Anxiety Treatment

in Brooklyn, NY and Online

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

Anxiety can feel like an unwelcome companion that follows you everywhere; such as during important meetings, social gatherings, quiet moments at home, or even in your dreams. At Mind Body Psychiatry, we understand that anxiety isn’t just occasional worry. It can be an overwhelming force that restricts your life, clouds your thinking, and disconnects you from the things that matter most.

Whether you’re experiencing panic attacks that seem to come from nowhere, constant worry that won’t quiet down, social anxiety that keeps you isolated, or specific fears that limit your life. We want you to know that you’re not alone, and effective help is available.

Our team of top psychiatrists and psychotherapists combines evidence-based approaches with genuine compassion to help you not just manage anxiety but transform your relationship with it, creating space for a fuller, more peaceful life.

Understanding Anxiety: More Than Just Worry

When Your Mind and Body Are on High Alert

Anxiety is your brain’s natural response to perceived threats. It is an essential survival mechanism that’s become overactive or misdirected. Far from being “all in your head,” anxiety creates real physical and emotional experiences:

These experiences can manifest in different patterns, including generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, and health anxiety. Many people experience a combination of these patterns, and they often accompany other conditions like depression or trauma responses.

At Mind Body Psychiatry, we recognize anxiety’s complexity and develop personalized treatment approaches that address your unique experience.

Our Approach to Anxiety Treatment

Comprehensive, Integrative, and Personalized

We believe effective anxiety treatment addresses the whole person: mind, body, and life circumstances. Our clinicians don’t just apply techniques; they build authentic therapeutic relationships that provide the safety and support needed to face anxiety and move through it. Our approach combines:

Evidence-Based Therapies

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills

Biological Considerations

Medication evaluation when appropriate
Sleep optimization strategies
Nutritional considerations
Physical activity recommendations
Breath and body-based techniques

Practical strategies for managing anxiety in daily life:

Learning techniques to calm yourself when anxiety hits
Making changes to your home and work spaces that help you feel more at ease
Strengthening connections with people who make you feel supported and safe
Creating daily habits that help prevent anxiety from building up
Finding the right balance between staying comfortable and challenging yourself to grow

Types of Anxiety We Treat

What to Expect

Thorough Assessment

We begin with a comprehensive understanding of your anxiety. Its history, triggers, and impact on your life. We'll explore how anxiety manifests in your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors, while identifying your existing strengths and coping strategies.
Collaborative Planning Together

We'll develop a treatment approach tailored to your specific needs and goals. This plan often includes a combination of therapeutic techniques, potential biological interventions, and lifestyle modifications.
Skill Building

You'll learn practical, evidence-based techniques to manage anxiety symptoms in the moment and reduce their frequency and intensity over time. These skills become your personal toolkit for navigating anxiety.
Gradual Exposure

With support, you'll begin approaching anxiety-provoking situations in a planned, manageable way that builds confidence and rewires your brain's threat detection system.
Root Cause Exploration

When appropriate, we'll explore deeper patterns, past experiences, and core beliefs that may be maintaining your anxiety, creating lasting transformation beyond symptom management.
Real-World Integration

Throughout treatment, you'll apply new insights and skills to your daily life, with adjustments based on what works best for your unique situation.
Relapse Prevention

As you improve, we'll develop strategies to maintain your progress and navigate future anxiety triggers with resilience and confidence.

Meet Our Anxiety Specialists

Anxiety Treatment Options

Flexible Care to Meet Your Needs

Individual Therapy: One-on-one sessions with a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders, tailored to your specific concerns and goals.
Medication Management: Evaluation and ongoing care with our psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners when medication might be beneficial as part of your treatment.
Integrative Approaches: Complementary treatments including nutritional support, hypnotherapy, mindfulness training, and body-based interventions.
Teletherapy Options: Secure video sessions for those who prefer to receive treatment from home or have anxiety that makes office visits challenging.

Begin Your Journey to Calm

Taking the first step toward anxiety treatment can itself provoke anxiety. We understand this completely. Our intake process is designed to be welcoming and supportive, with options to ease into treatment at a comfortable pace.

To begin, you can:

Schedule a brief phone consultation to discuss your needs
Request a specific anxiety specialist if you have a preference
Contact us or schedule a single session to see if it feels like the right fit
Bring a supportive person to your first appointment if helpful

Explore Our Anxiety Resources

Understanding Anxiety Types

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder involves persistent and excessive worry about various things—from major life events to routine matters. This worry is difficult to control and often accompanied by physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sleep problems.

