Anxiety Therapy
in Arvada, CO
How do I know if I need Counseling for Anxiety?
Cognitive Behaivoral Therapy will help you manage and reduce anxiety. Anxiety comes in many forms, and can be severe, however there is effective treatment available. As a professional counselor, I have worked with people who have anxiety for thirty years. Most anxiety is not a life-long debilitating condition. However, this can be a serious mental health issue and can get worse without treatment. Here are some signs that you could benefit from speaking with an experienced therapist.
- Has life become overwhelming and unamanageable?
- Do you worry about almost everything, all of the time?
- Are you exhausted by frequent thoughts of problems, pressure, and uncertainty?
- Have you been feeling jittery, tense and can’t seem to ever be comfortable?
- Have you experienced heart pounding, difficulty breathing and feelings of panic?
- Do you overthink every conversation and feel awkward in social situations?
- Are worries keeping you up at night and causing insomnia?
How Does Generalized Anxiety Affect Your Life?
Anxiety can make life difficult in many ways. You may have become an expert at worrying, and seem to worry about everything – this is called Generalized Anxiety. People become good at thinking about all the bad things could happen, and so you try to anticipate every worst-case scenario. Find yourself frequently up at night worrying about work the next day, and end up exhausted. Spending a lot of time thinking about how you don’t feel well, and subsequently searching the internet for possible health conditions. Making small decisions can take hours and you are frequently indecisive. Feeling on edge, sometimes irritable and getting annoyed easily. If you have struggled with this as long as you can remember, it might seem normal, but Generalized Anxiety can seriously decrease your quality of life. Mental health counseling can help you learn strategies to regain control and reduce worrying.
What is Social Anxiety?
Social Anxiety can make ordinary interactions excruciating. This discomfort and nervousness can have a detrimental impact on your social and work life. Social Anxiety often involves worry about upcoming family gatherings, social events, and even conversations with friends. You rehearse what you think you want to say. You stumble on your words and feel awkward. After the fact, you wonder if you said the wrong thing. You worry about what people think of you. Sometimes this results in avoiding situations, isolating, and missing out on activities.
Anxiety Therapy provides strategies that help you stop over-worrying and start enjoying being around people!
Can Panic Attacks be Cured?
It is important to know that Panic Disorder can be treated effectively! Panic attacks are intense and frightening—your heart races, your chest tightens, you can’t catch your breath, and you feel like something terrible is about to happen. Your hands may get tingly, or you might feel light-headed or dizzy. You feel a sense of dread, and your instinct is to run away. Scary thoughts turn to “what if this is really something wrong?”
It is not uncommon for people who are experiencing panic or anxiety attacks to go to the Emergency Room. A doctor will run tests and let you know that you are not having a heart attack or a stroke, and that you are fine. This is nothing to be embarrassed about. Panic disorder can be terrifying – the physical effects make it feel like something horrible is happening. There is effective treatment for Panic. It can become less frequent and easier to manage, and often goes away completely.
Have Any Questions About Anxiety Therapy? Contact Me.
How many people struggle with Anxiety?
19% of Americans have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year (1). You are not alone! Anxiety can take many forms, including panic attacks, social anxiety, generalized anxiety (worrying about everything), PTSD, OCD, and phobias. Anxiety can be the result of trauma or accidents. Sometimes anxiety starts because you are adjusting to normal life changes – moving, starting a new job, or caring for family members. Even positive changes like marriage or the birth of a child can cause anxiety – any change can be scary. Anxiety can be genetic, people can have more of a tendency to have anxiety – it may run in your family. Psychotherapy for anxiety can provide relief!
Our changing and increasingly complex society doesn’t help. The rapid increase in the amount of information we are bombarded with can lead to feeling overwhelmed. We put pressure on ourselves to be experts about everything. We compare ourselves to people who seem healthier, happier, smarter, or more successful. Hearing about bad news or natural disasters causes stress – the world can seem like it is falling apart. Counseling for Anxiety can help you learn to effectivelymanage and reduce symptoms of anxiety.
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
My approach to anxiety therapy utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—a highly researched and evidence-based treatment for reducing anxiety. CBT is a structured, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that focuses on the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
When we encounter difficult events, our minds often react by thinking automatic negative thoughts (“Something bad will happen,” “I can’t handle this,” “Everyone will judge me”). These thoughts trigger emotional and physical responses—like fear, tension, or avoidance—that reinforce anxiety over time.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can Help you:
- Identify unhelpful thinking patterns that create and maintain anxiety
- Challenge distorted thoughts by testing them against reality and evidence
- Learn practical coping strategies such as relaxation, exposure, and mindfulness
- Develop new behavioral responses that reduce avoidance and increase confidence
Decades of research have proven that CBT helps reduce anxiety (2). It provides practical tools that you can learn and use in everyday situations. Counseling for Anxiety is usually short-term. You learn the skills, things get better, and you don’t need to sit on a therapy couch for 14 years.
Questions About Therapy For Anxiety:
What if I'm too Anxious to talk to a Counselor?
This is probably the most normal fear you could have. Almost all new therapy clients are nervous before their first visit, and of course, anxiety makes this more difficult. We will talk on the phone before your first session, and I will answer your questions. Often, once you start talking to a therapist about anxiety, you will feel more comfortable after a session or two. If you end up feeling I am not the right therapist for you, I will help you find someone else to talk to.
It can be scary to open up and talk about things you haven’t talked about before. Therapy is a safe space where you are listened to, not judged, and where you can work through issues at your own pace. This is collaborative; we work together. We have a conversation, I give you strategies to work on, and we find what works for you.
I don't want to take medication. Can this still help?
Anxiety therapy can be helpful with or without medication. I am not a medication prescriber. I have spent years seeing many people improve with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alone. If you decide you think you would like to try medication, I can refer you to a medical professional who can work with you.
Do you have enough experience to help me?
I have been working with people who are experiencing anxiety for almost thirty years. People make changes, feel better, and go on to enjoy their lives. Anxiety does not have to be a permanent lifelong affliction! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms and improve your quality of life.
How Can I get started with Therapy?
Call or enter your information in the form below to schedule your free 20-minute phone consultation. I will answer any questions you might have and discuss how we get started. It’s normal to be a little nervous before setting up an appointment. Getting some more information will help you decide if Anxiety Therapy is for you.
(1) Harvard Medical School, 2007. National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). (2017, August 21).
(2) Curtiss JE, Levine DS, Ander I, Baker AW. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments for Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2021 Jun;19(2):184-189.
Recent Posts
Anxiety: Avoid Avoidance
Anxiety often leads to avoidance, which, in the end, usually makes us feel worse.
Anxiety: Our Inner Battle with the Future
Anxiety is a word we hear more and more. Many people think of anxiety as nervousness, feeling jittery, or being on edge.
10 Ways to Survive “Parenting in Place”
Since the onset of “stay at home” orders, I’ve talked with many parents who are dealing with the stress of being cooped up inside with kids for a long time.