ANXIETY
Anxiety is a normal human response — feeling anxious before a presentation, during financial stress, facing deadlines, meeting new people, or navigating relationship challenges. It’s part of being human.
But when worry becomes persistent, intrusive, or overwhelming, it can take over your daily life. You may feel consumed by thoughts, unable to relax, and increasingly disconnected from yourself and others. This is where psychotherapy can help.
Together, we’ll explore how anxiety shows up for you, what it might be protecting you from, and how to gently build new ways of responding. My approach is compassionate and collaborative — helping you understand both the psychological patterns and deeper roots of anxiety in a way that supports real change.
Understanding Anxiety Beyond the Surface
Anxiety is often more than just symptoms — it can signal that something deeper within you needs attention. Sometimes anxiety arises when we disconnect from our feelings or needs to cope, belong, or stay safe. Therapy is a space to explore - gently and honestly - what’s been holding you back and what might be possible going forward. I offer a safe, human conversation grounded in empathy, curiosity, and connection.
Rather than just trying to "manage" anxiety, therapy offers a space to understand it with compassion. We gently explore what your anxiety may be trying to tell you and how it may have developed as a protective response. This process moves at your pace, within a safe, respectful, and curious relationship.
Common Experiences of Anxiety
You might recognize some of these signs:
- Excessive worry: persistent, overwhelming worry that leaves you drained or preoccupied
- Racing mind: a constant loop of planning, analysing, second-guessing, or replaying
- Sleep difficulties: trouble falling or staying asleep because your thoughts won’t quiet down
- Muscle tension: physical tightness in your jaw, shoulders, chest, or stomach, often unnoticed
- Irrational fears: strong reactions to situations like flying, crowds, or certain animals, despite low actual risk
- Social anxiety: fear of being judged or “not enough” in social settings, leading to avoidance or distress
- Panic attacks: sudden waves of fear or physical symptoms like heart palpitations, dizziness, or chest tightness
- Perfectionism and self-criticism: a harsh inner voice driving constant pressure and fear of failure
- Obsessive or compulsive patterns: repetitive thoughts or behaviours that offer temporary relief but increase anxiety over time
A Gentle Path Toward Change
Psychotherapy isn’t about fixing you — it’s about making sense of your experience and understanding yourself more fully. Over time, you may find your relationship with anxiety shifts. Instead of being ruled by it, you respond with more clarity, kindness, and choice. .
We’ll draw from various approaches — including mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural strategies, relational and psychodynamic insight, and systemic thinking - to support healing in a way that feels grounded, collaborative, and attuned to you as a whole person
Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.
CORRIE TEN BOOM