People with GAD often describe their minds as constantly active, imagining worst-case scenarios and feeling unable to relax. The worry typically shifts between different concerns and can feel overwhelming and exhausting.

Treatment for GAD often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address thought patterns, mindfulness practices to develop present-moment awareness, and sometimes medication to help manage symptoms while deeper work occurs.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks—sudden surges of intense fear that peak quickly and include physical symptoms like racing heart, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and feelings of unreality.

Beyond the attacks themselves, people with Panic Disorder often develop fear of having future attacks (“fear of fear”), which can lead to avoidance of situations where attacks have occurred or where escape might be difficult.

Treatment typically includes understanding the panic cycle, learning that panic sensations aren’t dangerous despite feeling terrifying, and gradually approaching feared situations with new coping skills.

Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety involves intense fear of social situations where one might be judged, embarrassed, rejected, or negatively evaluated. This goes beyond ordinary shyness to a fear that significantly impacts functioning.

Physical symptoms can include blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, and mind-blanking. People with social anxiety often engage in safety behaviors like avoiding eye contact, over-preparing for social interactions, or using substances to reduce anxiety.

Treatment focuses on challenging beliefs about social judgment, gradually approaching feared social situations, shifting attention outward during interactions, and developing authentic self-expression.

Health Anxiety

Health Anxiety (sometimes called illness anxiety or hypochondriasis) involves preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness, despite minimal or no symptoms. Normal bodily sensations are often misinterpreted as signs of severe illness.

People with health anxiety typically engage in excessive health-related behaviors like repeated medical visits, body checking, or internet searching. Alternatively, some might avoid medical care entirely due to fear of receiving bad news.

Treatment includes learning about normal bodily variations, reducing checking behaviors, addressing intolerance of uncertainty, and developing more adaptive responses to health concerns.

Specific Phobias

Specific Phobias are intense fears of particular objects or situations, such as heights, flying, needles, or certain animals. The fear is out of proportion to actual danger and leads to significant distress or avoidance.

When exposed to the feared stimulus, people typically experience immediate anxiety that may escalate to a panic attack. The avoidance of phobic situations can significantly restrict activities and enjoyment.

Treatment primarily involves exposure therapy—gradually approaching the feared object or situation in a controlled way while learning that both the fear and physical sensations can be tolerated and will naturally subside.

Anxiety Management Techniques

Breathing Exercises for Anxiety

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach
Breathe in slowly through your nose, feeling your stomach expand while your chest remains relatively still
Exhale slowly through slightly pursed lips
Repeat for 5-10 breaths, focusing on the sensation of your breath

4-7-8 Breathing

Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4
Hold your breath for a count of 7
Exhale completely through your mouth for a count of 8
Repeat this cycle 3-4 times

Box Breathing

Inhale for a count of 4
Hold for a count of 4
Exhale for a count of 4
Hold for a count of 4
Continue this square pattern for 2-3 minutes

Practice these techniques regularly when calm, so they become automatic when anxiety rises. Remember that breathing exercises work best when done slowly and mindfully.

Grounding Techniques

5-4-3-2-1 Technique When anxiety feels overwhelming, engage your five senses:

5 things you can see
4 things you can touch or feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

Physical Grounding

Press your feet firmly into the ground
Feel the weight of your body in your chair
Run cool or warm water over your hands
Hold an ice cube and focus on the sensation
Stretch your arms or neck deliberately

Mental Grounding

Count backward from 100 by 7s
Name items in categories (animals, cities, foods)
Recite song lyrics or a poem you know well
Describe your surroundings in detailed, objective terms
Focus on a simple, engaging task like coloring or organizing

Grounding works by shifting attention from internal worry to external reality, interrupting the anxiety cycle and re-engaging the rational mind.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) reduces physical tension by systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups:

Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit or lie down
Take a few deep breaths to begin
Start with your feet: tense the muscles for 5-7 seconds, notice the tension
Release completely and notice the difference for 20-30 seconds
Move progressively through muscle groups: calves, thighs, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face
Focus on the sensation of relaxation spreading through your body
End with a few more deep breaths

Practice PMR daily for 10-15 minutes to develop awareness of muscle tension and the ability to release it at will. Over time, you can use abbreviated versions in daily situations where tension builds.

