Specialty: Anxiety Treatment
Why Can't I Control My Anxiety?
Is anxiety taking over your life? Is it sapping your energy, disrupting your relationships, and interfering with your work? Do you wake up feeling anxious or panicky, but don’t know why? Do you feel a sense of dread when you think about the day ahead? Do you wish you could just find some peace?
If you struggle with anxiety, you likely have experienced some of these symptoms:
- inability to focus or think straight
- racing thoughts
- constantly thinking of "what if's"
- emotional exhaustion
- always expecting the worst
- feeling out of control
- fear of going crazy
- physical symptoms that come out of the blue
- racing heart
- tightness in your chest
- nausea or stomach tying up in knots
You might spend the day afraid of making mistakes, letting anyone down, or embarrassing yourself. Maybe you secretly fear that you’re not good enough and that at any moment you will say or do something that exposes you to your colleagues, your partner, or your friends. You likely feel overwhelmed, on-edge, and exhausted. You wonder if these feelings will ever go away.
Many People Struggle with Anxiety
You are not alone. In fact, almost 20% of adults in the US have suffered from an anxiety disorder at some point, making it a very common medical condition. Often there is a family connection. You may remember that your mother or father was anxious when you were growing up. Some people remember feeling anxious and afraid as a child. Others find anxiety was first triggered by a stressful season of life or a traumatic incident. Once it gets going though, your body and mind form a negative feedback loop that tends to make it worsen over time. Your symptoms are caused by the body producing unneeded and excessive adrenalin. These symptoms are scary and distressing, so your brain starts looking for an explanation for them, beginning the worry cycle. This leads to further adrenalin production, thereby worsening your symptoms again. But there is a way out of this cycle.
I Can Help You Find Relief
Anxiety is very treatable. Regardless of the ways in which anxiety manifests itself in your life, you don’t have to live like this anymore. I can teach you specific tools for dealing with your anxiety that will begin to provide the relief you’re longing for. I’ve worked with many individuals to teach them the skills to stop anxiety in its tracks and begin to reclaim their self-esteem.
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which research has shown to be highly effective in treating anxiety. It involves changing thinking patterns, learning relaxation skills, eliminating symptoms, and developing new habits. I will often assign skills to practice between sessions. I work with you to set goals to help you move towards the life you want to be living without anxiety holding you back. For those struggling with traumatic memories, I am trained in EMDR (an effective method for treating trauma) to help individuals process disturbing memories so that those memories become less distressing and disruptive.
Taking that first step to seek therapy means that you have the courage and the humility to ask for help. Unlike traditional talk therapy where you may “vent” about the problem, but never see any change, I will help you build new skills to tackle symptoms head on. I’ve helped hundreds of clients develop the tools to regain control of their lives.
I know that starting therapy for the first time can be scary. Many of my clients have told me that I have a calming, accepting presence that puts them immediately at ease. I will provide a safe place to practice your new skills without fear of judgment or failure. Don’t just keep hoping that the anxiety will go away on its own. With support and guidance, you can begin to live the life you want.
You may believe that anxiety treatment can help you find relief, but still have questions or concerns. To find out how I can help you, call for a free 15 minute phone consultation (818) 397-0636. Let today be the day you begin to find relief.