Anxiety Therapy: Finding the Courage to Take Up Space

Sally shifted uncomfortably on the couch, her hands tugging at the hem of her sweater.

She sighed, her voice hesitant, barely louder than a whisper. “I don’t even know if it makes sense talking about it. Maybe I’m overreacting.”

She glanced at me, as though bracing for confirmation of her worst fear—that she was wasting my time.

When she first sat down, Sally had said she wanted to talk about a recent interaction with her mom. “It’s nothing major,” she’d added quickly, already minimizing her feelings.

But as she began to describe the conversation, I noticed her words start to trail off. What began as frustration with her mom for dismissing her ideas suddenly shifted into something deeper and murkier.

“I mean, I get it. She’s busy,” Sally said, her gaze fixed on the floor. “I probably shouldn’t have even brought it up. It’s not like it matters. Maybe I’m just being too sensitive.”

And there it was—the wall she often put up between herself and her emotions.

The irritation she felt toward her mom had been real, but before she could fully explore it, Sally had already talked herself out of it.

Sound familiar?

Maybe, like Sally, you start with the intention of expressing how you feel, only to second-guess everything:

Am I making too big a deal out of this? Do my feelings even matter? 

What if the real issue is the way you’ve been taught to believe your feelings aren’t worth exploring?

How can anxiety therapy help?

Anxiety therapy is about learning to sit with what’s there and be supported through the messiness and discomfort.

In Sally’s case, her anxiety was tangled up in years of silencing herself.

Every time she told herself her feelings didn’t matter, she reinforced the belief that she didn’t matter.

Therapy was her chance to rewrite that story.

In my work I provide moment-by-moment guidance in paying attention to unconscious early anxiety signals, slowing down, and speaking up.

Step into your own story. 

✨ Who taught you that your thoughts or feelings don’t deserve space?

✨ How would it be if you gave yourself permission to explore what you’re thinking without judging it?

Whether it’s a small nudge or a leap, therapy can help you untangle the overwhelm, reduce anxiety, and reconnect with yourself.

When the time feels right, let's talk. 💛

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