Struggling with Anxiety? Find Calm in The Chaos

Anxiety Therapy Can Help You Regain Confidence.

Anxiety has a way of making itself at home in our minds and bodies. It whispers worries in our ears, speeds up our pulse, and convinces us that we must be constantly on guard for the worst-case scenario. Sometimes it’s the constant feeling that something is just about to go wrong, even when everything seems technically fine.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders affect over 40 million adults in the U.S. every year (Anxiety & Depression Association of America, 2024). The good news? Anxiety is highly treatable. Therapy can help you find calm, clarity, and confidence—even when your mind feels like a runaway train. Let’s talk about what anxiety is, answer some common questions, and explore how therapy can help you find relief and regain a sense of peace.

What Causes Anxiety? Am I Just Overthinking?

First things first—anxiety isn’t “just in your head.” It’s a real physiological response, and there are multiple reasons why it happens:

• Brain Chemistry – Your brain is wired to protect you from danger. But sometimes, it overreacts, flooding your body with stress hormones even when there’s no real threat.

• Past Experiences & Trauma – Unprocessed trauma, big or small, can keep your nervous system on high alert, making everyday stress feel overwhelming.

• Chronic Stress – Work pressure, relationship struggles, financial concerns—stress adds up, and your nervous system can get stuck in “fight or flight” mode.

• Perfectionism & High Expectations – If your inner voice constantly says, “I can’t mess this up,” anxiety loves to latch onto that fear.

No matter the cause, therapy can help you address your brain’s response to stress so anxiety isn’t running the show.

What Anxiety Really Is (And What It Isn’t).

Anxiety isn’t just feeling nervous before a big presentation or worrying about an upcoming deadline. While some level of anxiety is normal—and even helpful in certain situations—persistent, overwhelming anxiety can disrupt your daily life.

Anxiety can show up in different ways for different people. Some experience it as a constant state of unease, while for others it comes in waves, triggered by specific situations. It can manifest physically, emotionally, and mentally:

• Physical Symptoms – Racing heart, shallow breathing, tense muscles, stomach discomfort, or chronic fatigue.

• Emotional Symptoms – Persistent worry, dread, irritability, restlessness, or a sense of impending doom.

• Behavioral Patterns – Avoiding certain situations, procrastination, perfectionism, or difficulty focusing.

• Thought Patterns – Catastrophic thinking, excessive self-criticism, or intrusive thoughts that feel impossible to shut off.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Anxiety isn’t a personal failing. It’s your brain and body reacting to stress, trauma, or uncertainty in an attempt to keep you safe.

Why Does Anxiety Feel So Overwhelming?

Ever notice that anxiety doesn’t just live in your thoughts—it shows up in your body, too? That’s because your brain and nervous system are in constant conversation.

• Your Brain Sounds the Alarm. One important thing that’s helpful to understand is that our brain can’t easily tell the difference between danger and discomfort. So, sometimes that means we read danger into the uncomfortable situations of daily life. Anxiety activates the amygdala (the brain’s fear center), triggering the release of cortisol and adrenaline. This makes your heart race, muscles tense, and breath quicken.

• Your Body Reacts. The more physical symptoms you feel, the more your brain thinks, “Uh-oh, something’s wrong!”—creating a feedback loop that makes anxiety feel even stronger.

• Avoidance Reinforces Fear. It makes sense to want to avoid things that make you anxious, but avoidance actually teaches your brain that the fear was justified—keeping the cycle going.

Therapy can help break this cycle by calming your nervous system, creating insight into anxious thoughts, and giving you tools to understand your fear instead of being controlled by it.

How Does Therapy Help with Anxiety?

If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, therapy can provide the structure, support, and tools you need to break free from the cycle of worry and fear. Anxiety treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all, and the best approach is a combination of scientifically proven methods tailored to you.

I take an integrated approach to anxiety treatment, using evidence-based therapies that address both the immediate symptoms and the deeper root causes.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Understanding Your Anxious Thoughts

CBT is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety because it helps you identify and understand the thoughts that fuel it. In therapy, we’ll work on recognizing these patterns and support balanced, constructive ways of addressing anxiety. Over time, this shift can help you feel less controlled by your anxiety.

CBT is one of the most researched and effective treatments for anxiety. It works by:

✅ Identifying thought patterns (like catastrophizing or self-doubt)

✅ Gaining awareness of anxious predictions (“What if I fail?” → “What if I succeed?”)

✅ Teaching coping strategies to address anxiety in the moment

Over time, CBT helps change your relationship with anxiety so it no longer controls all your decisions.