Worry Time Technique

The Worry Time technique helps contain excessive worry by creating a structured time to address concerns:

Schedule 15-30 minutes daily as designated “worry time” (not close to bedtime)
When worries arise outside this time, briefly note them down
Remind yourself you’ll address them during worry time and refocus on the present
During your scheduled worry time, review your list and actively problem-solve what you can
For worries you can’t solve, practice acceptance strategies
When worry time ends, put the list away and engage in another activity

This technique doesn’t eliminate worry but helps contain it, preventing it from dominating your entire day. It also helps distinguish between productive problem-solving and unproductive rumination.

Mindfulness for Anxiety

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity and without judgment. Regular mindfulness practice can help:

Recognize anxiety triggers earlier
Create space between thoughts and reactions
Reduce rumination about past or future
Develop self-compassion for difficult experiences
Build tolerance for uncomfortable feelings

Simple Mindfulness Practices:

Focus on your breath for 5 minutes, gently returning attention when it wanders
Perform a routine activity (like showering or eating) with full attention to sensory experiences
Notice three things you can see, hear, and feel right now
Observe anxious thoughts as passing events rather than absolute truths
Practice a body scan, bringing attention to each part of your body sequentially

Consistency matters more than duration. Even 5 minutes daily builds the mental habit of present-moment awareness.

Living Well with Anxiety

Creating an Anxiety-Friendly Lifestyle

Small daily choices can significantly impact anxiety levels. Consider these lifestyle factors:

Sleep Hygiene

Maintain consistent sleep and wake times
Create a relaxing bedtime routine
Limit screen time before bed
Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
Address insomnia with proper techniques rather than forcing sleep

Nutrition for Calm

Limit caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, which can trigger or worsen anxiety
Stay hydrated throughout the day
Include complex carbohydrates for steady energy
Incorporate omega-3 rich foods for brain health
Consider timing of meals to maintain stable blood sugar

Supportive Movement

Find physical activities you genuinely enjoy
Include both energizing and calming forms of movement
Consider yoga, tai chi, or qigong for mind-body benefits
Use outdoor activities to combine exercise with nature exposure
Start small and build consistency rather than intensity

Creating Space

Schedule downtime between activities
Learn to set boundaries and say no when needed
Reduce unnecessary commitments and simplify where possible
Create physical spaces in your home that feel calming
Limit media consumption, especially news and social media

Remember that lifestyle changes work best when implemented gradually and compassionately, not as additional demands or sources of perfectionism.

Supporting a Loved One with Anxiety

When someone you care about struggles with anxiety, your support can make a significant difference:

Understanding

Learn about their specific anxiety patterns
Recognize that anxiety isn’t rational but feels very real
Understand that avoidance is not laziness but a symptom
Accept that recovery isn’t linear—setbacks are normal parts of progress
Acknowledge that anxiety can be exhausting and frustrating for them

Helpful Responses

Listen without immediately offering solutions
Validate their feelings: “That sounds really difficult”
Ask what would be helpful in the moment
Offer gentle encouragement without pushing too hard
Celebrate their efforts and progress, not just outcomes

What to Avoid

Dismissing concerns with phrases like “just relax” or “don’t worry”
Enabling avoidance by always accommodating anxiety
Expressing frustration or impatience with their symptoms
Taking responsibility for managing their anxiety
Making major decisions for them out of protection

Self-Care

Maintain your own boundaries and well-being
Seek support for yourself when needed
Remember you cannot “fix” someone else’s anxiety
Learn about caregiver stress and prevention
Consider family therapy to improve communication patterns

Supporting someone with anxiety requires balancing compassion with encouraging independence. Professional guidance can help navigate this balance effectively.

Anxiety and Parenting

Parenting while managing your own anxiety presents unique challenges:

For Your Children

Be honest about your anxiety in age-appropriate ways
Model healthy coping rather than perfect calm
Avoid transferring your specific fears to your children
Create family routines that provide security
Teach and practice emotion regulation skills together

For Yourself

Prioritize your own mental health care
Develop a repertoire of quick calming techniques
Build a support network of understanding parents
Practice self-compassion for parenting imperfections
Set realistic expectations adjusted for anxiety challenges

When Your Child Has Anxiety

Help them name and normalize their feelings
Avoid inadvertently reinforcing fears through overprotection
Encourage brave behavior while respecting genuine limits
Collaborate with school and other caregivers
Seek professional guidance early when needed

Remember that addressing your own anxiety effectively is one of the most powerful ways to help your children develop emotional resilience.

