Therapy for Anxiety
Anxiety is exhausting.
Maybe you’re stuck in a constant loop of perfectionism, where the pressure to always be flawless leaves no room for rest. You push yourself to meet impossible standards, avoid your own needs, and eventually find yourself so overwhelmed that doing anything feels impossible. But instead of compassion, you punish yourself for not being "good enough," and the cycle repeats. You’re tired of just getting by. You’re tired of dealing with anxiety alone.
At Comma Co., I work with clients to break this cycle. Together, we’ll explore how to understand your anxiety, not fight against it. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s learning how to live alongside your anxiety, with tools and practices that help you find peace and fulfillment in your life.
Types of Anxiety I Work With
Anxiety shows up in many ways, and no two people experience it exactly the same. Here are some of the types of anxiety I help clients work through:
Generalized Anxiety: Constant worry or dread about everyday things, making it difficult to enjoy life without anticipating the worst.
Panic Attacks: Sudden, overwhelming waves of fear or physical symptoms that feel uncontrollable and terrifying.
Social Anxiety: The fear of judgment, embarrassment, or rejection in social situations, making it hard to connect with others.
Phobias: Intense, irrational fears of specific things or situations, like flying, heights, or spiders.
Obsessions and Compulsions: Intrusive thoughts or repetitive behaviors that seem impossible to control, often causing significant distress.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety often manifests in both the mind and body. You might be experiencing:
Constant Worry: A persistent sense of dread or nervousness that something bad is going to happen.
Avoidance: Canceling plans, skipping social events, or avoiding certain situations altogether to prevent anxiety triggers.
Physical Symptoms: Increased heart rate, shaking, rapid breathing, sweating, and muscle tension.
Intrusive Thoughts: Obsessive thoughts or images that won’t leave your mind, no matter how hard you try to push them away.
Difficulty Focusing: Struggling to concentrate because your mind is racing or constantly preoccupied with worry.
Anxiety isn’t just “in your head.” It affects your whole body, your relationships, and your ability to enjoy life. If you feel stuck in these patterns, therapy can provide the support and relief you’ve been searching for.
My Approach
When working with clients who struggle with anxiety, I utilize Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a powerful method that comes from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). While CBT is known for helping people reframe anxious thoughts, ERP takes a different approach—one that encourages you to face your fears directly rather than trying to change your thoughts first. It’s a method that helps you break free from the cycle of avoidance and fear that often fuels anxiety.
With ERP, I don’t ask you to rewrite your thoughts or force yourself to feel differently about anxiety right away. Instead, we focus on helping you respond differently to the fear. Together, we’ll work through exposures—situations that trigger your anxiety—and practice resisting the urge to avoid or engage in safety behaviors. By doing this, you’ll learn that you can sit with discomfort and anxiety without needing to change it, suppress it, or let it control your actions.
ERP empowers you to face anxiety head-on, allowing you to live more freely without being controlled by fear. It’s not about getting rid of anxiety altogether—because that’s unrealistic—but rather about learning to live alongside it in a way that no longer disrupts your life. You’ll find that, over time, the situations and thoughts that once seemed unbearable become more manageable, and you’ll start to feel a sense of control and freedom that may have seemed impossible before.
Together, we’ll work toward making peace with your anxiety—not by eliminating it but by changing your relationship with it.
The Power of Living with Anxiety
How Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Works
Facing Anxiety Gradually: Instead of avoiding the things that make you anxious, we’ll work together to face them gradually in a safe, controlled environment. We’ll start small and build up to bigger challenges, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
No Need to Change Thoughts: ERP doesn’t ask you to "fix" or change your anxious thoughts right away. The goal is to change your response to anxiety by practicing tolerance and resilience in the face of discomfort.
Breaking the Cycle of Avoidance: Anxiety often traps you in a cycle of avoidance. ERP helps you break that cycle by teaching you how to live alongside your anxiety without letting it dictate your life. This is particularly helpful for people who struggle with obsessions, compulsions, phobias, or social anxiety.
Empowering You to Take Action: You’ll develop the tools to engage with your anxiety rather than letting it stop you from living your life. Over time, the intensity of your fear will decrease as you learn that you can handle the feelings without resorting to avoidance or compulsive behaviors.
Your Anxiety Doesn't Have to Define You
Anxiety doesn’t have to control your life. There is a way to live with less fear, fewer "what-ifs," and more peace. Whether you’ve been struggling for years or this is something new, therapy can offer you a way to regain control and live more fully.
If you’re ready to take that step, I’m here. Feel free to reach out for more information or schedule a free consultation below. You don’t have to carry this weight alone.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING THROUGH ON YOUR OWN