Do you often feel tight in your body, like it’s hard to breathe or just relax?
Do you struggle to slow down or turn off your racing mind?
Are you easily overwhelmed with small or simple tasks?
Do unwelcome thoughts of COVID-19, world events and/or your own stressors keep you up at night?
Anxiety is a drag and a drain on your system. You may feel exhausted as your mind replays the day’s events over and over again. Making matters worse, anxiety can negatively affect your physical health with symptoms such as headaches, appetite changes, digestive issues, heart palpitations, craving sugar and insomnia.
Every day you put on your bravest, “I’m fine” face desperately hoping you’ll make it through but inside, you’re tense, miserable and braced for the worst.
You may also be feeling a sense of disconnection from yourself and others as worry thoughts take over. In an effort to control your anxiety, you may withdraw from social events and relationships because:
- you aren’t sure if you can get through the event or interaction without “losing it,”
- you don’t want to commit to plans because you are unsure if you’ll even have the energy to connect and/or,
- you worry about being “too much” or “not enough” around your family and friends.
Ultimately, when you are really anxious, it’s hard to be present in your most important relationships because your anxiety is so damn loud in your head and in your body that you can’t hear or feel anything else.
You may also struggle with comparing yourself to others and feeling judged when you feel anxious. You don’t want to keep feeling as anxious as you do, why can’t the people in your life get that?
What you really want is to know that you have the capacity to deal with stress in ways that maintain your self-esteem and dignity, help you to feel more in control and more empowered. You don’t just want your anxiety to end, you also want to feel more joy, more connection and more flow in your life.
Anxiety is all too common right now. You are not alone.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America: “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older.” Unfortunately, these statistics have increased with the uncertainty of COVID-19 and social distancing measures in place.
Stress is a normal part of being alive; our bodies are hard-wired to deal effectively with stress. However, when stress becomes a chronic state or habit in the body, then our bodies and nervous systems have to work even harder just to maintain its normal functioning.
People who really struggle with anxiety often feel embarrassed about it and as a result, may struggle with asking for help. Over time, anxiety becomes a pattern of tension, hyper-vigilance and negative self-judgment.
Anxiety won’t go away on its own. It’s ok to ask for help and the sooner you get the support you need the sooner you’ll get to start feeling better.
Anxiety therapy can help you reclaim ease, pleasure, connection and joy
We here at Somatic Therapy Partners specialize in treating anxiety. We know that anxiety is your stress response system stuck in a pattern of being “ON” too much. As such, we primarily use a somatic approach to anxiety treatment, which means that we enlist your body as an ally in the healing process.
Therapy is a collaborative process built on trust, safety and compassion. We provide you with a solid understanding of how the nervous system works as well as concrete skills to help get your body out of the habit of anxiety. We also help you learn how to listen to the language of your body so that you can be more response-able instead of reactive. Your body speaks in a myriad of ways all the time. As you learn how to listen to your body, you become much more empowered to take effective, skillful action to help your system de-stress.
Together, we will navigate and co-create a treatment plant that fits your needs, your pacing and your comfort level. It’s all about you!
Somatic Therapy is a Holistic Mind Body Approach that Effectively Reduces Anxiety
While traditional talk therapy approaches are no doubt helpful, unfortunately, it often leaves the body out of the process. A great deal of research suggests that including the body in therapy leads to more beneficial outcomes.
These days, it’s easy to find information on how to deal with anxiety. However, if you could have already THOUGHT your way out of your anxiety, you would have. It takes more than just changing your thoughts to overcome anxiety.
What we’ve found is that incorporating a somatic approach in treating anxiety is more holistic and more sustainable with the added benefit of improving your relationship to your body.
Somatic Therapy for Anxiety is also Available Online
With COVID-19 impacting everyday life, we offer online therapy via video as well as seeing clients in person. Click here to read about our in-person session safety protocols during COVID-19.
We prefer to do video sessions with clients so that we can see your face and body to make observations and help you tune into what’s happening there.
We use a HIPAA compliant video platform to ensure confidentiality. All you need is a phone, tablet or computer with a camera and an internet connection. If you live with people, we also recommend doing online sessions behind locked doors or putting a sign on the door, as well as using headphones.
You also have the option of doing a mixture of online or in-person sessions.
Perhaps you’re considering anxiety treatment but have more questions…
Is online therapy as effective as in person?
Some people really like online therapy because they don’t have to battle traffic and get to be in the comfort of their own home. Given COVID-19, we also support people practicing social distancing as much as possible. The skills and the education that we offer our clients can be easily practiced and learned while using a video platform.
How long will anxiety treatment take?
The simple answer is that it will take less time the more you practice the skills and mindset shifts that you will learn in sessions.
Do you accept insurance?
We don’t accept insurance at this time. However, if you are looking for reimbursement, we can provide you with the appropriate documentation to submit. We also encourage you to contact your insurance provider to confirm what your benefits are with “out of network providers.”
You can get off the anxiety hamster wheel!
If you’re interested in learning more or it sounds like Somatic Therapy Partners would be a good fit, please reach out to schedule your first session!
There is so much love for you here!