Anxiety in the Workplace

Managing anxiety in professional settings brings specific considerations:

Practical Strategies

Break large projects into smaller, manageable steps
Use structured tools like lists and schedules to externalize worry
Prepare for challenging situations without over-preparing
Build in short breaks for grounding and reset
Identify and use your peak attention times strategically

Communication

Consider what, if anything, to share about anxiety at work
Know your rights regarding accommodations if needed
Develop scripts for setting boundaries professionally
Practice difficult conversations in advance
Find trusted colleagues for reality-checking when anxiety distorts perception

Work-Life Integration

Create transition rituals between work and home
Establish clear ending times for work when possible
Limit after-hours email and work communication
Use commute time for decompression rather than rumination
Schedule recovery time after high-stress work periods

Many successful professionals manage anxiety conditions throughout their careers. Finding strategies that work for your specific situation and industry can turn anxiety management into a professional strength.

Special Topics in Anxiety

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression frequently occur together, with each potentially intensifying the other:

How They Interact

Worry and rumination can deplete energy and hope
Depression can reduce resources for coping with anxiety
Both involve negative thought patterns that reinforce each other
Sleep disruption from either condition affects the other
Similar neurotransmitter systems are involved in both

Treatment Considerations

Addressing both conditions simultaneously is often necessary
Some medications can help with both anxiety and depression
Cognitive work may need to target both worry and hopelessness
Behavioral activation helps break cycles of avoidance and withdrawal
Self-compassion practices are particularly important with co-occurring conditions

If you experience both anxiety and depression, comprehensive treatment addressing both conditions typically provides the best outcomes. Be sure to discuss all symptoms with your provider.

Anxiety and Physical Health

The mind-body connection is particularly evident with anxiety:

Physical Conditions That Can Mimic or Worsen Anxiety

Thyroid disorders
Heart conditions
Respiratory issues
Vestibular problems
Blood sugar imbalances
Chronic inflammation
Nutritional deficiencies
Gastrointestinal disorders

How Anxiety Affects Physical Health

Increased stress hormones affect multiple body systems
Chronic muscle tension can lead to pain conditions
Digestive function is highly responsive to anxiety states
Immune function may be compromised by chronic stress
Sleep disruption affects physical recovery and healing

Integrated Approach

Comprehensive medical evaluation to rule out physical causes
Treating physical conditions often improves anxiety symptoms
Mind-body approaches like yoga and tai chi address both simultaneously
Treating anxiety often improves management of chronic health conditions
Collaboration between mental health and medical providers is ideal

Understanding this bidirectional relationship highlights why addressing both physical and psychological aspects of anxiety leads to the best outcomes.

Anxiety Across the Lifespan

Anxiety manifests differently at various life stages:

Children

May express anxiety through irritability or physical complaints
Often develop specific fears and worries tied to developmental stages
Benefit from simple, concrete coping strategies
Need adult co-regulation before developing self-regulation
Often respond well to play-based and family-involved approaches

Adolescents

Social anxiety often peaks during teenage years
Academic and performance pressures may intensify
Identity development can involve existential anxiety
May mask anxiety with behavioral issues or withdrawal
Benefit from approaches that respect emerging autonomy

Adults

Often face competing pressures from work and family
May have established entrenched avoidance patterns
Work and relationship functioning commonly affected
Medical concerns can complicate anxiety presentation
Benefit from approaches that fit into complex life demands

Older Adults

May experience anxiety related to health, loss, or life changes
Generational attitudes might affect willingness to discuss mental health
Medication considerations may be more complex
Wisdom and life experience can be leveraged in treatment
Social connection becomes increasingly important for resilience

At Mind Body Institute for Integrative Health, our specialists tailor anxiety treatment to your specific life stage and circumstances, recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities of each period.

