Therapy for Anxiety
“Anxiety” is one of the most common reasons people seek therapy. I will say that “anxiety” is not technically a diagnosis, but it is what we have started to use in common language. In fact, the term “anxiety” is almost always used in a negative way, which is not quite right, as anxiety can be helpful. Then the common assumption that comes later is that we need to get rid of anxiety completely. The problem only happens when the anxiety is uncontrollable or out of proportion with the threat. For many people, anxiety is running in the background of daily life, shaping decisions, disrupting sleep, and making ordinary moments feel worse than they need to.
You might recognize it as the loop of "what ifs" that won't quiet down, even when you have run through all possibilities. Or the dread before a meeting, a social event, a speaking engagement, or a conversation you've been procrastinating. Maybe the physical tension you carry in your body is so constant that you don’t even notice it anymore. Anxiety is wicked smart, and it can be adaptive and helpful when it’s not overworking. It disguises itself as productivity, preparation, and responsibility, which is why so many high-achieving people don't realize how much of their lives are driven by it. You might even talk yourself into thinking that you have only succeeded because of these behaviors that are fueled by anxiety.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is usually thought of as “just a general feeling of anxiety”, which is incorrect. GAD is actually characterized by excessive, persistent worry that's out of proportion to the actual threat. People with GAD often find themselves in the "what if" trap: cycling through worst-case scenarios about their health, relationships, work, and future. In these cases, the worry is hard to control and is pervasive across multiple areas of life, not just one.
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Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
Social Anxiety Disorder, also known as Social Phobia, goes beyond being shy or introverted. It involves an intense fear of social situations and of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated by others. This is often to the point of avoiding most social situations altogether. It can show up in meetings, on first dates, in group settings, or even in one-on-one conversations. Many people with social anxiety spend so much energy anticipating and recovering from social interactions that their world becomes so small in an effort to avoid discomfort.
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Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder involves intense fear responses that arrive suddenly and feel completely out of control. A panic attack often feels like a medical emergency, and the fear of having another one often leads to avoidance behaviors that limit daily life. If you've started limiting your world around the possibility of a panic attack, that's something we can work through.
How Treatment Works
Anxiety treatment is quite active and sometimes can be uncomfortable as we push you past your fears. We don't just talk about what makes you anxious. We work to understand the patterns driving it, challenge the thoughts that keep it going, and build a plan for responding differently. I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Both are evidence-based approaches used to treat anxiety disorders.
CBT helps you recognize and reframe the thought patterns that fuel anxiety and then change the behaviors that keep fueling the anxiety. ACT helps you stop fighting your anxious thoughts and move toward what matters to you, despite uncomfortable feelings. In practice, most of our work will be concrete and skill-focused. You will have tools in your toolbox to pull out and work with.
What Progress Looks Like
You won't stop feeling anxious. That's not the goal, and it's not realistic. The goal is to change your relationship with anxiety so it no longer has such a strong hold on you by deciding your limits. Clients often describe feeling like they have more mental space, more flexibility, and more confidence that they can handle what comes up. The "what ifs" don't disappear, but they stop having as much power.