Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety lives in the body as much as the mind. The physical symptoms including tension, shallow breathing, a constricted chest, are not just side effects of anxious thinking; they are part of how anxiety maintains itself. Somatic approaches work with the body directly, building the capacity to regulate the nervous system rather than just manage anxious thoughts.

Understanding and challenging the thought patterns that feed anxiety remains a useful tool, particularly for helping clients recognize when their thinking is catastrophizing, overestimating threat, or underestimating their own capacity to cope. I use cognitive techniques as part of a broader approach rather than as a standalone method.

Many of my clients come to me having tried therapy for anxiety before. They've learned breathing techniques. They've identified their triggers. They understand their anxiety intellectually. And yet it's still there.

Medication can be part of anxiety treatment, and for some clients it helps. I often consult with and refer to medical doctors, including psychiatrists, doctors who specialize in mental health, so my clients have access to comprehensive treatment if they need it. Some medications are prescribed as needed, for fast-acting relief of severe anxiety. Others are taken daily, relieving symptoms in a more controlled way. Antidepressants can also help with anxiety, and many of my clients find medication calms persistent heightened nerves in a way that’s difficult to do on their own.

Note: some anxiety medications can be habit-forming if overused. Doctors prescribe these with caution and will monitor how much and how often you are using them.

Q: What is the best therapy for anxiety?
Short answer: Several therapies have strong evidence for treating anxiety, including CBT, EMDR, and somatic approaches. The most effective choice depends on the type and roots of the anxiety, particularly whether trauma is involved.
More detail: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most widely researched approach for anxiety and works well for many people. EMDR is highly effective when anxiety has roots in specific past experiences or trauma as it addresses the source rather than just the symptoms. Somatic approaches help regulate the physical component of anxiety. For anxiety driven by deeply embedded belief patterns, QPRX™ can produce lasting shifts that cognitive approaches alone do not achieve. I use a combination of these methods, tailored to each client.

Q: Can you get lasting relief from anxiety?
Short answer: For many people, anxiety can be significantly reduced and not just managed. With the right approach, it's possible to reach a point where anxiety no longer controls your decisions or limits your life.
More detail: The language of 'management' is common in anxiety treatment, and for some people it's realistic. But for many clients, particularly those whose anxiety has specific roots in past experiences, treatment that addresses those roots can produce genuine resolution rather than ongoing management. EMDR and QPRX™ often achieve this by working at the neurological and belief level where anxiety is maintained, rather than simply teaching coping strategies for when it arises.

Q: Can EMDR help with anxiety?
Short answer: Yes. EMDR is highly effective for anxiety, particularly when the anxiety is connected to past experiences or trauma, even experiences the client does not consciously identify as traumatic.
More detail: EMDR was developed as a trauma treatment, but research and clinical experience consistently show it effective for anxiety disorders including panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety with identifiable roots. It works by helping the brain reprocess the memories and experiences that are feeding the anxious response, reducing their emotional charge. For many clients with anxiety, this produces a more fundamental and lasting shift than cognitive or talk therapy-based approaches alone.

Q: What's the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder?
Short answer: Anxiety is a normal human emotion. An anxiety disorder is when that anxiety becomes persistent, disproportionate, or begins to significantly interfere with daily life, relationships, or work.
More detail: Everyone experiences anxiety, before a difficult conversation, a medical appointment, or a high-stakes situation. That's normal and often functional. An anxiety disorder involves anxiety that doesn't switch off when the situation passes, that shows up in response to everyday situations, or that causes significant avoidance or disruption. If anxiety is affecting your sleep, your relationships, your work, or your quality of life, it's worth talking to someone, regardless of whether it meets the clinical criteria for a formal diagnosis.

Q: Do panic attacks mean I have an anxiety disorder?
Short answer: Not necessarily. A single panic attack doesn't mean you have panic disorder. But recurring panic attacks, or significant anxiety about having more attacks, are worth addressing with a therapist.
More detail: Panic attacks can occur in isolation triggered by a specific stressor or period of high pressure without indicating an ongoing anxiety disorder. However, when panic attacks recur, or when fear of future attacks begins to drive avoidance and limit your life, that pattern is worth working on. I work with clients on both the physiological experience of panic and the anticipatory anxiety that often builds around it. EMDR and QPRX™ can be particularly effective when panic attacks have roots in past traumatic experiences.

I understand the challenges of being trapped in the grip of anxiety. I have achieved tremendous success with numerous clients who leave my office feeling a weight lifted off their shoulders. Panic attacks cease, allowing them to move forward with their lives. Let me help you alleviate some of this pain and guide you through this challenging journey.