Medications for Anxiety

When considering medication for anxiety, it’s helpful to understand the options:

Commonly Used Medications

SSRIs/SNRIs: Often first-line treatments that modify neurotransmitter activity (examples: sertraline, escitalopram, venlafaxine)
Benzodiazepines: Fast-acting medications for acute anxiety, used cautiously due to dependence potential (examples: lorazepam, clonazepam)
Buspirone: Non-addictive medication specifically for anxiety with fewer side effects
Beta-blockers: Sometimes used for physical symptoms of anxiety, particularly in performance situations
Non-controlled anxiety medications: Various options with different mechanisms (examples: hydroxyzine, gabapentin)

Important Considerations

Medication works best when combined with therapy in most cases
Finding the right medication often takes time and adjustment
Side effects are common initially but often improve with time
Genetic factors can affect medication response
Stopping anxiety medications usually requires gradual tapering

The Decision Process

Weighing potential benefits against side effects and risks
Considering severity and impact of anxiety on functioning
Exploring whether shorter or longer-term medication use is appropriate
Discussing personal preferences and concerns
Reviewing previous medication experiences

Our psychiatric providers take a thoughtful, collaborative approach to medication decisions, considering your preferences, history, and treatment goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my anxiety is "bad enough" to seek help?

Many people struggle with this question, often minimizing their anxiety or believing they should be able to handle it on their own. Rather than focusing on whether your anxiety meets some threshold of severity, consider how it affects your quality of life. If anxiety is causing you distress, limiting your activities, affecting your relationships, interfering with work or sleep, or prompting unhealthy coping strategies; these are all valid reasons to seek support. Professional help is appropriate whenever anxiety feels difficult to manage alone, regardless of how it compares to others' experiences. Earlier intervention often leads to more efficient treatment, so there's benefit to reaching out before anxiety becomes severe or entrenched.

How long does anxiety treatment usually take?

Treatment duration varies significantly depending on several factors: the type and severity of your anxiety, how long you've been experiencing it, your goals for treatment, and the approach used. Some people notice meaningful improvement within 8-12 sessions of focused therapy, while others benefit from longer-term work, especially if anxiety is longstanding or complex. Rather than focusing solely on eliminating anxiety completely (which isn't always realistic or necessary), we work toward helping you function well despite some anxiety, with symptoms becoming less frequent, intense, and disruptive. Throughout treatment, we'll regularly assess your progress and discuss timeframe expectations based on your specific situation and response.

Will I need to take medication for my anxiety?

Medication is one option for anxiety treatment, but it's not necessary or appropriate for everyone. Many people achieve significant improvement through therapy alone. For others, especially those with severe symptoms that significantly impact functioning, medication can be a helpful component of treatment. The decision to use medication is collaborative and based on several factors: symptom severity, impact on daily life, previous treatment experiences, your preferences, and potential benefits versus side effects. If you're interested in medication, our psychiatric providers can evaluate whether it might be helpful in your situation. If you prefer not to use medication, we respect that choice and will focus on non-medication approaches. Either way, we'll work with you to find the most effective treatment plan for your specific needs.

What's the difference between worry and an anxiety disorder?

Worry is a normal thought process that everyone experiences. It involves thinking about potential problems or negative outcomes, often as a way to prepare or problem-solve. Worry becomes problematic when it's excessive, difficult to control, and interferes with daily functioning. Anxiety disorders involve more than just worry; they typically include persistent emotional distress, physical symptoms (like racing heart, tension, or digestive issues), avoidance behaviors, and significant impact on quality of life. The distinction isn't always clear-cut, and many people experience problematic anxiety without meeting full criteria for a specific disorder. Our approach focuses on how anxiety affects your life rather than rigid diagnostic categories, providing support based on your individual experience rather than whether you fit a particular label.

Can anxiety be cured completely?

Rather than thinking about "curing" anxiety. We find it more which suggests eliminating it entirely and permanently—we find it more helpful to focus on developing a healthier relationship with anxiety. Some level of anxiety is a normal part of human experience and can even be helpful in certain situations. Effective treatment typically leads to significant reduction in anxiety symptoms, with episodes becoming less frequent, less intense, and shorter in duration. Many people find that after treatment, anxiety no longer controls their choices or significantly limits their lives, even if they occasionally experience anxious feelings. The skills learned in treatment become tools you can use throughout life when anxiety arises. For some, anxiety may largely remit after treatment, while others may experience periodic flare-ups that they're now better equipped to manage.

What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't help my anxiety?

Previous unsuccessful therapy experiences don't mean your anxiety can't improve with the right approach. There are several reasons why past therapy might not have helped: the approach may not have been well-suited to your specific type of anxiety; the therapeutic relationship might not have been a good fit; the treatment may not have included exposure work, which is often essential for anxiety; or external factors might have complicated your progress. At Mind Body Psychiatry, we offer multiple evidence-based approaches for anxiety and carefully match you with a clinician whose expertise and style align with your needs. During your initial consultation, sharing information about your previous therapy experiences, including what was beneficial and what was not, helps us create a treatment plan that is more effectively tailored to you.

