Anxiety Counseling

Will anxiety ever go away? Can Anxiety Counseling really help me?

Anxiety can feel like an unending cycle, often leaving you questioning if relief is ever possible. You may have sought counseling in the past, yet the feelings of anxiety persist, leading to a sense of entrapment. Those brief moments of relief can feel fleeting, causing frustration and discouragement. At Marin Integrative Therapy, we recognize the profound impact that anxiety has on both your emotional well-being and your physical health.

It is important to understand that experiencing anxiety is common, and you are not alone in this struggle. In our therapy practice, we have dedicated years to helping individuals move from a state of discomfort to one of calm and stability. Our licensed therapists are here to collaborate with you to discover the strategies and tools that work best for your unique situation. Whether through individual counseling or holistic wellness services, we aim to support you in achieving a more balanced and fulfilling life. Let us help guide you toward a path of peace and improved mental health.

Here’s just an example of how anxiety counseling can help:

We can get it backwards and think our feelings drive our thoughts, but it’s really our thoughts that drive our feelings. Entering a cycle of negative thoughts can lead us down a path that results in persistent feelings of distress.

At Marin Integrative Therapy, we utilize various therapeutic models, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness serving as the cornerstone of our anxiety treatment plans. This approach allows us to delve deep into your thought patterns, examining their origins and identifying the triggering thoughts that contribute to your anxiety. By challenging these thoughts, we can create a more constructive mental framework.

Many individuals do not pause to consider their thoughts critically. During your anxiety counseling sessions, we will work together to uncover the roots of these negative thought patterns. Our goal is to facilitate the learning of effective strategies to manage and ultimately diminish these patterns.

To begin this journey, cultivating an awareness of your thoughts is crucial. This practice requires effort and repetition, much like developing any new skill. Through our sessions, you will gain the tools necessary to recognize and alter these thoughts, promoting a healthier mindset over time.

“I’ve tried counseling for anxiety before, and I still feel anxious most of the time.” Our Anxiety Counseling is different. Let us explain how.

Anxiety can indeed serve as a signal, prompting us to prepare for potential challenges. Yet, when it evolves into a persistent source of distress, it becomes crucial to address it effectively. Learning to manage anxiety attacks with specific skills can empower you in the face of this condition. These techniques can help you navigate moments of heightened anxiety with more ease.

Developing coping strategies involves practice, but the results can be significantly beneficial. You can cultivate a tool set that allows you to respond to anxiety in healthier ways, ultimately reducing the frequency and impact of attacks. Remember, while it is natural to plan for uncertainties, holding onto anxiety as a means of preparation may not be the most effective approach. The reality of many situations rarely unfolds exactly as anticipated, and even in instances where outcomes align with our fears, it does not alleviate the discomfort experienced.

Recognizing that anxiety is a common experience can help in reassessing its role in your life. It’s essential to differentiate between normal levels of anxiety that motivate us and persistent anxiety that hampers our daily functioning. Seeking support from a qualified therapist can be an important step in learning how to keep anxiety at manageable levels, allowing you to regain control and enhance your overall well-being.

Now we’ve filled up this one moment when we could be peaceful, and instead, filled it up with anxiety and worry. It really doesn’t get us very far. And we didn't even have to try very hard - it just kind of “happened.” Anxiety counseling offers a dedicated space to examine these patterns, enabling us to understand the roots of our anxiety and develop coping strategies. By engaging in this process, individuals can learn to reclaim their moments, fostering a greater sense of tranquility and control in their lives. Breaking the cycle of anxiety can lead to improved mental health and a more fulfilling existence.

Sometimes life can feel completely overwhelming. It throws things at us one after another, and even multiple things all at one time. When we feel like we can’t keep up, we may feel like we have failed. This sense of failure only serves to deepen the painful belief that we are not good enough—a belief many of us carry.

It’s important to recognize that no one can handle multiple stressful situations perfectly all the time. Despite what it may seem, this perception is often an illusion; everyone experiences difficulties and challenges.

