Anxiety Counseling

 
 

Are You Feeling Overloaded By Your Worrisome Thoughts?

Does your mind race with anxious thoughts that leave you feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained? Have you questioned your faith because relying on scripture alone to manage your anxiety symptoms isn’t helping? Do you wish you could slow down your thoughts and feel at peace?

You may have a hard time calming yourself down. Perhaps you engage in lots of activities to distract yourself so you don’t have time to focus on the negative thoughts that swirl around in your mind. Instead, you run at high speed, noticing the physical symptoms—such as headaches, changes in your eating or sleeping patterns, sexual dysfunction, muscle tension, upset stomach, and shortness of breath—that have taken hold.

 

Spiritually, you may question your belief in God, especially if you feel like a spiritual failure because you can’t manage your anxiety with faith or relying on scripture. You may have tried faith-based counseling before, but it didn’t fully address your symptoms of anxiety.

Struggling with feelings of shame and embarrassment when it comes to your anxious thinking patterns, you may have become withdrawn and avoid contact with people. Or perhaps you are frustrated that you’re unable to enforce boundaries with your friends and family and get overwhelmed when you are in their company.

You probably wish you understood your anxiety. You know you want relief from the constant overthinking, insomnia, fatigue, and stress, but you’re not sure how to achieve it. The good news is anxiety treatment can help you slow down your thoughts and get better rest. In therapy, you can learn practical coping strategies to manage your anxiety.

Black Women Are Especially Vulnerable To Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern in the United States. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has estimated that approximately 40 million adults have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is often triggered when we experience stress, grief, or trauma. While most of us experience normal anxiety—such as butterflies in our stomach when anticipating an upcoming presentation—anxiety becomes debilitating when its symptoms routinely interfere with how we function in daily life.

Studies have shown that Black women suffer more acutely from anxiety than their white counterparts. Part of this has to do with the “Strong Black Woman” stereotype, which remains prevalent within our community. We are raised to believe that as women we should be the steadfast caretakers of family, church, and community who never show weakness. Growing up, we learn to suppress our emotions in order to uphold the appearance of always being strong and resilient. As a result, we often won’t admit it when we experience anxiety, even to ourselves.

What’s more, as Black women we may be more prone to social anxiety if we represent the first generation of POC within a traditionally white establishment, such as higher learning or the executive level of corporate America. The mantle we carry everywhere we go is a heavy one.

In addition, religion—and Christianity in particular—plays a central role in the lives of the majority of Black women in the United States. As such, we are more likely to rely on religious guidance and faith-based counseling when we experience anxiety rather than consider treatment.  Unfortunately, Christian counseling doesn’t always contain the appropriate methods for treating anxiety and, as a consequence, many Black women suffer in silence.

But the good news is you don’t have to live with the anxiety anymore. With proper treatment, you can free yourself from the discomfort of panic attacks—along with anxiety’s other unwelcome symptoms—and regain the calm and centeredness you’ve been missing.

 

Anxiety Treatment Can Ease Your Mind And Restore A Sense Of Calm

If left untreated, anxiety can negatively affect your physical and mental health as well as impact your self-esteem and outlook on life. However, treatment for anxiety can be effective in managing the symptoms you’ve been struggling with.

I provide a compassionate and self-affirming space to help you face your fears and understand where your anxiety stems from while offering you practical tools to regain control of your life. I will partner with you and serve as a guide on your healing journey, giving you the forum to openly discuss your concerns without fear, shame, or judgment.

In our initial sessions, I will answer any questions you may have about the process. Once we review your intake form and identify your goals for therapy, we will collaborate to develop the best course of anxiety treatment for you. From the moment we begin working together, I will offer you psychoeducation so that you understand how anxiety manifests in your body as well as your mind.

In ongoing sessions, we will identify the stressors in your life that trigger your anxiety and I will teach you healthy coping skills to help manage your symptoms. I offer non-medical interventions such as meditation, yoga, journaling, and grounding exercises to help you stay in the present moment as well as reframe negative thoughts, so you no longer ruminate on them. In addition, we will review your diet, sleeping hygiene, and exercise routine and I will encourage you to instill healthy lifestyle habits that can help decrease your anxiety levels.

 

As we explore what the root causes of your anxiety are, we may determine they stem from previous trauma. In these instances, I often use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to help you process the traumatic memory and resolve the issue. By working through the phases of EMDR treatment, I can help you activate your natural healing process and neutralize painful memories so they don’t negatively affect you anymore.

With a variety of evidence-based therapy, you will experience a supportive and safe space to gain clarity about the challenges you’re facing. You will receive tools to increase your confidence and foster self-empowerment, while learning strategies to reconnect to yourself and reclaim your voice. It’s possible to slow down your mind and feel comfortable in your body once again.

But you may be wondering whether anxiety treatment is right for you…

  • It can be frightening to seek assistance when you’re in a controlling relationship, but all my sessions are confidential and nonjudgmental. What’s more, talking to a counselor about your domestic violence experience can help you learn coping strategies and ease your emotional burden. It takes courage to get started, but I will support you throughout the process and ensure you feel safe enough to move forward.

  • As children of God, we’re born to experience the emotional highs and lows of being human. But sometimes our brains need help processing the painful emotions that stem from these life experiences. As Christians, we are often taught to turn to scripture to handle our mental distress and to avoid anxiety counseling or therapy—inadvertently suppressing our emotions rather than feeling them. As a Christian myself, I understand the role of spirituality, but as a therapist, I have learned the importance of dealing with trauma and hurt. You are not a spiritual failure—you are human.

  • We all need help at some point in our lives, and you are demonstrating wisdom and courage for seeking assistance. You have probably already found some coping mechanisms that work for you, but perhaps you could use more support or benefit from some new tools or ways of thinking about things. As your anxiety counselor, I will partner with you to identify additional strengths and strategies that will.

Anxiety Doesn’t Have To Define Who You Are Or How You Feel

Your life doesn’t have to be dictated by anxiety. Once you embrace the possibility that outside help might be necessary, you can restore a sense of calm and find peace in the present moment. If you would like to schedule an appointment or discuss any questions you may have about anxiety treatment, please visit the contact page.