Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Framingham, MA

My go-to approach to treating anxiety is to use cognitive behavioral therapy, commonly known as CBT. Together, we identify the most prevalent negative and irrational thoughts that are consistently present, which are known as core beliefs. Once identified, we developed a specific way to counter or “talk back” to those thoughts that are the actual cause of the symptoms of anxiety that the client is experiencing. Once the client begins to use these counters while having these core beliefs or thoughts, the thoughts and symptoms begin to decrease until our ultimate goal, which is the extinction of the thoughts and symptoms.

While working on cognitive restructuring, I teach a variety of ways to manage the symptoms of anxiety. Mental grounding is a particularly helpful tool for clients to help them regulate when they find themselves in hyperarousal. Another particularly helpful tool to use is box breathing. This technique, when done correctly, stimulates the vagus nerve which triggers the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “calming” part of the nervous system. This then shuts off the “fight, flight, freeze” reaction that clients are often in. This allows the prefrontal cortex to be activated due to it becoming deactivated when in “fight, flight, freeze.” Clients then feel a very calming sensation and can use all their executive functioning.

I know when a client is making progress due to their own self-reporting. They will express a decrease in their symptoms and an increase in their overall functioning. They will be happy, and excited that they are able to do things with much more ease, and do things that they may not have been able to do prior to starting therapy.

Clients typically have things to work on in between sessions. They have thoughts to record while feeling anxious. They have various assignments around things they struggle with. For example, if they struggle with negative thinking, then they will have to write five positive things at the end of every day and they must go over them with me next session. If they struggle with self-esteem, they may have to write two positive things daily about themselves and review them in the next session. Assignments are tailored to each individual, what they are struggling with, and what they are capable of doing at that time.

To prepare for your first session just come ready to do work to get better. We will talk and actively do work to get you better. My goal is to make you better and eliminate your symptoms. We have to do that together. Prepare to work as a team!