You can take back control.

Therapy for anxiety

Is anxiety taking over your life?

A little anxiety is natural and helpful— it can help us to stay alert and sharp, and drive us to accomplish our goals. But if you are one of the 20% of people who experienced an anxiety disorder in the last year, you know that too much anxiety can be overwhelming and paralyzing.

Fortunately, anxiety can be treated! Evidenced-based psychotherapy has been shown to be the most effective option for most people, whether anxiety is stemming from current circumstances in your life, or is a longer-term problem.

Using strategies derived from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) Therapy, Mindfulness, and other modalities, we can address problems such as:

  • Panic attacks

  • Constant worrying

  • Intrusive thoughts

  • Social anxiety and insecurity

  • Difficulty relaxing

  • Phobias and fears

  • Physical problems associated with anxiety

  • Perfectionism

  • Feelings of overwhelm and dread

 You can do this.

How therapy works

Manage your anxiety, rather than letting it manage you.

Therapy can help you understand the causes of your worries and fears, learn how to relax, look at situations in new, less frightening ways, and develop better coping and problem-solving skills. Therapy gives you the tools to overcome anxiety and teaches you how to use them.

Treatment for anxiety is an active process— from the first session, you will have strategies to try out. It is also an experimental process— not everyone responds to the same techniques. We will work on new coping skills to deal with anxiety, and figure out how to embed them into your life, to make them daily habits that are available when you need them.

Therapy for anxiety can help you…

  • Decrease uncontrolled worrying

  • Lessen the frequency and intensity of anxiety-producing thoughts

  • Help you to relax and feel better in your body

  • Improve your social life and work or school performance

  • Decrease feelings of overwhelm and dread

Frequently asked questions about Therapy for Anxiety

FAQs

  • If you have made the wise decision that it is time to get help, first of all— congratulations, you’ve taken the first step ! Treatment for anxiety disorders requires investment of time, energy, and effort, so here are some things to know so that you can maximize your chances of success:

    Therapy for anxiety requires you to face your fears and do things that may feel risky and anxiety-provoking. It also requires you to practice new skills (like acceptance, tolerance of uncertainty, and mindfulness) that may feel unnatural to you at first. Your first reaction may be skepticism: "I can't do that," "That's too scary,” and "That might work for other people but not for me" are common thoughts that people have when they first learn some of the strategies that work for anxiety. However— research shows that CBT/exposure therapy for anxiety is effective for most people who try it!

    The keys to success lie in trusting the process by being willing to take some risks, and doing your therapy homework.

    While therapy is a place to learn and practice the skills that are effective for anxiety, change doesn't actually happen during your therapy sessions. What really counts is taking the things you've learned in therapy and applying them outside of sessions on your own.

    We will work together to develop a plan so that you know what to expect, and we will go at your pace. Even baby steps can move you forward! Along the way we will be tracking your progress and making changes to the plan as needed. I am there to support you and always welcome your questions and feedback.

  • It is a good idea to consider therapy if you are routinely having physical symptoms common to anxiety, such as disturbed sleep, headaches or stomachaches for no clear reason, difficulty relaxing, or experiences of heart racing, sweating, or being out of breath. Especially if you are avoiding situations for fear of these things happening, you should seek treatment to keep the anxiety from getting worse.

    If you are not able to do what you want or need to do because of your anxiety, that’s another great reason to seek treatment.

    If you are not coping the way you usually do, it can be helpful to go to therapy to get things back on track. It is really never too early to go to therapy if you are experiencing anxiety. Sometimes therapy is easier and shorter if the symptoms have not been around for a long time. But it is also never too late to seek treatment, even if you have suffered for a long time.

    Lastly, if you feel you have not allowed yourself to try things that you have wanted to try, or if decisions in your life are based on anxiety rather than your own preferences, you may want to seriously consider treatment. You can always schedule a consultation session with Dr. Linker to discuss your concerns. Learn more.

  • Contact me here to schedule a 10-15 minute phone consultation to see if my services are right for you. Learn more.

You deserve to live your life to the fullest.