Therapy for Anxiety, Phobias and Panic Attacks

Are you always stressed out?

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn’t find yourself constantly worried and stressed about every little thing? You’re tired of the exhaustion, overwhelm, rumination and sleepless nights that anxiety can bring. You’re done with the “fight or flight” feeling in your body. You’ve experienced TMJ or stomach knots and you feel the need to worry about everything! You’ve got tight muscles, restless feelings, and people-pleasing or perfectionist tendencies which help you excel at work or make sure you don’t make the other person mad at you. But, you feel like you can’t be your authentic self because you might be rejected, misunderstood or looked down on. And all this stress leaves you burnt out and keeps you from feeling at peace in yourself. If you’re snapping at your spouse and kids or scared to stop worrying because somehow, worrying feels safer than quitting it altogether, then I invite you to try something new-a different kind of therapy.

First, I assist people in building a “toolbox” of regulating techniques from a number of counseling approaches so clients can take control of their emotions instead of feeling like victims to them.

Then, I work with you to get to the root of the problem using a therapy called EMDR, sometimes coupled with IFS therapy or Accelerated Resolution Therapy.

IFS therapy for anxiety is an amazing and effective way to discover why you worry, ruminate and stress. It helps you build insight into the reasons for the anxiety. This understanding can bring about self-compassion and uncover new ways of responding to your anxious patterns.

EMDR therapy can help you reprocess past experiences or lies you believe about yourself that may be contributing to why you feel the need to worry in the first place. Common lies that you might find yourself believing are “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not lovable” or “I’m not safe”. Once those lies are resolved, you can start to recognize that you have more options than to constantly worry about the circumstances in your life. You can be free from the fears that are keeping you from thriving. You can start to recognize that how things were in the past are usually no longer true for you, so you don’t have to respond the same way as you used to. And this realization can be a game-changer! Find relief and rest. Stop avoiding all your fears and really live!

In addition to helping those who have struggled with worry for most of their life, I also help people who have a specific fear or phobia.

Fears and Phobias

Common fears and phobias include:

• Fear of getting in the car again after a nasty accident

• Fear of going to the dentist

• Fear of having a medical procedure done

• Fear of needles

• Fear of throwing up in public

• Fear of spiders

• Fear of having a second child because of your traumatic labor experience with your first kid

• Fear of dogs

• Fear of flying

EMDR therapy can help and sometimes EMDR Intensives are the fastest and most cost-effective ways off addressing these specific concerns. EMDR intensives are basically extended EMDR sessions so that you are spending less time starting and ending session and more time processing, meaning you typically see accelerated change. Using EMDR, we will work together to focus on your specific current fear and address any past experiences that contribute to it. We may also include some exposure exercises in our time together. By the end of therapy, many people find relief through this method and can shake free from having their fear control their life.

So if you’re interested in lasting change and moving through life in a calmer manner, and you’d like to try out EMDR, set up an appointment with me. I’d love to meet with you.