Are You Ready To Break Free From Anxiety’s Grip?
Is the constant stress of work or daily life so overwhelming that you can never seem to relax, let your guard down, or clock out at the end of the day? Do you regularly experience:
- Excessive worry, overwhelming fear, or negative, intrusive thoughts?
- Difficulty sleeping, unwinding, or taking basic care of yourself due to stress?
- Chronic Physical problems; like IBS, body aches, headaches, or immune system issues?
- Random, racing thoughts that put your nervous system into overdrive?
- Trouble enjoying relationships or the fruits of your labor for a fear of losing everything?
Anxiety can taint nearly every aspect of your life. Professionally, you may be lacking focus or avoiding opportunities for growth. Anxiety can convince you to sacrifice your own physical and relational well-being—all on behalf of a job. But outside of work and school, anxiety exacts another toll. When left unchecked, you might withdraw from activities you enjoy or social situations with friends and family—simply because the stimulation is just too overwhelming.
Dealing with anxiety on your own can be a lonely experience, especially if you are isolating yourself from the world in order to feel safe or to protect others from your pain. But with the right guidance and support, the right anxiety therapy, you can live with greater tranquility, happiness, and peace of mind.
Anxiety Is A Global Health Concern That Is On The Rise
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects over 40 million US adults per year and represents one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.* Moreover, anxiety in all its forms is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in children and teens.
The expectation to be smart, beautiful, popular, and on track for a successful career can create a lot of stress that young people are unequipped to deal with. The same can be said for adults, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area where hyper-focus on careers, reputations, and outward appearances helps drive high rates of anxiety-related issues.
Other factors can influence anxiety, such as family medical history, past experiences, and early relationships. For instance, if you grew up in a chaotic, stressful or threatening environment, your nervous system may be primed to expect and endure similar experiences throughout life. Left untreated, anxiety can become a body-mind habit.
That’s because the brain develops habits. As wondrous as our brains are, they can develop responses and patterns that aren’t always that helpful. After a while of being exposed to the same stress-inducing stimuli, your brain can actually become very good at being anxious, even if there is no apparent reason for it.
If you’re living in the Bay Area and are looking for an anxiety specialist, I can help you untangle the past, sort out what makes you anxious, and help you resolve it. And with a little work, we can create tailored solutions that will help you become more aware of yourself, connected to others, and capable of facing life without fear.
Anxiety Therapy Can Offer You Lasting Peace
One of the greatest benefits of therapy is simply having someone in your corner who will listen to your story and guide you through the healing process. Much of the therapeutic process begins with sorting through complicated thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to find clarity and to understand the origins of your pain. Then, we can collaborate to devise strategies and build skills to help you navigate the world in a way that liberates you from the effects of anxiety.
We’ll start each of our sessions by simply looking at the challenges that anxiety is creating, how you’re attempting to manage it, as well as any updates from previous sessions. Then we’ll spend some time talking about any specific concerns you may have: we’ll dive deeper into what could be a relationship issue, a personal challenge, or we’ll focus on learning ways to find relief from specific anxiety symptoms.
The bulk of our sessions will be dedicated to developing practical solutions and strategies for helping you reduce anxiety and achieve your goals in a way that creates joy rather than stress. We’ll reserve the last few minutes together to review how you feel and to identify any ways in which we can improve the effectiveness of future sessions. To achieve all of this may require a little more time, which is why I offer full 60-minute and 90-minute anxiety counseling sessions.
We are fortunate to live in an age where we have several effective anxiety treatments. Some clients want the most cutting edge, technology-assisted anxiety treatment available. If that is you, we may begin with an EEG brain training (electroencephalogram) and neurofeedback therapy. This process enables us to map out and understand exactly what is going on in your brain. Then, using computer-based training, video imagery, and your own individual brain waves, we can start changing the way you think and feel.
Another tool I use for treating anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), is a traditional form of counseling that seeks to understand and change how past behaviors and thought patterns may be negatively affecting you in the present. Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) honors the fact that each individual is comprised of many different parts, or systems, which allows us to draw upon aspects of your personality that are calm and capable to help heal the parts of you that are in distress.
In contrast, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy can help alleviate some of the somatic, or physical symptoms of anxiety. I also offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to help reduce the intensity of severe symptoms through a structured series of alternating eye movements, sounds, lights, or tactile sensations.
Many people think that anxiety just happens—that it’s merely a part of themselves they will have to endure forever. But with the right support, it is possible to find sustainable relief from anxiety that goes beyond just managing symptoms. In time, you can begin enjoying your achievements and living without the limitations of fear and doubt.
Perhaps you are considering anxiety therapy but still have some questions or concerns…
I feel like I should be able to do this on my own.
I am a big supporter of people doing what they can on their own because healing requires an intentional, active approach. But oftentimes, trying to heal oneself alone without the right tools or guidance only prolongs the suffering. Working with a therapist gives you someone who can help you identify and draw upon your intrinsic strengths to heal yourself and live on your own terms. So, whether you have been dealing with anxiety for 30 years or you’re seeking therapy as preventative maintenance for your mental health, I can offer you guidance and solutions.
I don’t think that talking about things will do any good.
Yes, treating anxiety involves a component of discussion. But at the end of the day, good anxiety therapy is about awakening a deeper understanding of yourself and developing practical solutions for ridding yourself of pain. When you leave our sessions, you will walk away with concrete coping skills, grounding strategies, and mindfulness techniques that will help you stay calm and in control no matter what comes your way.
I don’t have the time for anxiety counseling.
I know it can be difficult to dedicate time for self-care, but caring for yourself translates into taking care of your job, your relationships—everything. If you want to have a good life, you have to have your head in the game. And you can’t do that if you are distracted by insecurities, fear, or panic. Heading off or overcoming anxiety now can help you be more focused, productive, and connected to everything around you, allowing you to fully engage in life and actualize your potential for happiness and success.
Overcoming Anxiety And Its Limitations—It Is Possible
Throughout my career, I have seen countless individuals improve their lives through anxiety counseling, and I believe change is possible for you as well. If you would like to know more about my practice, including office hours or location, billing rates and insurance coverage, or anything else, please visit My Practice page and thoroughly review my website.
Once you feel that we would be a good fit, I encourage you to set up your 90-minute intake session so we can get to know one another and start on the road toward healing now.
NEW CLIENT? SCHEDULE YOUR 90-MINUTE INTAKE SESSION HERE
If something specific is preventing you from taking that initial step, it may be possible to meet briefly for a free, 15-minute phone consultation, depending on your circumstances.