Anxiety, stress, panic attacks, worrying, intrusive negative thinking….all of these symptoms can interfere with an individuals ability to enjoy life, focus, sleep, maintain relationships and physical health, and to feel good about themselves as people.
T herapy for anxiety or stress can address unhelpful patterns and beliefs that contribute to emotional distress. Therapy can be a safe place to learn and practice skills that minimize the experience of anxiety, but also to learn to listen to your anxiety and accurately assess the presence of threats. Anxiety for example can be a helpful tool when it is felt as worry around symptoms of illness which, left unattended, could cause great harm. In this case, our anxiety, worry and fear is serving and protecting us. Not all anxiety should be shunned. Learning to distinguish between real and perceived threats, and to have a realistic perspective of the potential for harm from a threat or risk is a powerful tool. I have found that consistent feedback and support, reinforcement of new perspectives, and concrete tools such as mindfulness and breathing exercises make a big difference in relieving all forms of anxiety and creating lasting change.