Anxiety treatment in Washington, DC.
Your fears do not have to hold you back
Is anxiety and worry taking over your life?
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is the subjective experience of worry, fear, nervousness, and apprehension, often about things that we cannot control. Although anxiety is a normal human emotion that we all feel from time to time, there are instances where anxiety can begin to take a life of its own and become a debilitating force in one’s life and relationships.
Many emotional disorders are anxiety-related, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Phobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and various Phobias. And, trauma is a major contributor to anxiety symptoms.
The prevalence of anxiety is high, with anxiety disorders affecting over 40 million adults in the US each year. Anxiety is often associated with medically unexplained medical symptoms/pain, such as migraines, fibromyalgia, chest pains, tension headaches, asthma, and gastrointestinal upset.
Common anxiety symptoms:
Excessive worry or apprehension that interferes with your life
Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Irritability
Muscle tension
Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless sleep.
Panic attacks
Fearful of certain situations or places (flying, heights, elevators, etc.)
Anxiety is characterized by distinct physical experiences:
Tension throughout the body
Tension headaches
Stomach upset, nausea
Heart palpitations or increased heat rate
Sweaty hands and palms
Trouble concentrating, mind going blank
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Treatment for Anxiety
Often our mind tries to make sense of why we feel anxious and we will try to find meaning or reasons for our anxiety. “I am just nervous about my test next week,” or “I just have a lot on my plate right now” are some examples of this.
In therapy, however, it can be misleading to overly focus on these external reasons, as I have found this can lead to superficial results, because once the fearful “event” has passed or been resolved, then the mind will find something else to be anxious about. This can go on for years, and is one of the reasons why clients often feel like their life is never stable or in control.
That is why I feel it is important to get to the root of your anxiety and resolve what is really driving it. In other words, to help you make sound and solid internal changes within yourself, which allows you to be more emotionally calm and secure when life (which it always does!), throws difficult situations our way. In therapy, we examine the internal emotions, feelings, and urges that the anxiety is covering up and blocking. We examine the thoughts that might be exacerbating your anxiety. We examine the behaviors that might be exacerbating your anxiety, and look to how we can make lasting changes in each of these areas.
Anxiety Therapy can Help you:
Discover what’s causing you to feel anxious
Learn coping skills to manage anxiety
Reduce distressing memories, thoughts, and images
Increase your self-esteem
Improve the way you think and talk to yourself
Improve your relationships
Better express you emotional needs
Sleep better & feel better physically
Outcomes associated with Anxiety Therapy:
Before Therapy:
Trouble relaxing and being present
Trouble falling asleep or having restful sleep
Constant worries and ruminations
Emotionally detached from others and oneself
Negative patterns in relationships
Self-critical thoughts
After therapy:
Greater sense of calm and peace
Increase in self-esteem and self-compassion
More comfortable and confident around others
Improvement in sleep quality
Greater sense of purpose and excitement in life
More confident to set healthy boundaries with others
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the Faqs and reach out anytime.
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I work with adults experiencing generalized anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, chronic worry, performance anxiety, and stress-related anxiety symptoms
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Rather than focusing only on symptom management, therapy addresses the emotional patterns and internal conflicts that maintain anxiety over time, allowing for deeper and more lasting change
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Yes. Many clients seek treatment after previous therapy helped with insight or coping, but did not fully resolve their anxiety symptoms
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The length of therapy varies depending on history and goals. Some clients benefit from focused short-term work, while others pursue longer-term treatment.
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Yes. I provide secure teletherapy for adults residing in Washington, DC. I also provide secure teletherapy for clients residing in Virginia and North Carolina.
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Clients often describe working with me as collaborative, thoughtful, and attuned. I offer a steady, compassionate space where we look honestly at what is getting in the way, while moving toward meaningful and lasting change at a pace that feels right for you.