Anxiety, Agoraphobia, & Panic
Constant worry, fear, and stress can be a disruptive force that prevents us from being present, feeling connected with others, and experiencing joy. By understanding where our anxiety comes from, applying coping skills for tolerating distress and regulating emotion, and by taking healthy risks despite our worst fears, we can begin to feel more connected to the present moment and at ease in our every day lives.
Excessive Worry, Stress, & Panic
Anxiety is the most common mental health concern in the U.S. Approximately 1 in 3 people experience clinical anxiety in their lifetime. Anxiety and panic-related symptoms can create disruptions in all aspects of our lives, including work, school, in our relationships, and it can diminish our overall quality of life. Anxiety can look very different person-to-person; you may be fearful of being judged, negatively evaluated, or ostracized by others. Perhaps you’re fearful of losing control in a public setting or feeling unsafe in crowds, taking public transportation, or in other places that you perceive as dangerous or uncertain. Maybe you’re preoccupied with fears of being hurt again in a relationship or you’re battling imposter syndrome due to workplace discrimination or pressure from school. You may be fearful of situations that have triggered panic attacks (racing heart, chest tightness, knot in your stomach, difficulty breathing, muscle aches) in the past. These experiences can be quite debilitating and make it difficult to take healthy risks in your life that you would otherwise embrace.
Acceptance & Healthy Risk-Taking
Fortunately, there are many evidence-based treatments to assist you in effectively coping with or overcoming anxiety. In therapy, I work with you to explore how past experiences may have influenced anxious thoughts, beliefs, and fears. I also assess for a potential genetic predisposition to anxiety by gathering a comprehensive family history. We then identify current triggers that activate your anxiety. With anxiety-related experiences, including social anxiety, agoraphobia, and panic, I provide you with concrete coping skills to assist you in building a tolerance to distress and self-sooth at times you’d otherwise feeling overwhelmed. A powerful benefit to practicing any effective coping skill for most clients is the new-found realization that you have agency over how you feel when you encounter stressful situations. The treatment process may also consist of engaging in exposure exercises that you can practice out-of-session at a pace that feels right for you. It’s important to identify activities that you used to enjoy that you may be avoiding because of your anxiety. Overtime, you’ll find that these activities become easier to carry out. Ultimately, the goal is to enjoy these activities again. Lastly, we explore any thoughts or beliefs about situations that make you anxious and I assist you exploring new ways of understanding these experiences in ways that may feel less threatening and more helpful to you.