How do I help my anxious child without making their anxiety worse?

Supporting an anxious child requires balancing validation of their feelings with gentle encouragement to face fears. Try to avoid inadvertently reinforcing anxiety by allowing avoidance of feared situations or providing excessive reassurance. Instead, acknowledge their feelings ("I see you're feeling worried"), express confidence in their ability to cope ("This is hard, but I know you can handle it"), and help them take small steps toward facing fears with support. Reward brave behavior rather than perfect performance, and model healthy ways of managing your own anxiety. Be mindful of your reactions to your child's anxiety. Staying calm helps them feel secure. For children with significant anxiety, professional guidance can help you develop specific strategies tailored to your child's needs and teach you how to effectively support their progress without becoming entangled in anxiety cycles.

What's the difference between anxiety and stress?

While related, stress and anxiety aren't identical. Stress is typically a response to external pressures or demands (like work deadlines, relationship conflicts, or major life changes) and often diminishes when the stressor resolves. Anxiety, however, can persist even in the absence of external stressors and often involves worry about future events that may never happen. Stress tends to be more tied to specific situations, while anxiety can become more generalized and self-perpetuating. That said, chronic stress can trigger or worsen anxiety disorders, and both involve similar physical and emotional responses. The distinction isn't always clear-cut, and many people experience both simultaneously. Treatment approaches often overlap, focusing on physiological regulation, thought patterns, and coping strategies. Whether you're experiencing stress, anxiety, or both, the support we provide is tailored to your specific experience and needs.

How do I know which type of anxiety treatment is right for me?

Determining the best treatment approach depends on several factors, including your specific anxiety symptoms, personal preferences, history, and goals. During your initial assessment, your clinician will help identify which approach might be most beneficial based on both clinical expertise and your input. Some people respond well to more structured approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, while others prefer more exploratory or mindfulness-based methods. Many benefit from an integrative approach that combines elements from different therapeutic modalities. It's important to know that if one approach isn't providing the relief you're seeking, we can adjust the treatment plan. Your feedback throughout the process is essential. Therapy works best when it's collaborative, with ongoing communication about what's helpful and what might need to change.

Can anxiety come back after treatment?

Yes, anxiety can return after successful treatment, particularly during periods of significant stress, major life transitions, or when facing triggers similar to those that initially contributed to anxiety. However, this doesn't mean treatment failed or that you're back to square one. Most people find that even if anxiety returns, they're better equipped to recognize it early and implement effective coping strategies before it becomes overwhelming. The skills learned in treatment remain available to you, though they might need some refreshing. Some people benefit from occasional "booster" sessions during vulnerable periods to reinforce skills and prevent significant relapse. If anxiety does return in a more substantial way, returning to treatment is often more efficient the second time, as you already have foundational knowledge and skills to build upon.

How does your approach address the physical symptoms of anxiety?

Physical symptoms of anxiety, including a racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, digestive problems, and sleep disturbances, often cause significant distress. These symptoms can trigger or worsen anxiety when when misinterpreted as dangerous. Our comprehensive approach addresses these physical components through several strategies. We teach physiological regulation skills like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and body scanning to directly impact the body's stress response. We help you understand the mind-body connection and recognize physical anxiety cues earlier, before they escalate. When appropriate, we incorporate body-based approaches like somatic experiencing or sensorimotor techniques. We also consider lifestyle factors that affect physical anxiety symptoms, including sleep, nutrition, caffeine intake, and exercise. For some clients, medication might be helpful in reducing physical symptoms while other strategies are being learned and implemented.

What if I feel too anxious to start therapy?

Feeling anxious about beginning therapy for anxiety is not only common but completely understandable. Anxiety often makes it difficult to take the very steps that would help reduce it. We recognize this challenge and have structured our intake process to be as comfortable as possible. You might consider starting with a brief phone consultation to ask questions before committing to an appointment. For your first session, you're welcome to bring a supportive person, attend virtually if in-person feels overwhelming, or request a shorter initial meeting.

Anxiety Treatment

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

Understanding Anxiety: More Than Just Worry

In Your Body

In Your Mind

In Your Life

Signs Anxiety Treatment Might Help

Our Approach to Anxiety Treatment

Evidence-Based Therapies

Biological Considerations

Practical strategies for managing anxiety in daily life:

Types of Anxiety We Treat