Anxiety is a mind/body connection
Understanding anxiety treatment involves recognizing the deep connection between our minds and bodies. When we feel anxious, it’s not just a mental experience – our bodies react too. Heart racing, tense muscles, upset stomachs – these are all signs of how anxiety affects us physically. But it works the other way around too. Physical discomfort or illness can trigger anxiety. That’s why it’s essential to take care of both our mental and physical health. Simple practices like mindfulness, deep breathing, and exercise can help calm our minds and bodies, easing the grip of anxiety. By paying attention to this mind-body connection, we empower ourselves to manage anxiety more effectively. This lets you live with greater balance and peace of mind.
Anxiety is not your fault
There are many things that can cause someone to have anxiety. If you have anxiety I know it’s not something that you want to keep having. Some people are born with a genetic disposition to anxiety. Their lives may look but perfect their brains are primed to worry. If you have been an anxious person your whole life you likely have some chemical reactions in your brain that make it hard to not worry or panic. You also have learned behaviors and ways of thinking that maintain these cycles without even thinking about it.
Some people may not have been born with a tendency to be anxious. Living through trauma can create and worsen anxious cycles. If you have been through abuse, trauma, natural disasters, or toxic stress your brain starts to adjust to the world as a dangerous place even when you are safe. Trauma changes the brain and a natural response is to become more anxious.
Anxiety Treatments
Most people who start therapy for anxiety start feeling better within 2-3 sessions. Anxiety therapy can be a real game-changer in helping you feel better and more in control. In therapy, we work together to understand what’s causing your anxiety and how it’s affecting you. We’ll explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to uncover patterns and triggers. The cool thing is, therapy gives you practical tools and techniques to manage your anxiety.
You might learn relaxation exercises to calm your mind, practice deep breathing to ease physical tension, or challenge negative thoughts that fuel your worries. Plus, you’ll gain insights and support to build resilience and face anxiety-provoking situations with more confidence. Therapy isn’t about magically making anxiety disappear overnight, but it’s a journey where you’ll grow stronger, learn new skills, and ultimately feel more empowered to live your life to the fullest, anxiety and all.
Therapy and Medication – Anxiety Treatment
When it comes to anxiety treatment, therapy offers valuable skills to help manage anxious feelings without relying solely on medication. Therapy provides a toolkit of techniques tailored to your needs, empowering you to navigate through anxiety more effectively. However, there are moments when anxiety feels overwhelming, hindering progress in therapy. In such cases, a combination of therapy and medication can be beneficial.
While many individuals don’t require long-term medical treatment for anxiety, it’s common to explore medication options during therapy. I’m here to support you every step of the way, evaluating your symptoms and discussing whether consulting with a primary care provider or psychiatrist could enhance your progress and well-being. Let’s work together to find the best path forward for your journey towards peace of mind.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy – CBT
In anxiety treatment there are different techniques to try and I am trained in many of them. The gold standard treatment for anxiety is cognitive behavior therapy. You can learn more about the basic techniques of this here. In cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness based cognitive behavior therapy you examine the thoughts that you have to see where faulty thinking might be making your anxiety worse.
You learn coping skills to calm your feelings enough to examine your thoughts. This lets you take opposite actions to the behaviors that drive your anxiety. CBT is a time limited treatment that is very focused in the present moment. It focuses on skill building, and can be combined with other treatments if needed. In CBT you get to be the driver of what we discuss in session and will go home with homework on thinking exercises and self care.
Trauma Focused Anxiety Treatment
For some people, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) may not provide long-term relief, particularly if there’s a history of trauma. In such cases, treatments like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Therapy (TF-CBT) can be beneficial. TF-CBT integrates cognitive skills with a safe environment to explore and discuss your story, fostering healing and coping mechanisms. If CBT feels triggering or if past experiences significantly impact your anxiety, a psychodynamic approach might be more helpful. This model explores how your upbringing influences your current experiences, especially if you grew up in a toxic environment. It involves examining the messages received during childhood and developing new coping strategies to handle triggers and break free from the cycle of trauma
Anxiety Treatment – Exposure and Response Prevention – ERP
If you have OCD cognitive behavior therapy often does not by itself disarm some of the compulsions that come with OCD. People with agoraphobia and panic disorder often also need another kind of treatment. Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is about building a hierarchy of things that cause fear and anxiety and make a plan to tackle these triggers one at a time until your brain and body learn that even if you are anxious you are safe and can take on more triggering tasks. ERP is done with guidance from your therapist so that you are not taking on majorly overwhelming triggers or going to an exposure without a game plan to cope.
Anxiety Treatment – Non Traditional Therapy
Some people with anxiety benefit from non-traditional therapies that tap into their strengths from a different perspective, often engaging the right side of the brain. In my experience working with both children and adults who have experienced trauma, many find it hard to communicate their anxieties verbally or even access certain thoughts. That’s where therapies like art therapy, sandtray therapy, internal family systems therapy, and somatic methods can be incredibly helpful. These methods help to soothe the survival part of the brain and reconnect individuals with their healing potential.
In art therapy, for example, you’re given prompts to express yourself creatively, without worrying about right or wrong answers. Sandtray therapy allows your unconscious thoughts to surface, providing insight into your current perceptions of safety and security. These non-verbal techniques can be powerful tools for navigating through anxiety and trauma, offering a unique pathway to healing and self-discovery.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy – DBT
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a helpful approach for managing anxiety because it teaches practical skills to cope with intense emotions and challenging situations. In DBT, you learn strategies like mindfulness, which helps you stay present and calm in the moment. It also focuses on improving communication and building healthy relationships, which can reduce anxiety triggers. DBT gives you tools to regulate your emotions and handle stress more effectively, leading to greater peace of mind and a better quality of life.
Child Based Anxiety Treatment
This approach incorporates education about anxiety, anxiety scales, trigger identification, coping techniques, and parental coaching. Together, we’ll collaborate to identify your child’s triggers and create a priority list to address obstacles hindering their well-being. As your child learns to challenge their anxious thoughts and manage overwhelming emotions, I’ll involve you as a parent to reinforce their progress at home.
In addition to coping skills, we’ll focus on not just reactive but proactive strategies such as effective communication, task organization, and self-care practices. Depending on your child’s age, our sessions may involve playful activities, art therapy, and take-home worksheets to reinforce learning. For children aged 6 or younger, we’ll incorporate play therapy techniques to facilitate their growth and understanding in a safe and supportive environment. Together, we’ll empower your child to thrive and overcome anxiety, equipping them with essential skills for a brighter future.
Coping Skill Development
Anxiety will not respond to coping skills alone but coping while you confront your intrusive thoughts, experience the body signs of anxiety, and explore your past thoughts will help you. There are many ways to cope including deep breathing, meditation, counting, exercise, and mindfulness. In session we will work together to build a coping plan to help you feel more safe and secure when you are anxious. You will likely get homework on trying some different ways of relaxing your mind and body. This is especially important if you are one of the many people who often feel angry when they are anxious so that you can keep one problem from turning in to two.
Healing is possible but hope is not a plan. Call or email me today so that we can talk about how my skills can complement your strength and find hope again.
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