So, what can we do about this overwhelming anxiety? Fortunately, there are many strategies we can explore to address it. First, consider practicing mindfulness techniques to stay present and grounded, allowing yourself to step back from the chaos. Additionally, reach out for support, whether through conversations with friends or professional counseling. Journaling can also serve as a powerful tool to process thoughts and emotions.

By acknowledging our challenges and seeking effective coping mechanisms, we can work towards a more balanced and fulfilling life. It’s crucial to remember that we are not alone in this journey, and there are resources available to help navigate through overwhelming times.

Will Anxiety Counseling make my anxiety worse? I get anxious just talking about it…

The short answer is no. Anxiety counseling won’t make your anxiety worse. While it may feel challenging at first to discuss your feelings, we prioritize your comfort and move at your pace.

When you attempt to hide from anxiety or avoid addressing it, the situation often intensifies. Anxiety counseling aims to break that cycle of fear. The more you try to suppress your emotions, the stronger they can become, and the more intense your anxiety may feel. Through counseling, you will gain insight into your triggers, allowing you to address and manage them effectively.

This process is about moving beyond the cycle of fear that perpetuates anxiety. It is essential to recognize that some level of anxiety can be normal, but it should not dominate your life or diminish your daily experiences. The objective of anxiety counseling is to help you halt fear before it begins and reclaim your life from anxiety's grip.

Anxiety counseling is about healing the triggers while learning ways to cope

Anxiety is highly treatable, and you don’t need to keep tolerating its relentless attacks. If you find yourself overwhelmed by stress, racing thoughts, or feelings of panic, it’s time to take a step toward relief. At Marin Integrative Therapy, we specialize in anxiety counseling tailored to your unique needs.

Our highly experienced licensed therapists are here to help you break the cycle of anxiety and regain control of your life. Located in Point Pleasant, NJ, we offer the convenience of online counseling and flexible options to support you on your journey to feeling better.

Don’t let anxiety dictate your life any longer. If you’re ready to try, ready to feel better, and ready to reclaim your peace of mind, reach out to us today. Together, we can find a path towards healing and empowerment.

You just need to click the button below & reach out to us.

Are you ready to feel better?

Anxiety may take any of these forms:

Social anxiety or social phobia

-fear of being around other people. People who suffer from this disorder always feel self-conscious around others.

Panic disorder

- a condition where a person has panic attacks without warning.

Generalized anxiety disorder

-quite common, and fills a person’s life with worry, anxiety, and fear. People who have this disorder are always thinking and dwelling on the “what ifs” of every situation. It feels like there is no way out of the vicious cycle of anxiety and worry.

Phobias

-fearing a specific object or situation.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

-a system of ritualized behaviors or obsessions that are driven by anxious thoughts.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

- severe anxiety that is triggered by memories of a past traumatic experience.

Agoraphobia

-disabling fear that prevents one from leaving home or another safe place

Most people who suffer from anxiety disorders begin to feel better when they receive the proper treatment. It can be difficult to identify the correct treatment, however, because each person’s anxiety is caused by a unique set of factors. It can be frustrating for the client when treatment is not immediately successful or takes longer than hoped for. Some clients feel better after a few weeks or months of treatment, while others may need a year or more.

“I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside”

— Wayne Dyer

There is no single correct approach which is why we use and combine a variety of modalities and techniques to make an individual plan tailored for you. Some of these modalities include:

Cognitive Therapy

You learn to identify and change unproductive thought patterns by observing your feelings and learning to separate realistic from unrealistic thoughts.

Mindfulness

Utilizing the skills taken from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we can help reduce anxiety by teaching and building upon being more present-focused to help calm the “what if’s”.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

It’s very common for us to meet fear with fear – we can get into a vicious cycle of feeling anxious and then felling more anxious because we feel anxious. Fear feeds fear. ACT helps you develop skills and strategies to break free from this cycle and stop feeding the fear.

Behavior Therapy

This treatment helps you alter and control unwanted behavior. Systematic desensitization, a type of behavior therapy, is often used to help people with phobias and OCD. After ensuring you have solid coping strategies in place. You are very slowly exposed to anxiety-producing stimuli one small step at a time, gradually increasing your tolerance to situations that have produced disabling anxiety.