2. EMDR Therapy: Healing Anxiety at Its Roots

Sometimes, anxiety isn’t just about the present—it’s tied to past experiences that haven’t been fully processed. EMDR helps your brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer trigger overwhelming emotions. Research shows that EMDR can help reduce anxiety symptoms by 50% or more in just a few sessions.

This therapy is particularly helpful for individuals whose anxiety is rooted in past trauma or difficult life experiences. By working through these memories in a safe, structured way, you can reduce their emotional intensity and move forward with greater ease.

3. Mindfulness: Learning to Stay Present

Mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword—it’s backed by neuroscience. Studies show that practicing mindfulness shrinks the amygdala, the brain’s fear center, over time. By learning how to stay present, you can reduce worry about the future and stop dwelling on the past.

Mindfulness techniques—like breathwork, meditation, and grounding exercises—can help you calm your nervous system and respond to stress with greater awareness. The more you practice mindfulness, the more natural it becomes to approach challenges with a sense of calm and clarity.

Mindfulness helps by:

✅ Teaching your brain to stay in the present instead of spiraling into “what-ifs”

✅ Calming the nervous system with breathwork and grounding techniques

✅ Building emotional resilience, so stress doesn’t feel as overwhelming

Even 10 minutes a day can make a difference!

4. Internal Family Systems (IFS): Understanding Your Inner World

IFS is a powerful approach that helps you understand the different parts of yourself—like the anxious part that worries about everything or the perfectionist part that wants to control outcomes. Instead of fighting against these parts, we’ll learn to work with them, understanding what they need and helping them feel safe.

When these parts are acknowledged and supported, they don’t have to work so hard to “protect” you with anxiety. This creates more balance, self-compassion, and a stronger connection to your core self.

IFS therapy helps to:

✅ Understand why your anxious part is trying to protect you

✅ Work with your emotions instead of against them

✅ Develop self-compassion and inner balance

This approach is especially helpful for people who struggle with perfectionism or feel emotionally overwhelmed.

5. Strength-Based Therapy: Focusing on What’s Already Working

Anxiety can make you feel powerless, but you are stronger than you think. Strength-Based Therapy focuses on identifying and building upon your existing strengths, helping you navigate challenges with confidence.

Together, we’ll explore the skills, coping mechanisms, and inner resources that have helped you in the past. By reinforcing these strengths, you can create a foundation for lasting change.

Strength-based therapy helps you:

✅ Recognize the resilience you’ve already built

✅ Use your natural strengths to address anxiety

✅ Feel more confident in your ability to handle stress

Therapy isn’t about fixing you—it’s about helping you feel more like yourself again.

How Long Does It Take for Anxiety Therapy to Work?

This is one of the most common questions people ask, and the answer is: It depends.

• Some people feel relief in just a few sessions.

• Others need deeper work if anxiety is tied to past trauma.

• The key is consistency—therapy is a process, not an overnight fix.

What to Expect in Anxiety Therapy.

Every person’s journey with anxiety is different, which is why therapy is tailored to your unique needs. Here’s what the process typically looks like:

• Step 1: Understanding Your Anxiety. We’ll explore your experiences, triggers, and goals for therapy.

• Step 2: Learning Practical Coping Skills. You’ll develop strategies to manage anxiety in the moment and build long-term resilience.

• Step 3: Addressing Root Causes. We’ll work through underlying issues—whether it’s trauma, self-doubt, or deep-seated fears—to create lasting change.

• Step 4: Ongoing Support and Growth. As you gain confidence, we’ll continue refining your strategies and celebrating your progress.

Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you—it’s about helping you reconnect with yourself, regain confidence, and build a life where anxiety doesn’t call the shots.

What If I’ve Tried Therapy Before and It Didn’t Work?

If you’ve been to therapy before and didn’t see results, it doesn’t mean you did something wrong. Anxiety treatment works best when it’s:

✅ A good fit between you and your therapist

✅ Tailored to your specific needs (not just a generic approach)

✅ A mix of proven methods (CBT, mindfulness, EMDR, etc.)

✅ The right time. Therapy takes time and energy, and it’s not always the right time for treatment.

If your past experience didn’t help, it might just mean you need a different approach—one that actually fits you.

You don’t have to do this alone. My practice in Tempe, AZ, offers both in-person and virtual sessions, making therapy accessible no matter your schedule. Whether your anxiety is a daily struggle or something that flares up during stressful times, I’m here to help you navigate it with warmth, support, and effective strategies.