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Anxiety, Panic & Worry
Counselling for anxiety and panic symptoms in South Surrey and BC
Experience life more fully - with less worry and more joy
STRESS LESS
EASE YOUR MIND
What Would You Be Doing
IF ANXIETY WASN'T STOPPING YOU?
"Anxiety is something that is part of me but it's not who I am."
- Emma Stone-
Anxiety is one of the most common experiences bringing people to seek therapy. It is also a common experience among those who do not seek therapy! Many people walk around with a general ongoing sense of unease, attributing the discomfort to something about themselves, rather than to unrecognized symptoms of anxiety.
If you suffer from anxiety, you know it can feel relentless at times. It can seem as though your life is shrinking as anxiety tells you to trade in the opportunity for safety over discomfort; robbing you of peace, joy, connection, and a sense of accomplishment.
Anxiety comes from a natural human response, intended to be helpful when needed.
Therapy can help your brain and body to recognize when it IS needed and when it is NOT.
How Anxiety Shows Up
(EVEN WHEN IT'S NOT INVITED)
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racing thoughts
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rumination and worry
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what if's & worst-case scenarios
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second-guessing self, decisions, and abilities
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not good enough thoughts
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difficulty concentrating
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fears, including fear of losing control
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muscle tension & pain
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digestive issues, naseau
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shallow, fast breathing
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sweating & shaking
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restlessness or fatigue
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fast heart rate, chest pain
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lightheadedness, dizzy
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choking sensation
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headaches
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avoidance (of people, places, situations, convos)
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over-committing
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perfectionism
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being "always on the go," difficulty relaxing
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inaction, sense of stuckness, paralysis
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emotional outbursts
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interpersonal tension
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fear of expressing self or setting boundaries
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avoiding difficult conversations
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difficulty expressing needs and wants
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ongoing need for reassurance
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controlling behaviours or distancing
Did you know?
Although often used interchangeably, many experts believe anxiety and fear are actually different! While both of these states tap into our biologically wired fight-flight-freeze stress responses, there are some noted differences. Curious?
Read more on this HERE.
How Much is Too Much?
While some anxiety is absolutely normal, there may be times when your natural system response goes "over-drive" and anxiety begins to play too large of a role in your life. This can impact your daily living and wear you down, limiting your ability to feel joy. Over time, this may lead to depression.
Therapy for anxiety involves a two-pronged approach: 1) identifying and addressing what's encouraging and maintaining the "system over-drive" (working top-down), while 2) calming the system from the ground- up.
How Anxiety Therapy Can Help
Here are just a few of the ways therapy might help you reduce anxiety and reclaim your life.
01
Bring ease to the stress response
An overactivated stress response can take a toll on the body, mind, and soul, leaving you drained of energy. You may experience this as an ongoing underlying "buzz," or frequent "whooshes" of energy that seems to hyjack your nervous system. Therapy can actively help to calm your nervous system and expand your threshold before "tripping" the system. This may involve learning several personalized ways to help regulate including meditative approaches, relaxation methods, somatic strategies, etc.
03
Develop healthy thinking habits
Anxiety often rides alongside patterns of thinking and underlying beliefs that can be hard to recognize as contributors. These thought patterns and beliefs can place us into a cycles of repetitive thinking, paralysis, and inaction that furthers our distress. Therapy can help you to: identify helpful vs. unhelpful thinking, challenge limiting beliefs, learn to be more present in the moment, and calm the inner critic. You can test drive new ways of being and thinking, in the therapy room and your life.
05
Explore what's underneath anxiety
While not always the case, it's common for anxiety symptoms to be the "cough" to the underlying "cold" or concern. Exploring more about your life experiences and onset of anxiety symptoms can sometimes reveal what might be below the surface. Once this has been identified and worked with, symptoms of anxiety may resolve naturally.
02
Implement lifestyle changes
Modern life is not easy on our systems, often promoting a state of hyperarousal with little time to recuperate. Addressing different areas of your well-being in a holistic manner is necessary to build a well-functioning system. Therapy can support you to improve lifestyle habits (sleep, nutrition, exercise, routine, play, screentime, scheduled downtime, etc) that will be the foundations to staying well.
04
Develop effective problem-solving
We can hit various pitfalls when trying to problem-solve. Sometimes we are so close to our situation it can be hard to see potential solutions. Other times, we may mistake worrying as a problem-solving method. We may (unknowingly) try to problem-solve something that is out of our control - or try to bring practical solutions when emotional resolution is needed. Therapy can help you get a larger view on your situation and promote effective tools and strategies.
06
Re-align with values and meaning
Anxiety can really side-track us from living life to the fullest or prevent us from doing the things we really want to do. Therapy can help you get in touch with all the other parts of you that have been side-lined and re-connect you to your values and what brings you meaning. Often growing or tending to areas that are important to you, will result in "taking back" the space that anxiety has been taking up in your life.
