Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Issaquah, WA.

Anxiety is rough- you likely know this. You might think "why is this happening to me? Why does this phase me like it does? This isn't anything big." You also may be under intense stress and perhaps even intensely traumatic situations and just now starting to feel the impact. I offer helpful practical tools to deal with anxiety in how you think and how you breath. But I don't stop there as those things are often un-effective, as you may have already found, if not partnered with a deep understanding of how to work with, on an emotional level, messy feelings.

If you are suffering from anxiety, it is more than likely you have tried again and again to make it disappear. You might have tried to convince yourself things will be fine. Or maybe you’ve turned to self-help techniques or even substances to calm your anxiety. I have worked with hundreds of individuals to help them break free from the seemingly endless merry-go-round of the anxiety trap. Using a respectful, compassionate approach, I will show you how to change your relationship with anxiety and find the courage to face your fears today.

Traumatic pasts, expectations of a scary future, extreme sensitivity to the world around us, and the shoulds we impose on ourselves that breed shame wield seemingly insurmountable power when we are in the grip of anxiety and stress. I work with you on establishing healthy boundaries, building skills that drop the nervous system out of stress response, and emotional intelligence and regulation. From the safe enough place of being grounded in the Now, we dip into and unravel what maintains the power of your fears and shame. We work to compassionately release all that blocks your authentic self, your sense of purpose and to normalize and encourage the growth of your beautiful and buried truth.

You do not need to live with anxiety. You know what I mean, the clenching in your stomach or the butterflies, the all too familiar headaches, the tightness in your shoulders or chest, the difficulty sleeping, the constant worrying. These symptoms and others are the result of anxiety. I offer a confidential, safe, and supportive place to talk about what you are experiencing and what you need to live with less fear more joy. There is a way to greater health and well-being. I can teach you relaxation skills, work with your negative thoughts that contribute to anxiety, help you resolve chronic stress that you may be carrying from your childhood, and teach you compassion and self-acceptance.

There are many different types of anxiety and stress. You may be having an adverse reaction to a specific incident or you may be coming to me with a lifelong struggle around generalized anxiety. I work with many clients who have experienced work life stress and trauma and help them make sense of their situations so they can make informed decisions around a course of action. I help many clients uncover lifelong anxiety that has become so normalized that it may not register as anxiety. Ways of coping with anxiety may be also be causing problems. The goal would be to discover better tools to deal with both the underlying issue and the problems that outdated coping skills may be causing.

Anxiety can run your life, but it doesn't have to. Together, we'll work on ways to tap into the security and strength of your body. We'll understand the anxious stories and find ways to bring supportive, soothing energy to calm those parts down. We'll listen to your body for any signs of unresolved trauma or relational wounding and work gently with the body to heal.

Anxiety and stress are sneaky. Some anxiety can help us focus, but too much can be paralyzing. From worries to full blown panic attacks, anxiety is not a simple thing to be dealing with. But in sessions with me, you will understand how to notice anxiety and deal with it in ways that free you to experiencing the rest of your life. You can be happy again. If you find that you worry, therapy with me can help you work with the anxiety instead of against it. Let's do it together.

Everyone feels anxiety at some point in their lives but when it starts to interfere with your life, counseling can help. Although anxiety can feel debilitating, it is treatable. People with anxiety don’t always share the same symptoms, they vary from person to person. Therapy will help you to reclaim your life and function in a chronically stressful world.