Anxiety is a pretty typical, normal healthy emotion. At some point, we all experience anxious feelings and thoughts. Everyday situations may trigger anxiety, such as giving a speech in front of a large crowd, going on a first date, or even taking a final exam. The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” When a person is in danger, anxious feelings are normal for our survival. However, increased feelings of worry, fear, and anxiety can be interfered with daily lives- leaving us stuck in “survival mode.” Anxiety may become more problematic when it impacts our day-to-day living, such as experiencing reoccurring intrusive concerns or thoughts.

Common types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Individuals living with generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, is characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerate tension, and worry, without little cause or nothing to provoke it.

Panic Disorder

• Individuals living with panic disorder often experience repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms and sensations, such as increased heart rate, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, abdominal complaints, and fainting.

Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)

• Social anxiety disorder is often defined by experiencing overwhelming anxiety and being excessively self-conscious in daily situations. For some people, social phobias can be limited to one particular type of situation, such as talking in front or eating in front of others. In more complex cases, some individuals may experience symptoms in any form of social interaction.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Individuals living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, often experience recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Certain repetitive behaviors may include counting, checking, or washing- hoping to prevent or make the obsessive thoughts and urges disappear. Individuals will often create “rituals” over time, which may provide temporary relief, and when the rituals are not performed, it can increase levels of distress, just feelings of anxiety.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

• Individuals living with posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD, are anxiety disorders that can develop after exposure to a traumatic or terrifying event in which grave harm occurred or was threatened. Posttraumatic stress disorder can be triggered by experiencing or witnessing an event. Symptoms may include nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Types of therapy for anxiety

Whether it’s your first time or fifth time seeking therapy for anxiety, you may notice that many mental health professionals have their unique therapeutic styles and approaches in their counseling practices. While we all having varying opinions and strategies to helping individuals navigate their mental health concerns, I wanted to take time to highlight some of the types of therapy approaches and models you may come across when treating anxiety-related disorders.

Depending on your specific concerns, symptoms, diagnosis, and preferences, you and your therapist will be able to collaborate to determine the most appropriate treatment plan. It is crucial that you feel safe enough with your therapist to advocate your needs and what kind of therapy you will find the most beneficial.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is probably one of the most used behavioral treatment models. CBT is not a distinct treatment technique; instead, it is a group of therapies that include dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive therapy, and rational emotive behavior therapy. CBT is often short-term and focuses on revealing the relationships between our beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy often involves psychoeducation to assist individuals in unlearning negative reactions and learning new ones. With a CBT therapist, there is the belief that we can adjust our thoughts to influence emotions and behaviors directly. Your CBT therapist may use cognitive restructuring or reframing, exposure therapy, activity scheduling, thought records, journaling, role-playing, and relaxation and stress reduction techniques.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a type of psychotherapy that combines traditional cognitive therapy, meditation, and the cultivation of “mindfulness” to become more present-oriented and non-judgmental to thoughts, emotions, and feelings.

In MBCT, your therapist may implement meditations, body scan exercises, sitting with thoughts, yoga, breathwork, mindfulness practices, such as mindfulness stretching, walking, and eating.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) develops skills, such as mindfulness, to assist the individual in behaving in ways consistent with their values while developing psychological flexibility. ACT therapists help individuals identify how their attempts to suppress, manage and control emotional experiences increase psychological suffering, creating more challenges. By recognizing and accepting these challenges, the individuals can live by value-based actions to help support overall well-being.

Somatic Psychotherapy

Somatic psychotherapy is a holistic therapeutic approach that incorporated the individual’s mind, body, spirit, and emotions in the healing process. Somatic therapists and practitioners view the mind and body as one entity throughout the therapeutic process. The mind/body is considered self-healing and grows on its basis, given a safe, regulated environment. In somatic therapy theory, trauma often lives in our body (displayed through posture, muscular pain, and other body languages). Traditional therapy is viewed as effective, but healing occurs deeper in which talk therapy may not always be achieved. Mind-body practices may involve breathwork, visualization, massage, dance, grounding, and sensation awareness work. Some forms of somatic therapies may include: The Hakomi Method, Sensorimotor psychotherapy, Brainspotting, and Bioenergetic analysis, to name a few.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR is an integrative psychotherapy approach initially designed to help individuals experiencing symptoms of trauma and posttraumatic stress. During EMDR therapy sessions, you relive traumatic or triggering experiences in brief dosages while the clinician director your eye movements. The school of thought and research supporting EMDR is effective because recalling upsetting or distressful events is less emotionally disturbing when attention is diverted. This allows the individual to be exposed to thoughts or memories without having a strong physiological or psychological response. EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment, and typically the process occurs over 8-12 sessions.

What to expect during your first therapy session with a North Carolina therapist:

Typically, your first appointment is known as a consultation. During the consultation, your therapist may ask your reason for seeking therapy, goals, previous therapy experiences, and other relevant questions. You may also ask questions about their therapy approaches, educational background, experience, and other questions during this time. Some therapists may provide free phone consultations before your first intake session.

During your first session, it may involve the therapist further introducing themselves and reviewing the document with such as limits of confidentiality, privacy policies, any additional policies they have in place, fees, cancellation policies, pros and cons of therapy (or teletherapy), and how to contact them in-between sessions or in the event of an emergency.

One of the main objectives of the first session is to begin to understand your story, your reasons for seeking therapy and begin to formulate ideas to assist your presenting concerns. Typically your first session may look a little different than your later visits! Some questions may be asked again from the phone consultation but explained in deeper and more detail. Your therapist may ask questions such as:

• What brings you to therapy?

• How long have you been experiencing these problems?

• Have you been in therapy before?

• Any family history of mental health-related concerns?

• Goals of counseling (if you have any at the moment)?

• Current coping skills and strategies in place?

Always remember, you don’t have to share anything before you are ready. You can always tell your counselor or therapist that you don’t feel comfortable answering specific questions.

Finding the right therapist near you.

Finding a therapist is sort of like dating. It can be exciting and nerve-wracking—whether you are experienced or novice in your therapeutic journey. Maybe you know you want a female therapist experienced in EMDR and somatic therapy, or perhaps you are just looking for someone to talk to regardless of their qualifications or educational background. The sooner your reach out, the better you can start to feel!

Start Anxiety Counseling in Fayetteville, NC

Counseling can help treat anxiety. Whether you implement ACT or Mindfulness-Based Therapies, they provide skills and strategies to help reduce stress and psychoeducation on how anxiety works.

To start therapy for anxiety at The Virtual Couch in Fayetteville, NC , you only need to follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Click the button below to online schedule your free 15-minute consultation.

2. Meet Patricia, your Anxiety Therapist.

3. Learn to manage your anxiety, and live life unapologetically!

Other Counseling and Mental Health Services in Fayetteville, NC:

To learn more about me and my Fayetteville, NC counseling practice, click here! Other focus areas and mental health services at The Virtual Couch include grief and loss therapy, anxiety counseling, depression therapy, and disability affirming care. All these services are available via online counseling in North Carolina. I am excited to support and be a part of your journey.