Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Richmond, VA

Anna: My go-to approach for treating anxiety is using brain and body-based strategies to understand the biological causes of anxiety, the purpose it serves, as well as strategies for counter-acting anxiety that are based in regulating our body and reframing our thought processes.

Andrew: My go-to approach for treating anxiety is through CBT and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). I find this the best benefit in helping people recognize the role of negative thought patterns because it helps the recognition of unhelpful thought loops through the use of insight and mindfulness.

Anna: I teach the following tools in anxiety therapy: grounding techniques, vagus nerve stretches and resets, deep breathing, and cognitive reframing.

Andrew: When working with anxiety, I teach the recognition of cognitive distortions and the use of defusion skills. A variety of additional mindfulness practices also are built into the creation of an effective toolbox.

Anna: I see progress when they are able to recognize the purpose anxiety serves, recognize the triggers of their anxiety, and can effectively calm their physiological responses to anxiety.

Andrew: I know a client is making meaningful progress because they report increased awareness of their thoughts and are able to effectively interrupt their patterns.

Anna: Clients can supplement their time in anxiety therapy by practicing mindfulness-based calming strategies (meditations, grounding exercises, deep breathing) on a regular basis, including self-compassion narratives into their inner monologue, and using coping skills like journaling or talking with support people about their anxiety triggers and responses.

Andrew: Clients can supplement their therapy through handouts, reviewing recommended video/audio content, and/or reading recommended books.

Anna: To prepare for your first anxiety therapy session, you can remind yourself that anxiety is a natural physiological response to perceived danger and you are not a bad person for feeling anxious. You can look up information online about how trauma/toxic levels of stress impact our brain and body.

Andrew: To best prepare for your first session, come with an open mind and be willing to be honest. We all experience some level of anxiety on a day-to-day basis, and part of what I hope therapy can help address is recognizing when our patterns of thoughts become problematic.