Therapy for Anxiety
Do you need therapy for anxiety from a trained and experienced therapist? You may decide you do if you find yourself worrying all the time, often expecting the worst.
Self-assessment to see if you feel that you would benefit from therapy for anxiety
If you answer yes to one or more of the following questions, you might want to consider therapy for anxiety.
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- Do you worry about people’s reactions to and judgments about you? Do you dread or avoid social situations because of these worries?
- Do you stress about your performance at work, compare yourself to others and feel inadequate in your job?
- Does it seem that your resources are insufficient to meet your obligations?
- Are you often keyed up or on edge, unable to feel calm or present in the moment?
- Have you experienced the symptoms of a panic attack, such as shaking, nausea, a racing heart or the sensation that you are dying?
- Do you find that you have racing thoughts with your mind swinging from one worry to the next, a phenomenon popularly known as “monkey brain“.
- Do you wish you could enjoy a social gathering, feel confident at work and more fully engage with all aspects of your life?
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Research and clinical practice tells us that therapy for anxiety will benefit individuals with feelings of anxiety and panic that interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control and cause prolonged distress.
It might be difficult to distinguish between a perceived danger and an actual danger, especially when your body, mind, and emotions all seem to be in a state of alarm.
You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings, even if that means missing out on opportunities or things you enjoy.
Perhaps you think of yourself in highly negative and critical ways, and you find it unbearable to be in front of others, as it seems as though they are staring at you and judging you.
You might worry about fitting in, or isolate yourself because social situations are just too painful.
It may be that you want to feel calm, confident and at ease, but you don’t know how to bring yourself relief.
Therapy for Anxiety Will Help the Many People Who Struggle With Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, over 15 million Americans suffer from social anxiety. In addition, GAD, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1 percent of the U.S. population, in any given year.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. And, one individual can struggle with a combination of different disorders and symptoms.
GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) distinguished from everyday worry and stress
Anxiety, worry and stress are all parts of most people’s lives today.
But simply experiencing anxiety or stress in and of itself does not mean you need to get professional help or you have an anxiety disorder. In fact, anxiety is a necessary warning signal of a dangerous or difficult situation.
Without anxiety, we would have no way of anticipating difficulties ahead and preparing for them. For example, anxiety helps you pay your bills on time.
However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).
These intrusive worries and distress signals can make it difficult to feel secure in yourself, trust in your potential or pursue your ideal life.
With the help of a skilled anxiety counselor, you can identify the root source of stress, shift your perspective and find lasting relief with anxiety therapy.
Therapy for Anxiety Can Help You Foster Calm and Confidence
In therapy sessions, we also focus on getting to know one another. For the best outcomes, I want to hear about your personal experiences with anxiety. We will discuss situations or things that commonly trigger anxious thoughts and feelings. You will leave our sessions equipped with individualized plans to manage that distress right away.
I tailor my therapy and my methods to the client
I employ a comprehensive combination of therapeutic approaches to effectively address anxiety. One of the primary methods I use is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), along with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). These therapies are designed to help you identify and change the thoughts and behaviors that fuel anxiety, promoting healthier patterns of thinking and action.
In addition to CBT and REBT, I incorporate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Unlike traditional cognitive therapies that focus on altering thoughts, MBCT emphasizes awareness of feelings and body sensations. This mindfulness approach allows you to gently accept and feel your experiences without becoming overwhelmed, fostering a more balanced emotional state.
Furthermore, I place significant importance on educating you about how anxiety functions. Understanding the mechanisms behind anxiety, coupled with exploring your individual cognitive patterns, proves to be highly effective in achieving long-term anxiety relief. This holistic approach ensures that you are well-equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and reduce anxiety sustainably.
And you will find lasting ease and relief
When you receive therapy for anxiety from me, you will gain a much better understanding of the roots of your anxiety symptoms, learn methods to emerge from your anxiety-filled world, discover new resiliency and alleviate the fears limiting your life.
It is possible to discover lasting ease and relief.
You may believe that therapy for anxiety can help you live with greater ease, but still have questions or concerns…
Isn’t therapy for anxiety expensive?
Are you enjoying the way you live your life now, or do you find that anxiety is really limiting you? You may find that your daily life is a constant state of worry and fear. Only you can decide how valuable your well-being and peace of mind is. You deserve to live your life with peace and calm. Anxiety treatment is an investment in your long-term well-being.
Why do I experience these problems when my friends seem so at ease?
You may be surprised to find that your friends have suffered too. People have different levels of reactivity in their central nervous systems, so your friends may have a lower stress response than you. That does not mean that you are insufficient or broken. Each person feels and reacts to stress differently. Your friends may have found successful techniques and strategies to overcome anxiety disorders. In anxiety therapy, I will help you to do the same.
I am really anxious about my upcoming appointment – change is scary.
Usually, when people decide to come to see a counselor, their lives have become distressing and unmanageable in some way. It is a brave step to seek professional help. It demonstrates a willingness to sculpt a new way of interacting with your world. The risk of change is worthwhile when you consider the profound benefits that are within your grasp. You can enter a brighter, more empowered future.
If and when you are ready…
If you want guidance to make changes in your life arising from anxiety, I invite you to call me today to set up an appointment held on Zoom by either phoning me at (941) 306 1235 or emailing me at [email protected].
I offer a complimentary 15 minute by phone if you have questions you would like answered before beginning counseling.