Telehealth sessions in Maryland and DC
410.949.1238
Telehealth sessions in Maryland and DC
410.949.1238
Are you struggling with anxious feelings in your body and worried thoughts in your mind? Does anxiety creep in at both expected moments and times when you can’t predict it? As anxiety continues to negatively impact daily life, are you ready to find better solutions for coping?
Anxiety can feel like an invisible beast living within your mind, body, and spirit. Underscored by near-constant fear and worry, perhaps you feel like your life is no longer your own. There may be times when you get so worried thinking about something that your mind ends up stuck in a never-ending loop that leaves you mentally exhausted.
Perhaps you relive past failures or unresolved emotional conflicts that bring up feelings of shame or humiliation. But the more you think about these memories, the less sense they make. When “analysis/paralysis” takes over, you become fixed in place, unable to move forward.
Anxiety Affects Body And Mind
Looking outwardly, we realize that the world we’re living in contributes to the internal anxiety we’re feeling. As social media proliferates within our culture, we become increasingly aware of the pressure we’re under to present an image of perfection to others. If our anxious impulses are already driving our perfectionist tendencies, social media reinforces this unhealthy mindset to the point of being harmful.
Moreover, the impact that the pandemic has had on us cannot be overlooked. As uncertainty, isolation, and fear have permeated our daily lives, anxiety has seeped into the air we collectively breathe. Being continuously immersed in pain, doubt, and worry has left many of us shellshocked.
We frequently fail to recognize the signs of anxiety, and although anxiety is common, we think we’re the only ones suffering. This exacerbates our sense of isolation and disconnection from others. Many of us tend to downplay our distress rather than realize we need help or look for ways to mask the symptoms without addressing the underlying cause. However, once you acknowledge anxiety, you can find solutions. Whether you suffer from panic attacks or a social anxiety disorder, a holistic approach to treatment can help you escape anxiety’s grip.
Living with chronic anxiety can suck the joy out of life. Thankfully, therapy can help you conquer anxiety. Counseling sessions provide you with a safe space to speak openly about what’s troubling you. Because our counselors work from a systemic perspective, we will coordinate treatment with any other providers involved in your care to help you remain anxiety-free in the long term. We will ensure that your anxiety is being addressed in mind and body, as well as spirit if that resonates with you.
By becoming aware of when anxiety is helpful to you and when it is not, you will learn how to put coping tools in place that can free yourself of its devastating effects. When we get to the root of the problem and help identify its root cause, you will become more effective at achieving long-term success.
While we will prioritize equipping you with tools to manage anxiety, we also believe it’s important to understand why you struggle with negative thoughts and determine what situations trigger your symptoms. Additionally, we will take the time to explain the mind-body connection and how anxiety triggers neurochemical reactions in the brain as well as physiological changes in the body.
In ongoing sessions, you will learn simple yet powerful techniques that can help you remain grounded and prevent you from being highjacked by anxiety. You will learn how to replace negative thoughts with more accurate, positive thoughts as well as recognize the physical warning signs of a panic attack so you can help arrest it before it takes hold. By focusing on specific circumstances that frequently lead to anxiety—such as confrontation, social encounters, or conflicts at work or home—you will know how to apply what you’ve learned as it pertains to your life.
We utilize evidence-based approaches for anxiety treatment, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness, somatic exercises, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), among others.
IFS helps you identify the internal “parts” of yourself that co-exist at all times. We will ask you where in your body the anxious part of you lives and under what circumstances it takes over. When you realize there is only one part of you that is anxious, you will find it becomes easier to control your symptoms.
With EMDR, we will help you create a safe place within your mind where you can retreat whenever anxiety-inducing situations become too overwhelming. Through guided imagery, you will create new neural pathways that can help rewire your brain to seek safety instead of panic. Once your safe place is established, we will focus our attention on preprocessing distressing memories of the past so that they no longer trigger anxiety in the present.
Many others have been in your shoes and learned how to live life to its fullest. With therapy, sustainable change is possible that can free you from the cage of anxiety. You don’t have to live with anxiety anymore—counseling can help you return to an enjoyable life. To schedule a free consultation to learn more about anxiety therapy, please contact us.
It’s common to think we should be able to overcome issues on our own without asking for help. When we fail, we may carry shame or think we’re somehow defective. However, the reality is that many of us struggle with anxiety. The NIMH reports that an “estimated 31.1 percent of U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some time in their lives.” Fortunately, anxiety therapy offers a systemic approach to address your symptoms by looking at everything from negative thoughts to physiological causes, diet, exercise, and sleeping habits. Working with a therapist, it’s possible to control anxiety while improving your mental and physical health.
Although a part of you probably knows seeking treatment for anxiety will be valuable, another part of you might be worried about the time and money required for therapy. However, making this short-term investment in your well-being will have long-term benefits. Our goal is to limit your time in anxiety therapy and equip you with the necessary skills to live successfully beyond counseling.
Understandably, you may worry that if you delve into the root cause of your anxiety you could somehow exacerbate your symptoms. However, the good news is the opposite is true. Seeking therapy with a counselor who allows you to explore the interplay of mind and body can lead to diminished social anxiety over time. As you learn to recognize the thoughts and experiences that trigger anxiety, you will learn effective ways of overcoming it. Taking the time to reflect inwardly will give you the clarity and confidence that sustainable change is possible.
Select Counseling
410.949.1238
3355 St Johns Ln, Suite J, Ellicott City, MD 21042
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The information on this website is intended to inform and educate those seeking psychotherapy treatment from Select Counseling and is not intended to be a substitute for psychotherapy. If you are in a crisis situation, please call 911 immediately, go to the nearest Emergency Room, or call Grassroots 24 Hours Crisis Hotline at 410-531-6677. If you are overseas, call or go to your Embassy for help.
