Anxiety Therapist San Diego, CA

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Seeing an anxiety therapist can help relieve these feelings and put you back in control of your life.

Do you feel worried, tense, or find it difficult to relax? Are your thoughts racing? Do you find yourself constantly thinking about the future, so it feels nearly impossible to focus on the tasks right in front of you? Perhaps you experience physical sensations such as rapid heart rate, heavy breathing, or sweaty palms. Maybe you even experience panic attacks, fears surrounding certain scenarios (i.e. fear of heights, spiders, flying, etc.), or you start to feel these uncomfortable sensations in social situations. What you’re experiencing is anxiety — and as I’m sure you are well aware at this point, it has the potential to negatively impact your life and your relationships. Chronic anxiety can also lead to decreased self-esteem and potentially depression, as you may find yourself asking, “why can’t I just figure out how to handle this?” If you are uncertain if you have anxiety, click here to take the quiz and find out.

What you are experiencing is very common.

You are not the problem, it is merely the symptoms of anxiety within you that are causing problems in your life. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the United States, affecting approximately 18.1% of the population every year. This is not surprising, seeing as we live in a very fast-paced culture. In our society, we are told that “success” is earned by doing more and constantly challenging ourselves. We are expected to work, and we are expected to work hard. While hard work can benefit us in many ways, it can also become detrimental when we find that we are unable to relax and are constantly worrying about the next task that needs to get done. This is one type of anxiety, which I refer to as “high achiever anxiety” or “anticipatory anxiety”. Anxiety can manifest in many other ways in our lives, including: generalized anxiety, specific phobias, social anxiety, stress, panic attacks, or health-related anxiety.

Anxiety Therapy Can Help

Anxiety therapy can help you find a sense of freedom and joy in your daily life. Anxiety is highly treatable through various therapeutic techniques. You will learn lasting coping skills to significantly decrease the anxiety that you feel on a daily basis. Will you never feel anxious ever again in your life? No, but anxiety is a normal human emotion that we all experience from time-to-time. However, seeing an anxiety therapist will help you learn how to decipher between what a “healthy” anxiety level is, compared to one that is very negatively controlling and taking over your life. After working through this anxiety in psychotherapy, you will no longer spend your days constantly worrying about the tasks ahead, fearing specific scenarios or social situations, or feeling like you just can’t relax.

Here Are Some Benefits of Seeing an Anxiety Therapist:

What Does Therapy for Anxiety Look Like?

An anxiety therapist can help you uncover the underlying causes of your worries, learn how to calm down and relax, and begin to look at situations in new, less stressful ways. In anxiety therapy, I begin by providing a safe space for you to share all of your current thoughts, concerns, and struggles. We will identify and set goals by determining how you would like your life to look differently in regards to your current anxiety. Once I have a better understanding of your current concerns and goals, I will tailor your treatment and take an individualized approach to help you. I will help you learn lasting coping skills and stress-reduction techniques that we can practice together in session and that you will also be able to do on your own in between sessions. I utilize a variety of therapeutic techniques to decrease anxiety including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy skills. Learn more about the anxiety treatments I use in sessions.

Why Book an Anxiety Therapy Session with Me?

I personally have overcome multiple anxiety disorders in my own life, so I can understand firsthand just how difficult it may feel…but I can also tell you that it is possible to recover from chronic anxiety. I also have years of experience working with clients to successfully overcome anxiety in a variety of treatment settings including intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, community-based mental health care, school settings, residential treatment centers, outpatient therapy clinics, and private practice.

Not only do I have the personal experience of overcoming multiple anxiety disorders and helping clients do the same in a variety of settings, but I also offer additional mindfulness skills to clients that can be very powerful in the treatment of anxiety. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher, and my training as both a therapist and yoga teacher has allowed me to utilize specific mind/body approaches such as meditation, breathing practices, and guided imagery for anxiety reduction. These evidence-based approaches can help reduce distress and anxiety right in that moment. I provide you with the skills and guidance to learn these techniques so you can feel empowered and confident to use them on your own outside of session.

You CAN live the life you’ve always wanted, free from anxiety and worry!

Contact me to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation and see if Anxiety Therapy in San Diego is right for you!

My Standard Rate is $200 Per Session (50 Minutes)

As an out-of-network provider, I have partnered with Mentaya to help my clients save money on therapy. Use the out of network benefits calculator to see if you qualify for reimbursement for my services. Learn more about my rates and insurance.

You may have some questions about seeing a therapist for anxiety...

How do I know if I need therapy for my anxiety?

Are you tired of living the way that you have been, and are ready to feel better? If the answer is yes, then anxiety therapy could be a good fit for you. Oftentimes we try to figure things out on our own…but sometimes we just can’t, and we could use some guidance from a trained professional. And that’s okay! There is strength in deciding that you are worth committing to therapy in order to live a happier life.

Is anxiety therapy worth the investment?

Anxiety therapy is an investment that will take some of your time, as well as a financial commitment. However, it will also take away an immense amount of stress and will finally allow you to live the life you have always envisioned – free from worry and tension. Working with an anxiety therapist is often the most effective option when it comes to treatments for anxiety. Visit this site to read more about the benefits of therapy for anxiety disorders. We all need a little help sometimes, and it is absolutely worth investing in yourself to get some guidance from a trained professional so that you can find long-lasting relief.

Nobody seems to understand my anxiety. How can you help?

