Therapy for anxiety
and stress
IN SANTA BARBARA & VIRTUALLY ACROSS CALIFORNIA
Does your mind race down the rabbit hole of “what-if’s”?
Is your body always bracing for the other shoe to drop?
A certain amount of anxiety and stress is normal and expected in life. However, when it grows into something distressing, that disturbs your every day, it can feel exhausting, overwhelming and relentless. You might find yourself:
Ruminating over scenarios that might happen or have already occurred
Feeling moody, irritable and angry
Filled with excessive worry, concern and dread when anticipating everyday events
Unable to stop your thoughts at night and settle for sleep
Concerned about how you may be perceived by others
Feeling fatigued or restless, having difficulty concentrating and holding tension in your body
Emotionally exhausted and burned out
Avoiding certain scenarios because they are too uncomfortable or frightening
Allowing these worries to dictate decisions you make and shape your behavior
You’re ready to take back control.
How therapy works
You can learn tools to be more calm, in control and yourself.
Anxiety is one of our body’s natural coping mechanisms designed to protect us. It keeps us alert to possible threats and drives us to react in ways that help us avoid those threats. These include maintaining safety, connection, worth or autonomy. Sometimes the threat is unidentifiable too. When this protective measure goes go into overdrive, it can steal our control and inner peace, our sense of value and identity, and our ability to speak up, to be seen and heard.
Stress tends to be prompted in response to a recognizable threat, and the feeling may come and go. Stress can be related to worries about finances, relationships, discrimination, harassment, traumatic events, work, school, global warming, war, health, family members, and so on.
In therapy we look to discover the sources of your stressors and responses, and how they are impacting your life. Because thinking about anxiety and stress can often produce of it, we proceed at a comfortable pace and I’m always sure to check in on how your feeling in the moment. We’ll look to see how you’ve been coping so far, and what we can do improve those strategies, or introduce new ones. Later, we may delve into exploring what could be the root causes, taking the opportunity to process, and possibly rewrite, any deeply held beliefs that fuel the anxiety or keep one stuck in their stress.
You’ll learn ways to catch yourself when those triggers appear and set off an automatic reaction. You will practice being gentle with yourself, as you pause, recognize your feelings, and give yourself the opportunity to respond with intention. Ultimately, you’ll find ways to liberate yourself from the powerful grip of anxiety and stress.
Therapy for anxiety & stress can help you…
Feel more calm and in control of your thoughts and body
Find areas in your life where you can make practical changes to alleviate distress
Understand your body’s natural physiological responses, such as fight, flight, freeze and fawn
Learn new coping strategies and self-care that work for you and your lifestyle
Set physical, emotional, and energetic boundaries
Rediscover and preserve your sense of self
Frequently asked questions about therapy
for anxiety + stress
FAQs
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In therapy we’ll work together to help you practice the tools you need to slow down, create healthy energetic boundaries, and regain control of your thoughts. You’ll learn simple mindfulness and grounding techniques tailored to your life and needs. We’ll also take time to explore your experience to better understand the how’s and why’s of your stress and anxiety.
Generally, I utilize the evidence-based practices of Psychodynamic Theory, Attachment Theory, Mindfulness, Self Compassion and Existentialism to address these issues. My clients come weekly, for 50 minute sessions, to maximize the opportunity for healing and change. Learn more.
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That’s perfectly ok. We’ll start where you’re comfortable and work our way towards it when you’re ready. While some our work in therapy can be uncomfortable, I will never push you to a place that feels scary or where you feel dysregulated. Learn more.
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Schedule a free phone consultation here. We’ll see if we’re a good fit, and decide how to move forward.