Therapy for anxiety
Everyone feels anxious at times. When it feels like it’s too much, you don’t have to carry it alone.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety can feel like intense worry that gets overwhelming and unmanageable. Anxiety can be experienced sometimes, often, or even all the time, and sometimes anxiety is tied to specific situations or triggers, while other times anxiety is more global. Anxiety is a normal human emotion, but problem anxiety is when our antennae for anxiety get "stuck" in the on position, and our brain & nervous system can't tell the difference between real and actual threats or get any relief. Problem anxiety gets in the way of daily functioning, can make it hard to go to work or school, and can interfere with relationships. With anxiety, you might have trouble sleeping, notice your heart beats too fast sometimes, feel nervous or worried about things that other people don't seem to worry so much about, and have trouble turning the anxious thoughts off in your mind. Children might experience anxiety through separation, they might have difficulty sleeping or eating, and they might talk a lot about things they worry about or avoid situations that cause them distress. Teens might experience anxiety as perfectionism, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, difficulties in friendships, and trouble keeping perspective when they experience stressors. For adults with anxiety, you may have been labeled a worrywart, or a high achiever, or someone who never slows down. Some adults experience anxiety as a full body experience, to the point of shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, and a feeling of being out of control and at the mercy of your anxious thoughts.
How can anxiety therapy help?
Whatever anxiety looks like to you, therapy can help. Anxiety therapy can include cognitive behavioral therapy, one of the most researched & evidence-based approaches to treating anxiety, and it can also include more integrative & holistic therapies that support the whole person & family. This might include self-compassion & mindfulness, the science of how our bodies & minds are interconnected and influence how we experience anxiety, and family systems therapy, which is uniquely suited to help individuals experiencing anxiety heal relationships, reduce anxiety triggers in the family, and change family dynamics that can inadvertently maintain anxiety. Anxiety can feel all consuming. Working with a therapist can help you feel more calm, clarity and capacity to manage your anxiety and get your life back.
