When your mind won't stop racing.
Anxiety can be useful — until it isn't. When the worry won't turn off, when the body keeps bracing for something that isn't coming, that's when it's time for a different approach.
You might recognize some of these.
Physical symptoms that don't quit.
Tight chest, racing heart, stomach in knots, jaw clenched, shoulders up. The body reacts before the mind catches up.
Worry on a loop.
The same thought, over and over, even when you know it isn't useful. Catastrophizing. 'What if' scenarios that hijack your day.
Sleep that won't come.
Lying in bed reviewing every awkward conversation from the past decade. Waking at 3am with the heart racing and no clear reason.
Avoidance.
Skipping the call, the event, the doctor's appointment, because the anticipation is worse than the thing itself. Anxiety quietly shrinks your life.
Care that begins with a conversation.
We name what kind of anxiety this is.
Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and acute stress all look different and respond to different things. The first conversation maps which of these is actually going on for you.
Talk therapy gives you tools you keep.
We work on the patterns — the thoughts, the avoidance, the body's alarm system. These are skills you carry with you, not just things that work in the room.
Medication can lower the volume.
For many patients, the right medication brings the baseline anxiety down enough that the work of therapy actually lands. SSRIs, buspirone, and (sparingly) other options are all on the table — we discuss what fits.
We respect the body.
Caffeine, alcohol, sleep, and movement all change anxiety in measurable ways. Treatment includes the boring stuff that actually works.
“Anxiety lies. We learn to recognize the lie, and then we get free.”
Common questions about anxiety.
- Will I be put on a benzodiazepine?
- Probably not as a long-term plan. Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Klonopin, Ativan) work fast but build dependence and are difficult to stop. I prescribe them rarely and only when they're clearly the right tool. Most anxiety responds better to other approaches.
- Is anxiety a sign of weakness?
- No. Anxiety is a normal human signal that has gotten stuck on. It happens to high-achieving people, parents, students, professionals — anyone whose nervous system has been asked to do too much for too long.
- How quickly does treatment work?
- Talk therapy skills can start easing things within a few sessions. SSRI medications take 4–6 weeks for full effect. We're realistic about timelines and adjust if something isn't working.
- Can virtual visits really treat panic disorder?
- Yes. Most panic-disorder treatment doesn't require in-person care, and many patients prefer being in their own space when discussing the things that trigger them.
Ready to talk about anxiety?
Free 15-minute phone consultation. No obligation. We'll figure out together if I'm the right fit.