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Counseling & Psychotherapy

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empathic

Counseling & Psychotherapy

Managing Anxiety

Anxiety Treatment in Denver, Colorado

Anxiety Treatment in Denver, CO

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Anxiety is a normal part of life. We’ve all experienced it. Evolution has us hard wired for it. We’re supposed to feel a spike in adrenaline when we see a saber-toothed tiger running towards us. “DANGER!”, our body screams. Our natural alarm system is keeping us safe from harm. That’s great! However, we’ve evolved to think “DANGER!” at the little things. Things that are not life-threatening or inherently dangerous. Most people aren’t facing danger in their day to day lives but experience anxiety like they are. Perpetual anxiety can have a significant impact on your self-esteem, relationships, work performance and social life. It can hold you back from your goals and keep you stuck in a vicious cycle of uncertainty and doubt. 

Anxiety shows up differently for everyone. For some it may look like a defense mechanism or short temper. For others it looks like depression, forgetfulness and insomnia. Maybe you’re going to bed and can’t stop thinking about what happened earlier that day. Or wondering if that last plane ticket you bought was too expensive. You may be thinking that you’ll never find a partner who gets you. Maybe you’re worried about having to spend time with your co-workers again. It never ends. The anxiety builds and you start to panic about the anxiety itself. You’re tired and you want it to stop.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorders can be debilitating and make life exceptionally challenging. While everyone experiences anxiety, here are some of the common symptoms of an anxiety disorder:

Restlessness

Uncontrollable feelings of worry

Trouble concentrating 

Feeling Overwhelmed

Problem eating too much or too little

Snapping at people 

Over-preparing 

Nervousness

Heart palpitations

Imposter Syndrome

Always thinking something bad is about to happen

What if you could…

Be confident at social events

Sleep through the night

Feel calm when you wake up in the morning

Work to your potential 

Take healthy risks (be spontaneous!)

Be present with family and friends

Stop depending on emotional crutches like food and substances

Properly handle stress

No longer have to avoid people, places and things

Stop preparing for the worst

Therapy for Anxiety in Denver, Colorado

If you feel like your anxiety is taking over and no longer controllable, therapy can help. Understanding your thoughts, feelings and behaviors is the first step toward living happily with anxiety disorder.  First, we’ll take a look at what anxiety is doing for you (it’s doing something) and examine how it’s been harmful. In my practice, I rely mostly on a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). All treatments can be short-term approaches and only keep you in therapy while you’re experiencing symptoms, not long-term.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Research has shown CBT to be extremely effective in dealing quickly with anxiety and preventing future problems related to anxiety. Using CBT, you will learn how to change the automatic negative thoughts that contribute to and worsen emotional difficulties. These negative thoughts are identified, challenged and replaced with more objective, realistic thoughts. The goal of CBT is to teach you that while you can not control the world around you, you can take control of how you interpret and deal with your environment.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of treatment that can help you learn to end your struggle with anxiety-related discomfort and take charge by engaging in the things that you value. A core component of ACT is learning to appreciate and observe unfavorable thoughts and feelings just as they are instead of trying to change or decrease them. When you become aware of your thoughts and feelings without judgement, they begin to have less power. You can learn how to live a life that’s in alignment with what you value, not a life that’s aligned with excessive anxiety.

EMDR

EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that involves working with thoughts, behaviors, emotions and physical sensations similar to CBT; however, EMDR is experienced in the moment using bi-lateral stimulation of the brain. EMDR therapy is used most frequently with PTSD although there is often a close relationship between trauma and anxiety. The unifying characteristic of both is experiencing some level of distress, threat or fear. There are several studies showing that eye movements (EMDR) can decrease emotional intensity and relieve the anxiety, guilt and fear brought on by negative thoughts and experiences.

Begin Anxiety Treatment in Colorado Today

Anxiety doesn’t have to run the show. You don’t need to continue living with the stress of anxiety. Online therapy is available to help you feel more confident and calm. My Colorado counseling practice specializes in anxiety treatment. To start your journey, whether in my Denver office or online anywhere in Colorado, contact me today.  Empathic Counseling and Psychotherapy is committed to providing quality care. Therapy doesn’t have to be a drag. It can be a fun and engaging process where clients are free to be themselves, face their fears and achieve their goals.
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