Therapy for Anxiety
Therapy for anxiety and stress
One of the most common issues I treat as a therapist is anxiety. Many people deal with anxiety but there is a range of intensity. Some experience symptoms strongly but for others it’s less obvious and is intermingled with life dissatisfaction or can be experienced as fear and worry. Often, it’s been in the background for so long it feels natural to have a pervasive sense of “anything could go wrong at any moment.” Tiring and isolating, anxiety has reached epidemic levels in our culture. This is especially true in cities like San Francisco where we’re encouraged to live and work at such a fast pace. The good news is, you can absolutely reduce symptoms of anxiety. You can find emotional balance and live more in the present.
“Wherever we are, we can take a deep breath, feel our body, open our senses and step outside the endless stories of the mind.”
– Jack Kornfield
How holistic therapy can help with anxiety
A holistic approach addresses how anxiety shows up in the body, mind, and emotions. Together we look at the effects on different aspects of your life, taking into account your wellbeing, relationships, and work. Understanding what is at the root of the anxiety will help in understanding how to alleviate it.
Tailored to each person’s needs, areas of exploration can include:
- Understanding what triggers your anxiety
- Addressing root causes
- Practicing tools to reduce overwhelm
- Decreasing self-criticism
- Unhooking from comparison and perfectionism
- Calming the fight/flight response
Types of anxiety I work with
I work with generalized anxiety, relationship anxiety, and life transitions, as well as overwhelm about ecological crises.
A note about self doubt, perfectionism, and authenticity
By far the most common type of anxiety I work with is relational, whether it’s in your relationship with yourself or others. Anxiety is often a tangled up ball of inadequacy, self doubt, and perfectionism. That sense of not being good enough can lead to relentless self-evaluation. If you are constantly striving to feel good enough, chances are the people in your life see you as competent and confident but this doesn’t match how you feel inside. Living a divided life can be frustrating and lonely. I specialize in helping people who feel this kind of split have a more authentic and satisfying life.
Anxiety resources
Meditation and mindfulness
Tara Brach has a wealth of free guided meditations on her website.
The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center website has free meditations and online mindfulness classes.
Meditation apps: Check out InsightTimer, which is primarily free. Headspace is a good option if you are new to meditation and want step by step instructions. It has a free basic course and a monthly subscription if you want to continue.
Books
Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness, Sherrie M. Vavrichek
The Anxiety Tool Kit, Alice Boyes