Anxiety

When I'm working with a client who is experiencing anxiety, I support them in developing awareness around the triggers and thoughts associated with their symptoms. We work together to empower the client to work through their anxiety without feeling overwhelmed or controlled by it. I focus on both managing the physical symptoms of the anxiety while also working with a client to explore where the anxiety is coming from in hopes of making changes to reduce or eliminate the symptoms present.

Humans are brilliant learners, absorbing messages from our environments, our families, society, and culture. These external influences, shape our identities based on race, gender, color, etc., which then shape our perceived realities. In order to know who we are, there needs to be an understanding of how these influences impact our current perspectives and behaviors. Only with this deeper insight, can we feel empowered to regain control of our lives.

Anxiety often involves ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. During counseling we will practice mindfulness exercises to allow you to stay grounded and present.

We cannot exist in this world without experiencing some form of anxiety. But what happens for so many is that they lose the capacity to process the anxiety effectively. My goal as a therapist is to help normalize the experience of anxiety and, at the same time, teach clients how to approach it with understanding. I use many somatic techniques and nervous system regulatory practices to address the anxiety response.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a trained EMDR therapist. I have worked with individuals with anxiety disorders and related issues for over ten years. I have completed several continuing education programs on anxiety treatment approaches and effective therapy strategies.

"High functioning anxiety," perfectionism, self-critical, difficulty feeling good enough

I've worked with many individuals to help them reduce how anxiety impacts their life. I enjoy helping people learn how to identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts, increase confidence in decision making, strengthen self-esteem, improve sleep, and learn coping strategies that will work for their life.

We will work on building skills to identify and challenge unhelpful thinking, ways to calm the nervous system and learn ways to bring themselves back to baseline. We'll also explore the patterns and triggers that contribute to overwhelming symptoms.

I specialize in working with clients that experience different forms of anxiety and can help clients find coping mechanisms that work for them.

We need some anxiety in our life, it is natural, and it serves a purpose for our survival. Sometimes, anxiety can grow and become an overwhelming boss of our life. There are many tools to reduce symptoms of anxiety and there are discoveries that can be made in the therapeutic process that may have dramatic effects on our everyday living, including our experience with anxiety.

Anxiety and depression underly many conditions and are symptoms of a "root cause" concern. Addressing the current challenges and root causes, provides a more holistic deep healing approach for lasting results.

Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder).

Anxiety is common in those who demand a lot from themselves. This can look like feeling overwhelmed, burnout, hopelessness, tension, frequent crying, procrastination and more. I use evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to recognize negative thinking patterns and habits for what they are and begin replacing them with hopeful, realistic narratives you believe in.

Anxiety is often an issue that comes from earlier conflicts from the past, triggered by current circumstances, and it takes careful work, often using dreams, if people remember them, and imagery around the particular anxiety associations. Sometimes it takes some medication to lessen the anxiety in order to work on it more easily. And if there's trauma involved, we have to do deeper and possibly use EMDR - a specific trauma technique - by way of a colleague, with whom I consult.

You recognize that your plate is full, you handle too much at a time, your life feels stressful already, your body keeps the score, when you feel anxious your breathing changes and you even feel a pressure on your chest still you can’t say no to others. You naturally care for others and helping them is a priority despite how you are feeling. You deserve a balanced life. A life full of healthy relationships in which you feel loved and accepted by others you but most importantly, by yourself.

Although burdensome, anxiety is often treated as a pathological disorder to be eradicated and replaced with new thoughts or behaviors. I believe anxiety is an indicator of unmet needs, a voice from within trying to call for our attention- one of our nervous system's ways of keeping us safe. Together, we can establish and nurture a healthy relationship with our anxiety that is founded upon understanding, curiosity, and compassion and a regained sense of autonomy and relationship with the self.

I have worked with both adolescents and adults struggling with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Adjustment Disorder, and managing everyday stress and anxiety. Anxiety can be very disruptive and leave you feeling very stressed and overwhelmed. We can work together to learn effective ways of coping with and managing anxiety using evidenced based treatment modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.