Therapy for Anxiety & Panic
Anxiety manifests in many forms. Left untended it can become a chronic pattern, numbness, burnout, phobia & panic attacks.
IT’S NEVER TOO SOON TO ADDRESS YOUR ANXIETY & STRESS
anxiety can be…
racing thoughts, rumination
intrusive memories
can’t relax, trouble falling or staying asleep
trouble focusing
feeling scattered, lost, unable to do daily tasks
can’t move forward, take action
racing heart, sweating, numbness or “claw” hands
fear of the unknown, 2nd guessing everything
fear of socializing
fear of change
fearful of your or other people’s emotions
feeling you’re “spinning your wheels”
like there’s weight or pressure on your chest
feeling trapped
freezing up, loss of appetite, trembling
FEAR of…
the work we do together…
first we get honest & name the known sources of anxiety
we acknowledge the reality of a stress-filled world
we use curiosity to explore unconscious sources of fear & trauma
we develop tools to help with anxiety symptoms
we identify where boundaries need to be made
we learn to interrupt anxious thoughts & beliefs
we tend to fear instead of ignoring it & hoping it will go away
we practice better communication with ourselves & others
we accept that emotions are important messengers & learn to not become overwhelmed by them
free to be you…
Sometimes we know why we are anxious & sometimes we don’t…
There are many ways to talk about anxiety. I think one of the most over-looked sources of anxiety is INCONGRUENCE….when our body, emotions, mind & thoughts are not moving in the same direction. For example, saying “I’m fine” when you KNOW you’re not. Now, multiply that by the 1,000 times you’ve done some version of this. I think it follows that anyone would become anxious, insecure, & unsure of what you actually need or feel.
This process was most likely an early adaptive response to your life circumstances & becomes even more complex with relationship stress, trauma experiences & if you feel safe being yourself in the world. There are many reasons why a person may feel unsafe.
Before you know it, you’re in a state of anxiety & don’t really know why…but, now it’s a habit.
my approach to anxiety therapy
Contemplative Psychotherapy for learning how to interrupt negative thought patterns…
Somatic Psychotherapy for building capacity to feel emotions & follow the intuition of your body in movement…
Mindfulness Practice to build a tool box that helps you reduce anxiety & panic as it arises…
I understand how anxiety can begin to rule someone’s life.
You do not need to suffer through it, deal with it or figure it out on your own.
Your life can change for the better.
a note on anxiety treatment for neurodivergent folks…
Neurodivergence (ADHD & Autism) presents another layer in alleviating anxiety in therapy. Neurodivergent folks have the same concerns that everyone does…all humans have fear & a survival part of our nervous system that needs to be “reset” after a shock, trauma or relational rupture.
The layer added by ADHD &/or Autism relates to the difference in neurodevelopment. Sensory overwhelm may be confused with pure anxiety, social differences may “ping” unsafe signals & unfamiliar environments, situations or people may create over-stimulation. All of these might become associated with cognitive fear, but to heal them, we must address the true nervous system source.
IT’S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO NOT CONFUSE OR LABEL SENSORY OVERWHELM AS AN ANXIETY DISORDER.