Anxiety
Some anxiety is normal in daily life, but excessive anxiety can affect your overall functioning, impact your mental health, and make it challenging to enjoy the present moment. Anxiety can be difficult because even if you logically know you're thinking irrationally, you still might find yourself believing something bad will happen. Or, you may experience physical symptoms of hypervigilance even when things seem relatively stable. While there are many types of anxiety disorders, here are some of the main anxiety-related issues I specialize in treating in my practice:
Relationship Anxiety/Setting Boundaries
Even though relationships may be your deepest sources of happiness and meaning, they can also be extremely stressful. This is especially true if you struggle with people-pleasing or codependent patterns. You may feel like they don't deserve to set limits with others. Or, you fear that others will dislike them if they assert their needs.
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You may struggle with this type of anxiety if you:
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continuously find yourself in unfulfilling relationships
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disregard your own needs to take care of others
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identify with having martyr or people-pleasing tendencies
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Many times, relationship anxiety emerges due to a history of abusive or neglectful relationships. It can also happen if you didn't have healthy attachments modeled to you as a child. You may not really know what a secure relationship looks like.
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Therapy focuses on becoming more aware of your discomfort in relationships and learning new ways to connect and feel safe with others. This work can be vulnerable, but it allows you to deepen your intimacy with the people who matter most to you.
Workplace/Career Anxiety
Anxiety in the workplace sometimes coincides with imposter syndrome. You may feel like a fraud, and there's an overarching fear that others will discover this truth. You might also feel overwhelmed by the mental toll of balancing work, family, and other life responsibilities.
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Other signs of workplace anxiety include:
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procrastinating on important tasks because you feel overwhelmed
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perfectionism and control issues (and difficulty delegating certain tasks)
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difficulty connecting with your coworkers or boss
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feeling burnt-out or ambivalent about your career
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Therapy for workplace/career anxiety focuses on having a safe place to explore these uncomfortable emotions. It often includes grounding and relaxation techniques,
It may also include becoming more aware of your values.
Life Transitions Anxiety
Any life transition, even when it's positive, can cause anxious feelings. You might experience self-doubt or remorse after making a big decision because you aren't sure if you made the right choice. Or, you may struggle with grieving certain parts of your past life
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Other signs of life transitions anxiety include:
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feeling "lost" within your own identity
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indecisiveness about how to move forward or make important decisions
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difficulties with celebrating successes or positive moments
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Therapy for life transitions anxiety often focuses on practicing more self-compassion and finding greater acceptance of your circumstances. It's important to honor your emotions instead of trying to suppress or intellectualize them. Sometimes regret is unavoidable, and therapy can help if you're struggling with that.
Trauma-Related Anxiety
Many people with anxiety symptoms also have a history of trauma. This makes sense, as your body is quite literally trying to protect you from future harm and keep you safe. But sometimes your brain detects certain situations as dangerous even if they aren't inherently life-threatening. This can cause you to feel hypervigilant or panicked. You may even feel like you're being re-traumatized even months or years after a traumatic event.
Other signs of trauma-related anxiety include:
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assuming people will either hurt or disappoint you
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avoiding certain places, situations, or people that remind you of a past trauma
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low self-esteem and/or shame about certain traumatic experiences
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difficulty connecting your mind with your body (not being aware of how you physically feel in a given situation)
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Trauma therapy focuses on processing and healing from trauma-related emotional distress. This treatment also tends to help improve anxiety symptoms because you feel more capable of coping with the stressors of daily life.
FAQ
How Do You Treat Anxiety in Your Practice? What Modalities Do You Use?
​Anxiety is complex and multifaceted. We’ll start our work together by really exploring your current struggles and the goals you have for therapy. These goals may change over time, and that’s okay! I prefer to let clients lead the session because YOU know what’s on your heart and mind on a given day. In my practice, I treat anxiety using EMDR, parts work, and somatic interventions. The mind-body connection is so powerful- when clients can deepen this awareness, their anxiety symptoms often feel much more manageable.
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What If My Anxiety Feels Like It’s Getting Worse?
This sometimes happens in therapy, and it’s why I believe transparency is key when talking about this risk with clients. I spend a good amount of time teaching people about their windows of tolerance. I want to enhance your insight and introduce you to new ways of coping. However, I’m always mindful of pacing and regulation. If things feel like they’re moving too fast, you may find yourself regressing. So, we’ll frequently track how you feel and note concerns as they arise.
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How Do You Measure Progress in Therapy for Anxiety?
Progress looks different for everyone, and we’re truly all a work in progress. There is no cure for anxiety. Progress can look like experiencing fewer anxiety symptoms or symptoms reducing in intensity over time. Progress also consists of noting your anxiety triggers and recognizing when you’re reengaging in habits that you want to ultimately change.
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What Will You Have Me Do to Manage Anxiety Between Sessions?
I will not force you to do anything. However, we’ll spend time talking about strategies that may help you in those overwhelmed moments. These can include techniques like guided imagery, grounding exercises, expanding your support system, and more. I also often recommend clients maintain a journal- noticing and writing down “what” is coming up during a difficult time can help you better understand the sensory cues within your body.
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How Long Does Anxiety Treatment Take?
I don’t rigidly follow any treatment timelines. I work with many clients long-term, as treating anxiety can uncover other concerns, including unresolved trauma, low self-esteem, and relationship difficulties. That said, we’ll regularly talk about how therapy is going, and I will always honor your autonomy to reduce session frequency or end therapy.
Therapy for Anxiety in Rogers and Northwest Arkansas
If you have anxiety, you're not alone. Therapy can help you better understand your anxiety symptoms and improve your quality of life. Our treatment will focus first on establishing a sense of safety. A strong therapeutic relationship is one of the best predictors of success. Together, we will explore your triggers and discuss how they impact you. In my practice, I integrate components of EMDR, somatic therapy, grounding techniques, and psychodynamic therapy. Although healing isn't linear, any healing is profound. My goal is to help you feel less stressed and more present and confident in everything that you do. No matter where you are in your life, I sincerely look forward to getting to know you.