Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Countryside, VA.

If you’re not stressed, you’re probably dead! Our world today seems to thrive on it; we work too much, don’t rest enough, eat poorly, and can’t find time to exercise. When we have free time, we often find ourselves staring at a little screen filled with “friends” whose lives seem perfect. This “normal” life causes us physical and emotional distress; add in a propensity for anxiety and chances are you feel really horrible sometimes! Whether you’re simply overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities or are struggling with severe anxiety, panic, and phobias, we can help!

Anxiety can take on a variety of different forms depending on the individual. Oftentimes people who come into therapy for anxiety because they experience excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) over a number of events in their life (work, children, relationships, finances, activities) and the source of the worry can change from day-to-day. People experiencing this kind of anxiety feel they cannot control or lessen the worry and that they are intruded upon by it on an hourly/daily basis. My recent book, Be Calm Proven Techniques to Stop Anxiety Now-offers strategies to reduce anxiety on the spot and I use these strategies in my client work.

We are counselors that know how to help you with anxiety in its many forms. Our psychotherapy for anxiety and stress can be the relief you need. Anxiety comes in many forms and is not usually a welcome part of our life. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve how you respond to your anxiety so that you can enjoy life, be productive, have healthy relationships, and boost your creativity. Our psychotherapy for anxiety can help you discover your body’s natural relaxation response that you can learn to stimulate through regular practice until it becomes part of your memorized set-point.

I want to help you get relief from your anxiety. Living with a lot of anxiety can feel like you don’t quite get to be yourself. It can leave you not enjoying life as much as you’d like. Sometimes it can impact your relationships. We’ll look at the situations that trigger your anxiety. We’ll track what your perceptions are, what behaviors you do, what other feelings are there along with the anxiety. Once we have a better understanding of the anxiety, we can explore more effective ways of managing it. I will also help you learn the practice of self-compassion, as well as other tools that can help reduce anxiety.

Anxiety and stress steal our time, comfort, confidence, and energy. Whether you are a worrier (ruminating over a problem or something you said/did during the day), or someone who breaks out into a cold sweat thinking about a presentation, getting on a plane, or being exposed to COVID, therapy can help. I use cognitive therapies, behavior modification, compassion, and mindfulness to work with a variety of anxiety symptoms and disorders. I'm also interested in the origin of the anxiety and what maintains it. If you are interested in a pure behavioral approach, I am not the therapist for you. I work to help you understand yourself and lower the baseline level of anxiety in your life.

Anxiety can be quite debilitating. Using evidence-based treatment, learn how to face your fears and overcome your anxiety. Learn to take control over your mind and focus on the things that really matter to you in life. Together we will work towards helping you live in the present moment instead of running with your mind into the future or your past. Start living the life you value. Call today for a free phone consultation!

In the fast-paced Northern Virginia area, high levels of stress and anxiety are common. I create an understanding, compassionate therapeutic environment. My approach is to address both anxious thinking and the body’s stress response. You will learn practical skills to help adjust the thought patterns that support anxiety. Because anxiety is also physical I use relaxation and mindfulness techniques to achieve a calmer, more focused state by slowing down racing thoughts. With these skills, we examine all areas of life, including any outside factors that contribute to stress. I never take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to my work. Therapy is a collaborative process, the best results coming from honoring the uniqueness of each person.