Work-Related Anxiety Therapy
When your nervous system won’t stand down.
You look down and see your boss’s name on your phone, and before you even open the text, you can feel your heart rate speed up, your stomach drop, and the pressure in your head start to build.
That’s a nervous system that has been on high alert long enough that it stopped waiting for actual information.
When you’ve been running this way for months or years, neutral starts to feel threatening. Your colleague’s flat look in a meeting registers as an accusation. The two-word reply to the email you edited for 20 minutes lands like an insult. A calendar invite with no context feels like you’re about to be fired. Your body treats all of it like danger.
That dread is real, and some of those threats are undoubtedly real too, so a big part of this work is learning to tell the difference between a real threat and a nervous system stuck on autopilot, because right now your body can’t tell the difference.
And the energy it takes to stay perpetually on alert is tremendous. It doesn’t come back when you walk out to your car, and it won’t be available when you walk in the door at home.
Are you looking for anxiety support right away? To learn how I can help, schedule an appointment here.
What anxiety looks like at work.
It might surprise you how many of your “good habits” are actually anxiety in disguise. For example:
- Do you plan everything in granular detail because the possibility of something going sideways makes your chest tight.
- If your partner suggests a spontaneous change to the weekend, what’s your first reaction? A flash of panic you have to override before you can respond?
- Have your coworkers learned not to deviate from the agenda or go overtime? Maybe you know you can come across as rigid, but you don’t feel rigid. You feel like everyone should be operating this way.
- Do you sit down on a Saturday with nothing urgent and still feel like you’re forgetting something?
- When something goes well at work, do you enjoy it, or do you immediately start anticipating what could go wrong next?
- Do you rehearse how to bring up something simple with your partner, as if it’s a negotiation?
- Have you had the chest tightness or the stomach problems checked out, and nothing is wrong, but your body still won’t calm down?
This is what it feels like when your body is running a threat response all day with nowhere to discharge it. It’s draining, to say the least.
You probably know this because by the time you get home, all you want to do is check out.
What we’ll work on.
- Rewiring the nervous system patterns that keep you in a constant state of alert, so your body can downshift and stop treating everything as a threat
- Building enough internal safety that you can assess your work situation through a regulated lens, not a survival lens
- Distinguishing between environments that genuinely require vigilance and reactions that have become automatic
- Processing the workplace experiences that trained your nervous system to operate this way in the first place
What I don’t do:
- Assume your anxiety is irrational when it may be a reasonable response to real conditions
- Teach coping skills without addressing the circumstances, keeping your nervous system activated
- Ignore the workplace dynamics that are reinforcing your anxiety
This work is for you if:
- Your anxiety follows you across jobs, managers, companies, and home again
- You can’t tell whether your vigilance is protecting you or running on autopilot
- Your anxiety is affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to be present at home
How does anxiety treatment help?
It’s not uncommon to struggle with anxiety but never tell anyone about it. You may not realize how bad it is because you’ve had it so long. Or, you might worry friends or co-workers will judge you for having emotional struggles.
I get it. You think you should be able to cope on your own, or get over it already. But we all need help from time to time. You deserve support to live your happiest life.
I offer treatments to help you cope with symptoms, while also getting to the bottom of what’s going on. For example, everyday relaxation skills may allow you to deal better in the moment. And by digging a little deeper, you can start to heal the causes of your fears.
Here’s a look at some of the techniques I offer as a part of anxiety therapy.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
I’m trained in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) which offers multiple methods in self-care and coping. DBT strategies can help you with the following, and more:
- Interpersonal challenges, such as interacting and getting along with others
- Mindfulness strategies, to help lower anxiety and fears about the future
- Distress tolerance skills to deal with uncomfortable situations and worries, so you get through them more easily
- Emotional regulation to help with overwhelming feelings and triggers
DBT-based therapy is a flexible approach that we can adjust depending on your needs and what you’re going through.
Schema Therapy
We all have set-in patterns. Anxiety is sometimes connected to fears that we developed as children or teenagers. Schema therapy helps you look at your patterns and begin to challenge them. Over time, you can learn to understand why and how your fears developed, and start to respond to them differently.
To learn more about DBT treatment, schema therapy, and other options, click the button below to schedule a consultation.
FAQ
What if I feel anxious about scheduling?
It’s normal to feel unsure about the next step. I know it takes a lot of courage, especially for someone who struggles a lot with anxiety, to reach out for help.
However, most people I meet with say they feel much better as soon as we start talking. It’s important to me that you feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire process.
If you’re interested in therapy but not ready to talk, you can always reach out by email to say hello or ask questions. Visit here to see how you can get in touch.
How will therapy work?
You’re in charge of your own treatment. While I may make suggestions, you always get to decide what we do and how we move forward. I know many people have had bad experiences with doctors or others (or sometimes even therapists). I want you to know that I accept you as you are, and I won’t judge or put you on the spot.
As my clients progress in treatment, they often experience benefits such as the following:
- Feeling more relaxed
- Looking forward to the future
- Increased freedom in their day
- More confidence in themselves and in their abilities
- A better understanding of underlying issues
- New, more effective ways of coping
How do we begin anxiety treatment?
To get started, I generally begin with a free consultation. This gives us a chance to chat a bit and get to know each other. I can make sure that I’m able to help effectively with what you’re going through, and you can decide if you’re ready to move forward.
Here’s how it works:
- Schedule a free consultation
- Chat briefly and decide if you want to continue
- Get started with therapy and finding relief
You don’t have to go through high anxiety alone, and you don’t have to accept that it’s a part of life. I’m here to help. Reach out here to get started.