Anxiety Therapy: CBT, ACT, and Exposure-Based Treatment
When worry is running the show
A big presentation, a final exam, a first date…a never-ending stream of “what ifs” and dread that never seems to go away. When anxiety hops in the driver’s seat, peace of mind becomes a distant fantasy. Symptoms worsen, lives shrink and happiness fades away, giving way to overwhelm, fatigue, and stress.
Maybe you’ve managed it so far. Maybe you’ve tried to “power through” until things get better. Maybe you’re one of countless others so accustomed to anxiety that they don’t even question it anymore. Whatever your relationship to anxiety may be, it is one of the most treatable mental health conditions.
With the brain hard-wired to look out for threats, anxiety keeps us stuck between trying to live the life we want, and trying to keep ourselves safe. We avoid what is scary, we seek reassurance, we over-plan, all to gain short-term relief while we teach the brain that the threat is real. Treatment focuses on changing that cycle.
An Approach Built On What Works
We start by getting a clear picture of how anxiety shows up for you: what triggers it, what you do to cope, and what it's costing you. From there, we identify specific goals using the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound (or SMART, for short) goals paradigm. Whether that's sleeping better, speaking up at work, being in public without dread, or simply feeling less on edge, your goals are personal to you, and I will follow your lead.
Sessions are collaborative and practical. You'll leave with concrete skills, not just insight, and you'll practice them between sessions, since that's where much of the change happens. Through observation, exploration, curiosity, and experimentation, we will figure out where you’re getting stuck, and get you on a path more aligned with your values.
My work is rooted in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and I draw on two specific approaches as needed:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identify the thinking patterns and behaviors that feed your anxiety, and learn practical ways to shift them.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Change your relationship to your anxious thoughts and physical sensations, so they dictate less of what you do, freeing you up to pursue what matters most.
Exposure-based work: Gradually and deliberately approach the anxious situations or sensations, or thoughts you've been avoiding, so your brain learns you can handle them.
With a foundational framework, and incorporation of your strengths and preferences, we will build a treatment plan that’s tailored to you.
What I Help With
Generalized anxiety and chronic worry
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Performance, work-related anxiety, and burnout
Anxiety tied to major life transitions
If you find yourself coping with distasteful, intrusive, or obsessional thoughts that drive your anxiety and compulsions, you may be dealing with OCD, which calls for a more specific approach. See my OCD page for more information.
Related reading: