Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Oakton, VA.

Anxiety and stress seem to be everyone's typical standard way of life these days...but that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. Though they can certainly be linked, stress and anxiety can be very different, including the way they are treated. From everyday issues to healing from past traumas and losses, anxiety can steal your quality of life. The good news is that anxiety is one area that is particularly receptive to therapy and counseling - much can change in a short period of time with the right intervention and help.

Anxiety takes many forms in life, and many activities in life that can be rewarding or meaning can also cause anxiety. When anxiety is too high, it inhibits us from living a life that feels full and worthwhile. Therapy can help you to understand the underlying dynamics of what contributes to feeling anxious and the sense of risk in engaging in your life in a more full way.

A lot of people experience anxiety when they feel stressed out. In fact, stress and anxiety go hand by hand. Hence, learning to deal with stress can also help you to manage anxiety in a better way. Anxiety is not really a bad thing as anxiety can motivate us to do things better, but anxiety can become a problem when it gets too much. Hence, how to keep “good” anxiety and get rid of “bad anxiety” and this is something that we can work on together.

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.

Life can present you with difficult situations which are hard to process and move past. These challenges are not on your timeline and affect everything. Having worked in many healthcare settings, I am familiar navigating life-changing events and grief. I understand the territory of encountering loss, coping with trauma, the complexity of the medical system and living with illness. These issues can have ripple effects on your relationships, sense of self and perceptions of the world. I know how complex things can get, and I will support you during this process.

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.

When fear is working properly inside us it serves as a helpful warning (e.g., don't touch the hot stove!). But when our insides are overwhelmed fear can get out of control and start to shape our life in all sorts of big and little ways. This makes it increasingly difficult to feel at peace (with oneself, others or our circumstances). The good news is that we are capable of change! I would be honored to help you learn how to work through your fear (and the underlying struggles that fuel it) so that you can experience more freedom, peace and joy in your life and your relationships.