Anxiety Counselling
I help individuals learn about and respond to anxious thoughts, feelings, and memories. We will change your relationship with anxiety and reframe unhelpful patterns of behavior.
Working with anxiety
Here are some of the presentations of anxiety I work with:
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General anxiety is a persistent sense of worry or unease that doesn’t always have a clear cause. It can feel like your mind is constantly on alert (overthinking, anticipating problems, or expecting the worst) even during everyday situations.
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Cognitive anxiety manifests as anxious thoughts rather than physical sensations. It often shows up as constant overthinking, racing thoughts, intrusive worries, or difficulty concentrating, creating a mental loop of “what if” scenarios that can feel hard to quiet or control.
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Somatic anxiety is anxiety that’s felt primarily in the body rather than the mind. It can include symptoms like a racing heart, muscle tension, shortness of breath, nausea, or dizziness, making the physical sensations of anxiety feel overwhelming, even when thoughts seem relatively calm.
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Social anxiety is an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively perceived by others. It can make everyday interactions (like speaking up, meeting new people, or being the center of attention) feel overwhelming, leading to avoidance or extreme discomfort even when you want to connect.
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Situational anxiety is anxiety that arises in response to specific situations or events, such as public speaking, medical appointments, or major life changes. The anxiety is usually tied to a clear trigger and tends to ease once the situation passes.
FAQs
What approach do you use for anxiety?
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and an approach informed by Lynn Lyons. I incorporate parts work, expressive work, and humor into sessions as well! Read more about my work with ACT.
How long until I see results?
Working with anxiety means we are working with your nervous system- which has decades of patterns and behaviors that may take time to challenge and re-frame. Part of my work is resourcing clients with reminders, visuals and other take aways to use as “homework” between sessions. However much you put into counselling, you will get out!
What makes your approach unique?
Rather than have the goal of counselling be to eliminate anxiety, I like to be realistic and make our goal to manage anxiety, and resource you for when it shows up. Usually when we start to work with anxiety, the intensity of symptoms tend to decrease on their own.