You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

- Eleanor Roosevelt
If you think you might have Anxiety, or have been recommended to be evaluated by a therapist from your physician or loved ones, you might be nervous about taking steps to get help. You're not alone. Many people with anxiety have been suffering for many years, often since childhood.  
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If you are suffering from the following and think therapy might help, please call for a free consultation:
  • frequent thoughts or impulses/urges that you can't stop
  • panic symptoms, like heart racing and heavy breathing
  • negative, catastrophic, or repeating thoughts
  • you avoid social situations and certain tasks that require you to interact with others
  • frequent sense of worry about others and a sense that everyone is looking and noticing you
  • these symptoms and thoughts take a lot of your time, and they get in the way of work, school, housework, and having fun

What works to deal with anxiety?
As with all clients, I work collaboratively with you to develop a plan and goals for your therapy. I find that a supportive and compassionate relationship with your therapist is the most important element. We'll spend time to explore your unique situation and experience of anxiety. Does it come predictably at certain situations, such as flying or being around people you don't know well? Or do you live with a more generalized sense of worry and fear? How long have you been experiencing it? 

Most folks who suffer from anxiety can benefit from specific interventions that have too much evidence to ignore. I participated in an advanced clinical training program at the International OCD Foundation for therapists who use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and learned over the years that nothing works as often and as solidly for anxiety as a type of CBT called Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). I always encourage some sort of exposure based treatment for anxiety, even when other methods and interventions are also useful depending on your goals. 

Exposure Therapy sounds counter-productive. I'm spending a lot of effort avoiding anxiety! 
Yes! It does sound scary and counter-intuitive. Many folks work very hard to avoid anxiety and any situations that make them more anxious. It can become painful to avoid social situations, job interviews, and phone calls. And it doesn't work! Anxiety and fear have hijacked your internal alarm bell system, and fear is making many of your decisions. There's a different way, and I have a lot of admiration for folks who are willing to try to live a more full, rich life even though they are filled with alarm bells going off.

If you'd like to learn more about ERP treatment, the International OCD Foundation has published an excellent outline here: Exposure & Response Prevention Treatment. Although their information is specifically geared toward folks with OCD, the ERP treatment concepts work well with Social Anxiety and related disorders.

Mindfulness and Radical Acceptance
While Exposure Therapy is an important element, it's also important to recognize that getting rid of anxiety and negative thoughts entirely may not be the goal. We all need some alarm bells to keep us out of harm's way. 

Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an empirically supported intervention that uses acceptance, clarifying your core values, and mindfulness as key strategies to deal with our most difficult challenges. ACT therapists believe that we can each move closer and closer to living more aligned with our core values even while we experience negative emotions. Sometimes the anxiety alarm systems will reduce and become more manageable. 

According to the International OCD Foundation, the most common obstacles to effective treatment are:
  • People wait too long, when treatment is more difficult. It can take an average of 14 to 17 years from the time symptoms begins for people to obtain appropriate treatment. 
  • Many people don't know help is available, and it's very successful. Until recently, many folks have been told to "just get over it" or "stop worrying so much!" and haven't been guided to effective treatment. 
  • Lack of proper training by some health professionals often leads to the wrong diagnosis or lengthy treatment that's counter-productive. 
  • Difficulty finding local therapists who are trained in effective treatments. 
  • Not being able to afford proper treatment. [this one is very real, and I can provide some referrals to local training clinics with very reduced fees if needed]​​