that moment for when you are ready. You know you are. You waited long enough.

You are ready.

This is your chance to stop questioning yourself and to gain back the control, the key to your freedom.

Don’t wait any longer. Give me a call so we can get started

Let's Talk

THE THERAPY PROCESS

It is hard to really visualize what therapy is going to look like and how it works. To make it easy, I want to let you know what to expect.

The first few sessions are really for me to get to know you better. So understand that it is a process before we really start to work.

The first session is a lot of word vomit because I am trying to get a sense of everything that is going on and really go through some of the “standard” questions. These questions are for me to gauge where you are and where you want to go.

For the second session, I do like to get a bit of history. To start unpacking your baggage, I need to know what I am working with.

The third session is where we start building tools to help you in your vision.

Now, there may be hurdles. There may be times where you feel uncomfortable talking about things. That is ok. It is expected. I am mindful that this process can be emotionally exhausting, but remember it is necessary.

Once you start to see changes, I will reduce your sessions so that you can start to put those tools to use. The more open, honest, and vulnerable you are in the process, the more results you will start to see. Eventually, we will come to a point where therapy has done its job and it is time for you spread your wings and FLY (LOL)!

ANXIETY TOPICS WE DISCUSS

Anxiety Symptoms

We tend to feel the physical symptoms of anxiety first, like increased heart rate, sweating, stomach issues, sleep issues, etc. But there are also emotional symptoms of anxiety that can feel intense like feeling nervous, trouble concentrating, thoughts that don’t shut off, etc. Anxiety can look different for everyone. It is important to think about how anxiety is for you. That is the starting place.

Anxiety Treatment

For anxiety, I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and solution-focused based techniques to help my clients conquer anxiety. With the use of these modalities, we break down their thought processes to get to the core of their fears and worries. We also make sure that their worry is realistic and not assumptions of the worst possible outcome. It takes time to break down thought patterns, but it is important to help alleviate overthinking and intense worry. If we break down patterns, make changes to help stop the triggers and distorted thoughts, but the anxiety still feels intense, we may discuss medication. I respect my client’s decision in the matter, but it is important to recognize when anxiety is outside our control.

Anxiety vs. Depression

Anxiety and depression are very similar. They share common symptoms and people often get them confused. Anxiety often has more physical symptoms, but the main difference is the intense feeling of fear and worry. For depression, the physical symptoms are not as severe and there is usually an intense feeling of sadness.

How Anxiety Effects Your Relationships

Anxiety can severely impact relationships because it can create intense fear and often make us feel insecure. In romantic relationships, anxiety can make your partners feel as though you don’t trust them, when that might not necessarily be the case. With family, anxiety can make us feel as though we are never living up to expectations. With friends, there is a fear that we could do more. However, anxiety plays into your relationships, it is important to figure out how to combat those distorted thoughts so that you can have a happier and healthier connection.

Coping Mechanisms

One of the key factors of alleviating yourself from anxiety is finding the right coping mechanisms for you. Not all coping mechanisms fit, so throughout our therapeutic process we will discuss tools that fit with your particular lifestyle and what you find most useful. The most important part about developing tools against anxiety is to use them. Therapy is a way to keep you on track with your goals and to help keep you accountable.

AND MORE ...

Frequently Asked Questions

I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A WHILE, IT WILL JUST GET BETTER ON ITS OWN, RIGHT? WHY DO I NEED A THERAPIST?

If it hasn’t gotten better by now, why risk waiting and digging yourself in a deeper hole when you can work on getting you better now?

You know you want things to change but leaving it up to chance and time isn’t the best resolution. Plus with anxiety it isn’t just the emotional component you are dealing with, you are probably having physical symptoms as well. Like losing sleep, not eating or eating too much, mood swings, etc.

Basically don’t wait to get better.

SHOULD I JUST SEE MY DOCTOR TO GET ON MEDICATION?

Medication is a viable option for many people. Anxiety can be caused by several factors out of our control like a hormonal imbalance, which can be helped with medication.

However, anxiety can also come from situational issues or unhealthy thoughts that need more than simple medication.

If you feel that medication can help, I suggest contacting your medical doctor to discuss your options, give it three months, if things haven’t changed then therapy along with your medication is a good option.

Have More Questions?? Contact Me!