Anxiety Therapy in Oakland
Are you struggling with anxiety?
Everyone feels anxious from time to time. Usually anxiety is related to a specific concern, and lasts only a few minutes or hours. But sometimes anxiety can become chronic and worsen over time.
Chronic anxiety and worry can really affect your life. It can interfere with your relationships, work, and self-esteem.
Chronic anxiety and worry can really affect your life. It can interfere with your relationships, work, and self-esteem.
Chronic anxiety takes many forms
Are you experiencing some of the following?
Repetitive anxious thoughts: You can't stop thinking about potential problems. A part of you is always on the lookout for something that could go wrong. You can't stop the obsessive, negative thoughts about work, relationships, health, finances ... or anything and everything. Your mind turns issues into catastrophes.
Social anxiety: You might feel self-conscious in front of other people, and worry about being judged or rejected. You might worry for days or weeks before, or after, a social event. Or maybe you just avoid it all together.
Physical symptoms: When you feel anxious you might experience tension in your body, restlessness, upset stomach, shallow breathing, a faster heartbeat. Maybe you have trouble falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep because of racing thoughts.
Day to day consequences: Your relationships might be strained because you have to keep asking for reassurance or help with your anxiety. You might have problems at work, difficulty relaxing on the weekend, struggle with perfectionism, have a hard time making decisions, have difficulty making friends, constantly feel overwhelmed and helpless, and generally not enjoy your life as much as you want.
Repetitive anxious thoughts: You can't stop thinking about potential problems. A part of you is always on the lookout for something that could go wrong. You can't stop the obsessive, negative thoughts about work, relationships, health, finances ... or anything and everything. Your mind turns issues into catastrophes.
Social anxiety: You might feel self-conscious in front of other people, and worry about being judged or rejected. You might worry for days or weeks before, or after, a social event. Or maybe you just avoid it all together.
Physical symptoms: When you feel anxious you might experience tension in your body, restlessness, upset stomach, shallow breathing, a faster heartbeat. Maybe you have trouble falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep because of racing thoughts.
Day to day consequences: Your relationships might be strained because you have to keep asking for reassurance or help with your anxiety. You might have problems at work, difficulty relaxing on the weekend, struggle with perfectionism, have a hard time making decisions, have difficulty making friends, constantly feel overwhelmed and helpless, and generally not enjoy your life as much as you want.
What you're trying might be making your anxiety worse
Suffering from chronic anxiety can become self-reinforcing. Avoiding it doesn't make it better, and you can't solve it by thinking or obsessing about your worries. After all your attempts, you can end up feeling paralyzed, hopeless, and out of control over your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
You start feeling anxious about feeling anxious ....
around and around you go ...
spiraling into even more anxiety.
It's time to try something new.
around and around you go ...
spiraling into even more anxiety.
It's time to try something new.
You can get relief from anxiety
With the right help, you won't feel so anxious all the time. And without all the anxious thoughts buzzing around, your life will be much more manageable and pleasant.
It is possible to feel better!
Approaches to anxiety come in two broad categories:
Effective anxiety therapy includes both categories. You can feel better now, while also solving the root of the problem.
You might be doubtful that anything, including anxiety therapy, can help. If nothing else has really worked, why should therapy? That's a fair question. There is no magic bullet. But I have worked with many anxious people, and the majority of them find that after a few weeks they start to feel better. And sometimes, as part of the process, we examine anxiety-producing thoughts that everything, including therapy, will have a negative outcome.
You might feel anxious talking to a stranger about your anxiety. I understand. I'm compassionate and non-judgmental, and I'll do my best to help you feel comfortable.
Therapy is certainly an investment of time and money. But eventually you will find that the time you spend in therapy will be regained many times over from all the time you used to spend worrying.
It is possible to feel better!
Approaches to anxiety come in two broad categories:
- Get relief now: stress management, cognitive therapy, medication, etc.
- Resolve the underlying issues: depth psychotherapy
Effective anxiety therapy includes both categories. You can feel better now, while also solving the root of the problem.
You might be doubtful that anything, including anxiety therapy, can help. If nothing else has really worked, why should therapy? That's a fair question. There is no magic bullet. But I have worked with many anxious people, and the majority of them find that after a few weeks they start to feel better. And sometimes, as part of the process, we examine anxiety-producing thoughts that everything, including therapy, will have a negative outcome.
You might feel anxious talking to a stranger about your anxiety. I understand. I'm compassionate and non-judgmental, and I'll do my best to help you feel comfortable.
Therapy is certainly an investment of time and money. But eventually you will find that the time you spend in therapy will be regained many times over from all the time you used to spend worrying.
"I'm going into fewer and fewer tail spins."
"I'm finally able to enjoy reading a book, doing a hobby, or just relaxing.
I don't have to keep myself busy anymore, trying to out run the anxiety."
"I used to think I was just anxious about everything.
Now I see that my anxiety is related to specific things that I can do something about.
I feel so much better."
"I'm finally able to enjoy reading a book, doing a hobby, or just relaxing.
I don't have to keep myself busy anymore, trying to out run the anxiety."
"I used to think I was just anxious about everything.
Now I see that my anxiety is related to specific things that I can do something about.
I feel so much better."
I can help you deal with your anxiety
Many therapists use only one approach to anxiety therapy: get relief now or make deeper change.
Based on your unique needs and preferences, I use a combination of both approaches to help you feel better now, while also making lasting change.
If you like, I can offer you practical tools to find peace in the present. This can include mindfulness practice (I have over a decade of experience), relaxation techniques, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). By the way, I don't take a stance on medication. I support you to make whatever choice is right for you. (If you are on medication, I would be happy to work with your doctor to provide you holistic care.)
I also have extensive training in experiential somatic depth psychotherapy. This means that during therapy I'll help you experience something different, not just talk about it. In addition to your thoughts, we will work with sensations in your body (and get you out of your head!), and get to the deeper issues under your anxiety. That could include releasing stuck feelings that are underneath the anxiety, resolving experiences from childhood that are fueling the anxiety, and supporting you to make changes in your life that help you feel more empowered.
Based on your unique needs and preferences, I use a combination of both approaches to help you feel better now, while also making lasting change.
If you like, I can offer you practical tools to find peace in the present. This can include mindfulness practice (I have over a decade of experience), relaxation techniques, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). By the way, I don't take a stance on medication. I support you to make whatever choice is right for you. (If you are on medication, I would be happy to work with your doctor to provide you holistic care.)
I also have extensive training in experiential somatic depth psychotherapy. This means that during therapy I'll help you experience something different, not just talk about it. In addition to your thoughts, we will work with sensations in your body (and get you out of your head!), and get to the deeper issues under your anxiety. That could include releasing stuck feelings that are underneath the anxiety, resolving experiences from childhood that are fueling the anxiety, and supporting you to make changes in your life that help you feel more empowered.
Avoiding anxiety won't make it better!
Even if it's anxiety-provoking, I gently encourage you to book a free 20 minute call with me. Some people find that just the act of reaching out can bring a little relief.
Book your free 20 minute phone consultation, and I'll answer any questions you might have.