Are you overwhelmed by fear and anxiety?

·      Does anxiety block you from moving forward in life or enjoying your days? 

·      Do you feel dread about your future?

·      Are you worried about being judged or that you aren’t as competent as others?

·      Do you feel trapped in ruminating thoughts that make it hard to get things done?

Anxiety is another very common mood problem that millions of people suffer from.  If you suffer from anxiety you are not alone.  You deserve relief from this debilitating problem.  You may feel like you are lost in fear and losing control of your life.  You could be so distraught that you question whether anxiety treatment can even help you at this point.  Don’t you deserve a calm and peaceful life with clearer direction?    

How do I know if this is normal or if I have a real problem with anxiety?

It’s true that a certain amount of anxiety in life is normal.  Some anxiety is simply there to keep you safe such as:  fear about whether to walk down a dark alley, anxiety about crossing a busy street, or trepidation about spending money on a car you can’t afford.  

When psychotherapy is needed for anxiety treatment it’s usually because your day to day ability to live your life is being impaired.  Common symptoms you may experience when needing anxiety treatment are:  being restless - keyed up - or on edge much of the time, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, tense muscles, obsessive thinking, debilitating fear, racing thoughts, “analysis paralysis”, and difficulty sleeping due to worrying about life challenges.

Psychotherapy is especially needed when you have extreme forms of anxiety that exhibit symptoms such as:  panic attacks, heart palpitations, dizziness, flashbacks to traumatic experiences (PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), fear of dying, obsessive–compulsive behaviors (OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), fear of losing control, trembling, shortness of breath, or irrational fears of things that pose no real threat. 

Just reading these symptoms may have made you anxious!  Don’t give them too much power.  The symptoms described are simply signals from the unconscious that therapy for anxiety treatment is needed. 

If you are experiencing the kind of anxiety that blocks your ability to live your day-to-day life productively, it is likely I can help you—as I’ve done for so many others. Psychotherapy is the help most people seeking anxiety treatment avail themselves to so they can live more relaxed, contented, calmer lives.

 How did I get so anxious?

The kinds of fears that result in anxiety usually have their roots in your early development.  All families and communities are dysfunctional to some degree.  Their failure to provide a consistently safe environment can result in anxiety issues for children in later life.  When this is the case, a child learns to be “on guard” much of the time.  As an adult you unconsciously transfer your early experiences onto the world and continue to be “on guard”— or worried about your safety in the world. 

How can you help me?

The good news is that anxiety treatment can be very successful.  Once you learn to manage the feelings as they arise—to self soothe and feel safe in life, anxiety will lessen over time.  There are very specific tools to use to dismantle anxiety and live a more peaceful, happy life.

Often times the act of coming in and sharing your fear with me can be a big first step to releasing it. Anxiety commonly results in isolation— which escalates the fear and shame.  Utilizing Humanistic Psychotherapy you will be consistently held in a supportive, caring setting in therapy with an attitude of unconditional positive regard.  This can take you a long way in calming anxiety and reducing the related shame that is behind the isolation.

I also utilize Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as part of your therapy.  EFT has been shown to be a powerful tool in learning to manage and decrease anxiety.  Emotional Freedom Technique lowers cortisol levels in the blood—the hormone most related to anxiety.   As you move through the underlying distorted beliefs that are trapping fear in your mind, you will likely experience an immediate release from anxiety.  Emotional Freedom Technique has even been shown to be effective in treating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—one of the most severe forms of anxiety.

You will also learn how to practice Self-Compassion as part of your anxiety treatment.  When you are anxious you’re usually ruminating on fearful thoughts that are debilitating you from being clear about your innate value as a person, the direction you want to move in, or the next right action to take.  Self-compassion techniques teach you to break the over identification with the anxiety and hold it with neutrality.  That is, you come to see the anxiety as a feeling passing through and not a calamity or a roadblock that can’t be overcome.  Second, you will come to recognize your Common Humanity, or connection with others, going through the same anxiety.   This will counter the fear of being isolated and alone in the anxiety.  Third, when you’re anxious you learn to treat yourself with Loving Kindness as opposed to the  habit we have of being self-critical (which elevates anxiety).  Learning Self-compassion in psychotherapy can also lower cortisol levels in your bloodstream, the hormone most associated with stress, and increase the oxytocin in your bloodstream—the hormone most related to soothing. 

But you might still have concerns about your ability to be helped…

 How long is it going to take to feel better?

You probably have deep seeded thoughts and beliefs generating anxiety that can take time to have lasting relief from.  However, it is likely that you will feel better even after your first session.  It is my aim to help you lower anxiety through specific tools each time we meet in therapy. 

 I feel like there is something about me no one can understand that makes me so anxious.  Can psychotherapy really help?

I have treated many people with anxiety.  They have all experienced significant relief from anxiety as a result of our work together.  Chronic anxiety has specific causes that can be relatively simple to treat.  However, if these causes go untreated they can literally last a lifetime.  You deserve to get out of the debilitating problem you have with anxiety and start living the life you want.

 I have obsessive behaviors with my anxiety.  Can psychotherapy help with those?

Obsessive behaviors are simply symptoms of chronic unresolved anxiety.  While they may look dramatic on the surface, they will generally resolve when the underlying causes are addressed.  You are not unusual if you have obsessive behaviors.  They are signals from your unconscious that help is needed.

You Can Free Yourself From Anxiety and Move Forward

Now can be the time you heal the anxiety that’s holding you back. Whether you want to meet in person or prefer to schedule a session virtually, we can work together to help bring about the life you want.  My office is in Carthay Circle—adjacent to the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood areas of Los Angeles.  I offer a free fifteen minute phone consultation so we can review your challenges with anxiety and see if you are ready to get started.  If you’re interested give me a call at 310-854-2043, or drop me an email below in the Contact Me Now section of this page.