Anxiety Therapy
Has Anxiety Started to Feel Inescapable?
Does anxiety negatively impact your mental and physical wellness?
Do you often become preoccupied with intrusive thoughts that cause a sense of dread or impending doom?
Are you easily overwhelmed when too much is happening at once, causing physical distress like heart palpitations, a constant pit in your stomach, or full-blown panic attacks?
When anxiety kicks into high gear, it can be difficult to remain in the present moment. Instead, you may find yourself either dwelling on past mistakes or “catastrophizing”—imagining worst-case scenarios—about what may happen in the future. Perhaps a significant life transition, such as a new career, relocation, parenthood, or starting or finishing school, has pushed your mind into overdrive, leading to additional stress and excessive worry.
Anxiety Can Wreak Havoc On Your Daily Routine
You might wake up at night ruminating about what you have to accomplish the next day or are jolted awake by stressful “What if” thoughts that send your heart racing. Your disrupted sleep could carry over into the next day, leading to fatigue, irritability, overwhelm, and difficulty concentrating. Even after you work down your “to-do” list, you may notice you’re still restless and don’t know what to do with yourself.
Intense feelings of overwhelm and stress could impact you socially, prompting you to avoid gatherings or withdraw from relationships. Or maybe you’re a high achiever who portrays the image of success but struggles with self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
However anxiety affects you, therapy can help. With a customized approach to counseling, you can learn how to control anxiety so it no longer controls you.
Have any questions? Send me a message!
Anxiety Is A Prevalent Mental Health Disorder Worldwide
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “an estimated 31.1 percent of U.S. adults experience distressing levels of anxiety at some point in their life.” [1] Sadly, although anxiety disorders are highly treatable, only 36.9 percent of those suffering receive treatment. [2]
The root causes of anxiety can come from both past and present sources. For some of us, the unprocessed trauma we’ve carried from childhood makes us more prone to anxiety. For others, current life stressors, such as relational issues, job loss, career transitions, or financial uncertainty, may contribute to our symptoms. Anxiety can also affect highly empathetic individuals who worry about the current state of the world.
Many Of Us Lack Healthy Coping Skills
Unfortunately, most of us aren’t taught how to effectively cope with anxiety or, perhaps, don’t know how to recognize its symptoms. We may mistakenly believe that enduring high levels of stress is what motivates us to achieve our goals. Sadly, we may have become accustomed to feeling anxious and don't realize what a problem it's become. Instead, we often put off seeking support because we feel overtaxed, which is itself a common symptom of anxiety.
When you seek treatment, you can gain an understanding of the underlying reasons that contribute to your anxiety disorder, whether you struggle with social anxiety, panic attacks, or other moderate or severe symptoms. Additionally, therapy can address the anxiety high achievers often experience as well as those with people-pleasing traits.
Therapy Offers Solutions For Anxiety You Can Carry With You
Anxiety has a way of disconnecting you from your true self and making you feel like everything you face in life is overwhelming or out of control. As your therapist, I am here to remind you of your resilience and all of the effective ways you have learned to cope with anxiety. In my approach, I focus on inherent strengths and what’s working for you, not just the problem itself.
Therapy is a safe, nonjudgmental place where we will discuss your present concerns and how these stressors may contribute to anxiety. Once we better understand how anxiety shows up for you and its underlying causes, we can collaborate on a plan that helps manage and reduce your symptoms.
What To Expect In Sessions
Our work will focus on what you're experiencing and what tangible steps you can take to make positive changes. We'll also dive into your history and explore what may have happened in the past that's contributing to how you feel currently. In addition to unpacking unhealthy patterns and habits and how they may have developed, we will also define your values and what gives your life meaning and purpose.
While our short-term focus will be improving your mood and physical well-being, our longer-term work will delve deeper. For example, we may explore early childhood experiences, your attachment style, and the role that environment and societal messaging have played in shaping your self-perception and worldview. The goals we set will be determined by what changes you want to see in different areas of your life and what actionable steps can be taken to make progress. Along the way, I will regularly ask for feedback and make adjustments as we go to ensure therapy is beneficial.
The Modalities I Incorporate Into Anxiety Therapy
My holistic approach to anxiety treatment recognizes you as a whole person and will be tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Drawing from elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), psychodynamic, existential, and relational therapies will help you gain insight into why you're experiencing anxiety and offer strategies for making effective behavioral changes. Additionally, incorporating Somatic Experiencing and mindfulness practices for anxiety ensures that counseling will address your physical symptoms, bringing calm to your nervous system.
Some strategies we may include are:
Exploring unhelpful thought patterns like worst-case scenario thinking;
Introducing skills and strategies to develop healthier, more balanced self-talk that fosters self-compassion and acceptance;
Becoming more aware of physical sensations and how the nervous system responds when under stress;
Learning tools to balance your nervous system when it's over-activated or in a chronic state of fight or flight;
Teaching grounding skills and relaxation techniques to manage difficult emotions and foster the capacity to be more present; and
Discovering internal and external resources to help ease feelings of anxiety.
My hope for you is that after treatment, you will develop new strategies to be more present at home, work, and in relationships because you are no longer be consumed with anxious thoughts and uncomfortable physical sensations. Without rehashing the past or being worried about what could go wrong in the future, you can restore balance and joy in your life.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Anxiety Therapy Is Right For You…
How long will it take for psychotherapy for anxiety to be effective?
Therapy can be either short- or long-term. Each individual is unique. How long therapy lasts depends on your specific needs and the goals you hope to accomplish. Some clients start to see a difference in just a few sessions as they gain new insights, learn new coping strategies, and start making positive changes. Sometimes, simply starting therapy can reduce anxiety and provide relief, as you've taken the initial step of addressing your concerns in a safe, nonjudgemental space.
I don’t have time in my schedule to attend anxiety counseling consistently.
Life can be busy and filled with responsibilities and obligations. When we’re anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed, it can feel like we don’t have time to add anything else to our plate. However, most people realize they can set aside 50 minutes to attend sessions, especially online. Weekly therapy can help you reduce anxiety, cope with stress in healthier ways, and manage time more effectively which can foster improved productivity, concentration, and focus.
Stress and anxiety are motivators for me—will I still be successful without them?
A moderate amount of stress and anxiety can be healthy and motivate you to accomplish tasks and achieve goals that are important to you. Some anxiety can help keep you safe in the world by alerting you to possible danger. However, too much anxiety can be debilitating and hinder your ability to be successful. The purpose of working with a counselor isn’t to eliminate the anxiety you experience altogether, but rather to help you learn how to manage it when you notice it’s having a negative impact.
[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder#
[2] https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics
How long will it take for psychotherapy for anxiety to be effective?
Therapy can be either short- or long-term. Each individual is unique. How long therapy lasts depends on your specific needs and the goals you hope to accomplish. Some clients start to see a difference in just a few sessions as they gain new insights, learn new coping strategies, and start making positive changes. Sometimes, simply starting therapy can reduce anxiety and provide relief, as you've taken the initial step of addressing your concerns in a safe, nonjudgemental space.
Therapy Can Empower You To Effectively Manage Anxiety
With support, you can turn the corner on anxiety and breathe more easily. To find out more about online anxiety therapy with me, please call (310) 728-9729 or visit my contact page.
Anxiety Therapy
in Los Angeles
627 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004