It may feel like nobody understands your specific situation, and that’s because they don’t! We are all unique individuals, with unique responses to anxiety and individualized treatment needs. I have helped individuals find relief from many different types of anxiety, and we will work together to find an approach that fits exactly what you need.

Will I have to take medication to manage my anxiety?

Whether or not you will take medication to manage your anxiety may be dependent on your current symptoms, genetics, and life circumstances. There are plenty of ways to manage anxiety without medication, but some people make the collaborative decision with their treatment provider that medication could be a good fit for them. I do not prescribe medication as a licensed psychotherapist. However, I work with psychiatrists in the community and would be happy to refer you to a trusted colleague to discuss medication options, if that is what we deem to be an appropriate approach for symptom management.

Will I have to be in therapy forever to manage my anxiety?

You will not have to be in therapy forever in order to manage and decrease your anxiety. The ultimate goal of therapy is to get you to a place where you feel confident to manage your symptoms on your own, by utilizing the tools that you were taught throughout therapy. Therapy will provide you with tangible ways to continue to manage your anxiety on your own, long after you have successfully completed and discontinued treatment. There is no exact “time limit” or time frame in regards to how long you will be in therapy to find full, ongoing relief from your anxiety; this is individualized and varies per the individual.

Will seeing a therapist for anxiety also help with depression?

Seeing an anxiety therapist can also be incredibly helpful for decreasing symptoms of depression. Oftentimes, anxiety and depression symptoms go hand-in-hand. You may develop low self-esteem over time due to ongoing feelings of anxiety or feeling unsure why you can’t just “manage things on your own”. This may lead to feelings of depression, hopelessness, or feeling stuck and unmotivated. If you are also struggling with feelings of depression, working with an anxiety therapist can be a great fit to help get to the underlying cause of both symptoms and decrease or eliminate them. Visit the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) website for more information on the treatment of anxiety and depression collectively.

What Is an Anxiety Disorder?

Occasional anxiety is a part of life — we all get nervous or worried at times, such as before taking a test or making an important decision. Anxiety Disorders involve more than just a temporary worry or fear. If you have an anxiety disorder, the uncomfortable feelings of anxiety do not go away on their own and may increase over time. These symptoms of fear and worry can negatively interfere with work, school, and relationships. Getting therapy for anxiety is a great way to get individualized help to treat the Anxiety Disorder, so that you can go on to live your life free from constant worry, fear, and uncomfortable physical sensations of anxiety.

Main Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is diagnosed when an individual experiences excessive anxiety or worry about a number of different things (personal health, work, school, relationships, finances, and more) most days, for at least 6 months. The fear and anxiety can cause significant problems in areas of their life including work, social relationships, and more. Anxiety counseling and therapy can be very helpful for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as we will get to the underlying cause for your ongoing fear and worry, as well as teach you coping skills for long-lasting relief.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is diagnosed when individuals experience recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and can include symptoms of accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and more. Anxiety counseling and therapy can help those struggling with panic disorder because it provides relaxation and coping skills to decrease anxiety in the moment, and also provides therapeutic techniques for long-lasting relief.

Social Anxiety Disorder

People with Social Anxiety Disorder have a fear regarding social interactions and/or social performance. They may worry that their behaviors associated with their anxiety may be negatively perceived by others, and thus they commonly avoid social situations. Anxiety counseling and therapy can be helpful for the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder, as we will get to the underlying cause for your social anxiety, implement therapeutic tools to help you overcome the anxiety, and improve your overall self-esteem during the process.

Separation Anxiety Disorder - Recurrent excessive distress when anticipating or experiencing separation from home or major attachment figures
Anxiety Disorder due to Another Medical Condition - Panic attacks or anxiety due to a health-related medical condition
Other Specified Anxiety Disorder - Symptoms of an anxiety disorder cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning but do not meet the full criteria for another anxiety disorder diagnosis

Anxiety Therapy Treatments

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that examines the relationship between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It helps you to become more aware of negative thoughts so that you can view difficult situations in a new way and respond to them more effectively. Research shows that over 60% of those who receive CBT therapy for the treatment of anxiety report substantial improvements in their symptoms.

Mindfulness Therapy Practices

Mindfulness practices include exercises and therapeutic techniques to help calm our nervous system down, which is essential in reducing anxiety symptoms. Some mindfulness practices include targeted breathing exercises, guided imagery, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness-based practices can be very helpful in decreasing anxiety symptoms, as we are training your body’s nervous system to get into a “parasympathetic” (relaxed) state and out of a “sympathetic” (stressed out) state.

EMDR Therapy

In Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, you are guided by your therapist to engage in bilateral stimulation of your eye movements while imagining distressing scenarios. The act of bilateral stimulation will help your brain to fully process the distressing feelings and events, shifting your attention towards more positive thoughts and helping anxiety to dissipate. EMDR Therapy has been shown to be effective to help with a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety. EMDR therapy has also been shown to have long-lasting effects in terms of symptom reduction.

Anxiety Therapist in San Diego, CA

If you’re ready to overcome your anxiety and learn more about my anxiety therapy services, please use the button above or call (619) 800-5393 for a free 15 minute phone consultation.

Self emBody Therapy
EMDR, Eating Disorders, Anxiety
5330 Carroll Canyon Rd Suite 120,
San Diego, CA 92121
(619) 800-5393

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