Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Reston, VA

When I'm working with clients who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, I primarily use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to give clients a clear understanding of all of the components that contribute to their emotional and mental responses. I also invite them to consider incorporating more self-compassion into how they think about themselves and the symptoms they experience.

When I begin working with a client who is experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety, I provide them with a lot of psychoeducation, along with some specific grounding tools that will help them reduce the intensity and duration of their symptoms. I've found that clients are relieved to learn about the aspects of brain functioning that activate their anxious responses. By providing grounding tools early on, I am beginning the process of empowering clients to develop tools that will enable them to manage their responses. Once we've spent time in these key areas, we can move on to working on more advanced strategies that are designed to provide clients with a better understanding of their beliefs, their habits, and their unmet needs, which may all contribute to the anxious response they're experiencing.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in reducing their anxiety symptoms when they share that they felt capable of effectively managing a recent stressful situation with less distress. I love these moments because I get the opportunity to cheer for my clients, acknowledging all of the hard work they have done that has gotten them to that point!

I often invite my clients to supplement their time in anxiety therapy by engaging in exercises and implementing strategies daily outside of session time. Clients will see improvements much more quickly and the tools will be much more effective if they are practiced often and used in real-life situations. It also gives them more confidence that the strategies that we discuss will actually work when they need them to!

To prepare for your first anxiety therapy session, it can be beneficial for you to reflect on what you would like to be different. Do you feel that these symptoms are preventing you from doing things? Do you want to reduce your discomfort when experiencing anxiety-producing thoughts or experiences? How would your life be different if you were not experiencing symptoms of anxiety that feel unmanageable? By exploring these questions prior to your appointment, you'll have a clearer idea of the initial goals you have for our work together.