It’s normal to have occasional anxiety. When anxious feelings become part of your everyday life, it may be time to seek help.

Most people know what anxiety feels like. It’s that restless, jittery feeling that can make your heart race when you’re dealing with challenges, uncertainties, or significant life events.

For some, these feelings of anxiety lessen once the situation has been resolved. For others, the anxiety does not go away. In fact, anxiety can get worse over time, and affect your ability to function at work or school, at home, and in relationships. If your anxiety has become difficult to manage, therapy can help.

Do I Need Therapy for Anxiety?

Anxiety can affect you in many ways, ranging from mild to disruptive and overwhelming. Your mind may be overrun by worry, confusion, obsessive thinking, frustration, irritability, or hopelessness.

Anxiety can also show up in your body, creating tension, shortness of breath, shaking, nausea, excessive sweating, or a rapid heartbeat. For some, these feelings can hit suddenly and intensely, which may be a sign of a panic attack. If any of this resonates with you, I’m here to help.

Anxiety is a necessary emotion.

Our brains are wired to keep us on track, remind us of things, and keep us out of danger. Anxiety is a necessary emotion that helps us to survive – it was especially helpful in the past when humanity needed to stay alert to immediate threats in the environment (e.g., avoiding being chased by a bear in the wilderness).

Today, even though we face fewer immediate dangers, feelings of anxiety from a work deadline or managing a household can feel just as intense.

While anxiety is a necessary emotion, it can become problematic, showing up in situations where it is not wanted or keeping you from doing the things that you’d like to do. Therapy can help – anxiety doesn’t have to disrupt your everyday activities and relationships.

Through therapy, we can work to reduce your experience of anxiety and help you live a calmer and more balanced life.

How Does Therapy for Anxiety Work?

Anxiety can feel uncomfortable and intense, and it makes sense that we’d want to avoid experiencing it. While this can be helpful in the short term, attempting to avoid situations that make us anxious can make these anxious feelings stick around and interfere in our lives. My approach to anxiety therapy includes evidence-based methods that will help us understand your anxiety and develop skills to cope. Part of the anxiety therapy process is exploring thoughts, feelings, and actions that are connected to your anxiety, which can help us identify your anxiety triggers and create a plan that can lessen the intensity and frequency of your anxiety.

Whatever it is that makes you anxious, therapy can help. I’m here to support you on this journey.