Therapy for Anxiety in Snoqualmie, WA
You spend so much time preparing for what might happen next that it's hard to enjoy what's happening now. From the outside, it might look like you've got it all together. You're dependable, thoughtful, and the one everyone can count on. Inside, though, your mind rarely gets a break.
You replay conversations, think through every possible outcome, and try to stay one step ahead of what might happen next. If this happens, then I'll do that. If that goes wrong, I could... The mental list never seems to end. It's exhausting carrying the weight of trying to prevent everything from falling apart.
At first, these strategies can feel helpful. Folding the laundry in the exact right way. Feeling like you're the only one who can order the groceries. Avoiding outings because you're worried about your child's meltdown. Little by little, anxiety starts making the decisions. It convinces you that staying in control is the only way to feel safe.
Over time, your world begins to shrink. You stop doing things you once enjoyed. You say no before you've had the chance to say yes. You carry more than your share because trusting someone else feels too risky. You look capable on the outside while feeling overwhelmed on the inside.
Anxiety promises certainty, but asks for your freedom in return.
My approach to working with your anxiety
Our goal isn't to eliminate your anxiety or make it disappear. It's to quiet the alarm bells it sets off so you can get back in the driver's seat of your life.
Together, we'll explore what builds inside you and leaves you feeling so on edge. You'll begin to understand and appreciate the ways your internal alarm system has worked to keep you safe, while learning how to calm your nervous system and respond with more choice. Over time, you can spend less energy anticipating what might go wrong and more energy making thoughtful decisions and enjoying the life in front of you.
With therapy for anxiety, there can be more:
MORE compassion for yourself
MORE understanding of what you need
MORE confidence to say how you feel
MORE appreciation for the life you are building
With therapy for anxiety, there can be less:
LESS blaming yourself for being “lazy”
LESS yelling at others because you feel taken from
LESS decisions made out of fear
LESS saying “yes” to impress
It is possible to react less quickly and respond more compassionately—to yourself and to the people you love.
Frequently Asked Question’s about Anxiety
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A: We all experience anxiety at times! It’s a part of how we are wired–to sense danger and to react to get out of harm's way. The problem is, sometimes what we perceive as dangerous is outdated, or we don’t come down from being on high-alert, and read too many things as constantly endangering us. If it is hard for you to let others do things differently than you, if you make detailed to-do lists every day and feel you are the only one who can complete them, if you are consistently overcommitted, if you have problems falling asleep or staying asleep…these can be signs your brain is working on overdrive and is living in an anxious state.
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A: I bet you guessed it–it depends! Some people come to therapy for a distinct and contained issue and feel resolution within 6 months. Others work to see how anxiety has permeated their mindset across several categories, and this is more long-term work of 2-3 years. Often, if you are working to reparent yourself or build a healthier attachment system, therapy can be a longer process of 5 years or more.
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A: Of course! I love reading self-help books and you can give yourself some great psycho education through Martha Beck’s book, Beyond Anxiety. If you are working as a parent with an anxious child, check out Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli Lebowitz.