Anxiety Can Be The Result of a Number of Possible Factors

Being anxious is not always a bad thing. At its core, anxiety is a protective mechanism designed to keep us safe. For millions of people today, however, anxiety has spiraled out of control and turned into an overwhelming force in their daily lives on a variety of levels.

For some, the prevalence of chronic anxiety can be a byproduct of our busy, stressful, and success-crazed modern world. People today face unhealthy levels of pressure to make more money, keep up with societal standards of appearance and popularity, and “have it all together.” In recent decades, social media has exacerbated these pressures, bombarding us with images of people who seem happier and more successful than we are. As a result, millions of us worry that we’re not good enough.

However, for many, anxiety is also something that stems from painful relational experiences, attachment issues, or growing up in an unsafe or unsettled environment. When growing up in an inconsistent or difficult environment, it can be hard to know how to feel safe and relaxed once you step out into the wider world.

There are a number of possible reasons that people can experience anxiety, including many not mentioned here. For every person, the reasons differ, and part of our work is to understand and resolve what underlies your struggles with anxiety.

Anxiety Is Hard To Let Go Of When It’s Built Up Over Years And Years

On your own, overcoming anxiety is easier said than done. After all, anxiety is something that has usually built up over a long period of time as a result of difficult relationships or circumstances. Therefore, you can’t just think your way out of anxiety or easily put it behind you with a few coping skills. While coping skills can be helpful for short-term relief, if the deeper roots of the anxiety aren’t addressed, they will eventually overpower the coping skills. Getting to the deeper roots of anxiety is the most effective way to create long-term emotional shifts.

Therapy provides the space to join in this deeper work and address the core issues driving your anxiety. Engaging in this process can help you experience long-lasting relief instead of repeatedly trying to find new solutions to manage your symptoms.

Therapy Can Help You Release The Power That Anxiety Has Over You

My role as a therapist is to provide a space where you can think, feel, reflect, and be yourself without any fear of shame or judgment. I aim to help you slow things down and unwind from the daily stressors of life, allowing you to focus on yourself instead of having to worry about other things and other people. The goal is to help you set aside all the distractions that crop up throughout the hustle and bustle of the day and develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with yourself.

I take a mind-body approach to counseling, exploring how anxiety affects your physical and emotional wellness and looking at how your body reacts to stress. I am analytic, relational, and psychodynamic, taking every area of your life into account. At times, I will also bring in behavioral techniques to help with short-term coping and supplement the deeper work we do.

Whether you’re struggling with general anxiety, social anxiety, relationship anxiety, hypochondria, a specific phobia, or any other type of anxiety, I’m confident that therapy can provide the well-rounded, in-depth support you’re looking for.

What To Expect In Anxiety Therapy Sessions

Therapy often starts by getting to know you and learning about the history of your struggles with anxiety. As we move forward, the conversations will expand and we’ll begin looking at deeper experiences and any potentially unhealed traumas that have led to the anxiety you feel now. Through this process, we’ll create connections between what happened in the past and what’s going on in your life today. As we deepen your self-awareness and emotionally work through difficult life experiences, you can begin the work of reducing and ultimately healing your anxiety.

I am relational in my approach. After all, anxiety often stems from unhealthy attachment patterns that have been perpetuated by past relationships (e.g., maybe you had a parent or authority figure in your life who made you feel like you weren’t good enough). The dynamics of the past tend to play out in the context of therapy, allowing us to work through these patterns in real time.

My ultimate hope is that, through our process, you’ll gain a newfound understanding and clarity as well as emotional relief from your symptoms. Anxiety is highly treatable, and with the right help and support, you can live with greater confidence, empowerment, and peace of mind.

You May Have Some Questions About Anxiety Therapy…

What if I don’t feel relief at the end of every session? 

There is a whole range of feelings that are normal in therapy. Therapy is a space for the totality of human emotions to safely exist and play out. Sometimes negative or conflicting feelings can even mean that things are moving forward. The goal of therapy is more than just always “feeling good”—it’s about understanding your anxiety, processing it, and forming a healthier relationship with it. In fact, anxiety can sometimes form due to suppression of negative feelings over time, so having room for a range of emotions here is incredibly beneficial. We will address these feelings together as they happen. 

What if other topics come up that aren’t related to anxiety? 

Many people imagine that every conversation in therapy has to be directly related to the presenting issue, or else they’re wasting time. This isn’t the case. Therapy is an open field where you can have conversations about anything. Conversations can be about your week, about events that happened years ago, or about fantasies or experiences that haven’t even happened. Nothing is off-topic or taboo. In fact, oftentimes issues that appear off-topic end up tying into the main problem unknowingly. 

How long will anxiety therapy take?

The timeline for treatment is different for everyone and varies depending on how severe your anxiety symptoms are. Therapy is an open-ended process, so we’ll go at your own pace and let things work out on their own natural timeline. Therapy tends to be most effective when you let things happen organically instead of forcing them to happen quickly. After all, healing is not an overnight process. The more patient you are with yourself, the more rewarding therapy will usually be.

You Don’t Have To Keep Living In The Grip Of Anxiety

Between your commitment to the healing process and my support along the way, I believe that you can break free from the constraints of anxiety and fulfill your true potential. To get started, reach out to schedule a consultation.

Reach out to schedule a consultation.