Therapy in person in Orange County & online across CA, MA, & OH
Anxiety Therapy
Your brain feels like it’s working constantly. You wish you could find a pause button—just to get one moment of quiet. It feels like you’re “on” all the time.
For you, anxiety might look like…
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There’s so much to do and never enough time. Even when you’re resting, your brain is planning, tracking, rehearsing. Dinner. The friend you need to text back. The appointment you keep meaning to schedule. The conversation you’re replaying, trying to make sure you didn’t say the wrong thing. That work deadline that’s creeping up.
You feel pressure to be productive and excel—yet it still feels like you’re falling short. That pressure quickly turns into anxiety… and then shame.
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You’re monitoring everything—your tone, your facial expression, what you said, what you should have said. You read other people’s body language like it’s your job. Are they mad at me? Did I do something wrong? Why did I say that?
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It’s painful when people are upset with you or don’t like you—so you work hard to keep things smooth. You say yes automatically, even when you’re already overextended. You try to seem “fine,” even when the smile doesn’t match what’s happening inside. You drop your needs to take care of other people, hoping everyone feels okay… because conflict feels unbearable.
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Even small choices feel heavy. You play out every outcome, every possibility, every worst-case scenario—until you feel stuck. Part of you wishes someone else could just decide so you can finally exhale.
By the time you reach the end of the day, you’re exhausted—ready to check out, scroll endlessly, or crawl into bed.
Anxiety takes a toll: on your sleep, your body, your energy, your relationships. Maybe you’ve been snapping more, pulling away, or feeling frustrated with yourself in ways that don’t feel like you.
And you don’t have to live like this forever. With the right support and tools, it’s possible to feel steadier—less consumed by anxiety and more at ease in your life.
Anxiety doesn’t have to run the show. If your brain has been stuck in overdrive, it makes sense that you’re tired.
Navigating anxiety can feel like a job in itself—waking up with you, following you through the day, and showing up again the moment you try to rest.
In therapy, we’ll slow things down so anxiety feels less like a whirlwind and more like something you can understand and respond to. We’ll start by mapping how it shows up for you—what triggers it, what it’s trying to prevent, and what it costs you (your sleep, your energy, your relationships, your sense of self).
Change can feel scary, so we won’t rush. We’ll move at a pace your nervous system can actually tolerate. You’ll learn practical skills to:
calm the spiral when it starts
soothe the shame that often follows
make decisions without being paralyzed by analysis
set boundaries without over-explaining or panicking
Over time, the goal isn’t that anxiety never shows up—it’s that it no longer gets to drive.
As we work together, you may begin to feel more grounded in moments that used to flood you. More clear about your needs and boundaries. More able to tolerate uncertainty without bracing for impact. More present in your life—without having to be “on” all the time.
My Approach to Anxiety Therapy
Autonomy-focused
We move at your pace—no pushing past your readiness. Consent matters here.
Compassionate
We get curious about anxiety instead of judging it. There’s a reason it’s there and we’ll gently understand what it’s trying to do for you.
Grounded
I’ll bring steadiness to the room while we explore what feels intense—without dismissing it.
Integrative
I blend IFS, DBT, and ACT so you build both insight and real-life tools to calm inner chaos, strengthen boundaries, and navigate decisions with more confidence.
Therapy for anxiety can help you…
Understand what your nervous system needs to feel calmer and more grounded
Spend less time in your head and more time in the present moment
Make decisions with more confidence and self-trust
Learn to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition
Set boundaries with more confidence—without spiraling into guilt after
Communicate more clearly—without overexplaining, people-pleasing, or spiraling after
Feel more spacious inside (less inner chatter, less urgency)
Feel steadier in your relationships—less scanning, less bracing, more secure connection
Together, we’ll help you feel more anchored—so anxiety isn’t calling the shots, and you can trust yourself again. The overwhelm you feel right now doesn’t have to last forever.
Anxiety Therapy-
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Anxiety symptoms are often experienced both emotionally and physically. Some symptoms of anxiety may include, but are not limited to:
feeling overwhelmed and on edge
experiencing constant worry of fear
physical symptoms: a knot in your stomach, a lump in your throat, feeling warm, feeling jittery or shaky, heart beating faster than usual, energy depletion, exhaustion, etc.
overthinking or ruminating
feeling like your mind is in many places at once
difficulty making decisions
difficulty with focusing on tasks or conversations
experiencing irritability
difficulty relaxing
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There are various factors that contribute to people experiencing anxiety. Some of these may include, but are not limited to:
Childhood trauma and/or traumatic life events
Scarcity of resources
Value/worth tied to performance and productivity
Stressful family dynamics
Loss of a relationship or person
Stressful living environment
Racism and/or other forms of oppression
Many factors that contribute to your anxiety may be outside of your control. This can often lead to feelings of disempowerment and helplessness. The good news is learning valuable tools and skills can help you cope and find relief. You can learn how to tend to your anxiety, regain control, and feel empowered.
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Therapy for anxiety usually starts with getting to know you—how anxiety shows up, what it’s connected to, and how it’s impacting your life and relationships. From there, we’ll explore what’s driving it (thought patterns, nervous system activation, past experiences, pressure, people-pleasing, perfectionism, etc.) and begin building tools that will fit into your life.
Over time, many people notice they feel less consumed by anxiety and more equipped to manage it—so it doesn’t run the whole day. You may still have anxious moments, but you’ll feel more confident in how you move through them.
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Therapy goals for anxiety vary from person to person. Some therapy goals may include, but are not limited to:
feeling more present in your relationships
being less critical of yourself
reducing the frequency of overthinking
deepening understanding of anxiety and its triggers
experiencing relief from physical symptoms of anxiety
We will collaborate to created your therapy goals. When exploring your therapy goals for anxiety, consider how you’d like your life change and how you’d like to feel moving forward. Together, we work towards making those a reality—helping you to feel more confident, capable, calm and connected!
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When you’re looking for an anxiety therapist, the relationship matters. Anxiety work can feel challenging, and you’ll do the most impactful work with someone you are comfortable with.
A few helpful questions to ask:
What’s your approach to anxiety therapy? (skills-based, relational, somatic, etc.)
Have you worked with the type of anxiety I’m dealing with? (general, social, work-related, panic, trauma-related, etc.)
Notice how you feel after the call. Did you feel understood, heard, and validated? If so, that’s a good sign that the therapist may be a good fit.
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In the first session, we’ll:
review your intake paperwork and fill in any gaps
talk about how anxiety shows up in your life and relationships
clarify your goals and what you want support with
map out a starting plan that feels realistic and paced
You won’t have to have it all figured out—we’ll take it one step at a time.