Therapy for Anxiety-, Trauma-, and Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Concerns
“Therapy isn’t about feeling better, it’s about getting better at feeling”
So, What Is Anxiety?
Do you often feel nervous or on edge? Have others commented that you tend to jump to the worst case scenario? Has your dentist told you that you are grinding your teeth at night? Do you spend a lot of time avoiding mirrors, checking your appearance, or readjusting your clothes to hide your body? All of these symptoms, and more, indicate anxiety. As you already know from experience, anxiety is both physical and mental. It is also very future-oriented: we can describe it as fear or worry of possible events, consequences, or outcomes that have not yet happened. For example, we may have anxiety about a job interview, a date, an exam, going to the store, our upcoming MRI appointment, petting a dog, etc. Even though we may have done those things before, anxiety is focused on what may happen the next time we’re in that situation. We may even draw on past negative experiences to jump to the conclusion that something “bad” may happen again. Sometimes, we dismiss positive or neutral past events, too—“Well, nothing happened the last time, but what about the next time?” Anxiety also thrives on doubt or uncertainty—“Anything (bad) could happen!”—making it difficult to bring our logical side into the equation. Expand the boxes below to learn more about specific types of anxiety-related conditions.
We may be able to pinpoint where our anxiety began, such as a traumatic (e.g., near-death experience) or other deeply memorable negative event (e.g., public embarrassment). However, it is common for anxiety to seem like it “came out of nowhere,” too. It is also important to rule out medical conditions that can mimic anxiety or panic attacks, such as bradycardia (abnormally low heart rate), respiratory and sinus issues, heart problems, and thyroid issues. When the medical condition is appropriately treated, the “symptoms” dissipate. Before we begin treatment, I will ask you about your medical history to rule out other causes of your symptoms.
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There are many different anxiety-related diagnoses, such as generalized anxiety (GAD), social anxiety (social phobia) and other phobias, health anxiety, and panic disorder. We can also have anxiety secondary to a primary issue such as depression. Evidence-based anxiety treatment is designed to address the factors that reinforce anxiety and provide practical tools for managing and overcoming it. Often, we may want to dive into the past and figure out why we developed anxiety. While we can brainstorm educated guesses, the most important part of successful treatment is focusing on the now—“I have severe anxiety, so what do I do about it?”
Together, we will focus on how to reduce and manage your anxiety so you can move forward in life. I offer a supportive environment for individuals to explore their anxiety-related concerns and work towards long-term relief.
I offer evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure Therapy.
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OCD is perhaps one of the more misunderstood diagnoses. It is often used incorrectly in casual settings (e.g., “I’m so OCD”) and is generally portrayed poorly on television. OCD is defined by both obsessions (worries, fears, and other distressing thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors that interfere with our lives). Though OCD is not under the umbrella of anxiety disorders (it used to be!), the role of anxiety is clear—because of something we are afraid might happen (e.g., “I will contract a serious disease from touching surfaces in public”), we are driven to engage in compulsive behaviors or rituals (e.g., dousing our hands with hand sanitizer after touching every item or surface) to try to prevent this from happening. Despite how OCD is discussed in popular culture, it is not a personality quirk. OCD is debilitating and controls our lives until we decide to take back our power and agency.
You may be surprised to learn that body dysmorphia (body dysmorphic disorder or BDD) is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. When you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. BDD is characterized by preoccupation with (i.e., obsessive thoughts about) perceived flaws or deficits in our appearance and engaging in compulsive, repetitive behaviors (e.g., mirror checking, adjusting our clothes or body position, skin picking, reassurance seeking) or mental acts (e.g., comparing our appearance with that of others) in response to the perceived flaws. It is important to note that the things we consider flaws are either not noticeable by others or others view is as slight/minor. For example, a burn survivor who is self-conscious about obvious, severe scars would not be diagnosed with BDD—the scars are significant and easily noticed by others, and there is very real social stigma toward body disfigurements.
Through evidence-based treatment, you can learn to reduce and manage both unwanted, obsessive thoughts and time-consuming compulsive behaviors. In doing so, you can spend your mental and physical energy doing things that are more meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling to you.
I offer evidence-based treatments for OCD, body dysmorphia, and other related obsessive-compulsive conditions including Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP or ExRP), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and mirror (perceptual) retraining (for BDD).
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These words tend to be used interchangeably, but they are different. Traumatic events can impact us in many ways, and PTSD is only one possible outcome. We can also develop low self-esteem, become suspicious or distrusting of others, isolate ourselves, and more. Traumatic events also tend to negatively impact how we see ourselves, other people, and the world. We tend to stop doing the things we used to enjoy doing, and typically experience more negative emotions on a day-to-day basis than before the incident(s). Regardless of the ways traumatic events have impacted you, evidence-based treatment can help you process the experience, identify how trauma is holding you back in the present, and make changes in your life to improve your future.
I offer evidence-based treatments for trauma and PTSD including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (CPT), and Exposure Therapy (written and behavioral).
My Approach
My approach to treatment is rooted in evidence-based practices (EBPs). EBPs are interventions that are well-researched and known to work of both client and provider give it their best efforts. No treatment will work if the provider is too inexperienced, or if the client is not fully engaging in the material. The specific EBPs I utilize for anxiety-related conditions includes: cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), exposure and response/ritual prevention (ERP), cognitive processing therapy (CPT), and mindfulness exercises. These approaches will help you develop a more realistic, balanced way of thinking and learn to accept life’s uncertainties. Anxiety thrives on doubt and leads us to seek to control everything—as you already know from your own experiences, that is an impossible task! By learning to let go of trying to control things that we cannot, you will be set on a path toward mental stability and peace, even in the midst of uncertainties or stressors that come your way. I believe that therapy isn’t about feeling better—it’s about getting better at feeling. In other words, learning how to accept all of our emotions, even the unpleasant ones, is the way toward achieving peace, balance, and motivation to strive toward our goals. Being afraid of our emotions, or believing we can’t handle them, drives us further away from what really matters in our lives.
Why Choose Therapy?
Therapy can help you:
Increase your awareness of your emotions
Increase your ability to name your emotions and express them to others in healthier ways
Develop skills in regulating your distressing emotions
Identify and challenge unhealthy thought patterns (e.g., pessimism)
Develop a healthier sense of self and reduce inappropriate shame or guilt
Increase psychological flexibility, which is our ability to be open-minded and problem-solving-oriented
Conquer your fears
Improve sleep patterns, which has a significant impact on daily mood
Repair relationships and form new social connections
Identify, understand, and change unhealthy behavior patterns
Re-engage in meaningful and enjoyable activities
Develop healthy emotional and physical boundaries and the skills to communicate those to others
Process past trauma and other unresolved issues that are holding you back
Make decisions according to your values instead of basing them on fear and avoidance
Is it time to prioritize your well-being?
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