When you are caught in a war with your own thoughts the space between your ears becomes an unbearable torture chamber. Fighting off negativity, getting to the point where you just can’t push yourself to be motivated any longer and choosing instead to hide away from the world instead of being an active participant are sure signs you are in need of anxiety therapy. It could be you are getting by, day by day, despite your opposing inner thoughts which try to prevent you from making decisions. You plug away on autopilot as you navigate through your daily routines. When you realise it’s time for anxiety therapy you feel guilty because you’ll be taking time away from others and, after all, you are healthy, you do have some joy in your life and you are even successful. Sound familiar?
Panic attacks, feeling on edge, excessive fear are associated with anxiety; but it sometimes shows up looking like something very different:
Irritability, moodiness, anger issues, or hypervigilance
Avoidance of situations or activities that could heighten anxiety
Headaches, tightness in the chest, digestive issues, sleeping problems
Self-doubt, self-sabotage, low self-worth despite achievements
All of these manifestations can impact everything from work and your love life to parenting and your social relationships.
Living with anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, or phobias (fears) does feel like being trapped in a never-ending cycle. The amount of conscious energy you expel daily is massive. Mentally and physically, anxiety takes a major toll on your overall well-being. It can wear you down to the point of helplessness. But you don’t have to let it go that far. There is help.
At The Therapy Team in Thornhill, we understand the depth of the challenges you are facing. Our team of experienced therapists specialise in anxiety therapy. We have the expertise and resources to support you in your fight to feel less stressed, more at ease and capable of living your life to the fullest.
Anxiety is not all bad. In fact, we owe our very survival throughout the ages to it. Anxiety is our natural survival mechanism passed down from our ancient ancestors. Without it the memory of real threats like a sabertooth tiger or an aggressive intruder would not take on the critical awareness it deserves. It’s the way our nervous system gets us ready and prepares us for the potential next time. But sometimes when there is a perceived threat this built-in protector gets us stuck in high alert even when the actual threat is long gone.
When this happens, the symptoms we all associate with anxiety; chronic fear, worry, self-doubt and perfectionism rise up and take over. It can come like an unexpected blow to your stability. Even though you may be taking necessary steps to safe guard your mental health anxiety can spring forth from circumstances and conditions that are beyond your control:
At any given time there are, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 300 million adults and close to 60 million children and teens affected by anxiety disorders worldwide. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) has 11 categories describing the nature of anxiety disorders. Among them are Separation Anxiety, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia. Approximately 7.3% of the World’s population is currently living with one or more forms of anxiety.
Seeking anxiety therapy is a challenge in itself because the nature of the anxiety is to be fearful of change and to cast doubt and suspicion that any self exploration in this direction would only create more discomfort or “stir up” issues that you may have thought were buried long ago. You may fear Anxiety Therapy will put you in a position of being judged, invalidated or thought of as weak for not being able to “shake it off” on your own. Remember that is the skewed perception of anxiety talking.
The truth is, you absolutely do deserve to have the best possible life you can. Everyone deserves to heal and promote their sense of inner peace and ballance. The Therapy Team can help you.
Anxiety Therapy Is A Collaboration Between You and Your Therapist
Another challenge facing those who are living with anxiety is that their insight has been skewed by the condition and they may not even be aware of the full extent of what is happening to them. They also may not have a reliable support network in place. Anxiety treatment gives you the chance you need to be heard and supported as you work with your therapist toward achieving the life you will truly love.
The first couple sessions are all about getting to know one another as you and your therapist build a strong relationship and develop rapport. This is where therapy begins and the ground work begins to take shape. You will have the opportunity to share what has been going on, describe current stressors and how they have affected you. You will relate your personal story and may propose a picture of where you would like to be.
It is often that anxiety stems from the way in which our early development began. Your therapist will explore your childhood and the attachments and any adverse experiences. Together, you and your therapist will strategize and plan goals, take a solution focus approach and will move forward to more stable, healthier perspectives and lifestyle.
There is no one-way to provide Anxiety Therapy. At The Therapy Team in Thornhill use only current, evidence based, methods of psychotherapy which will address your specific issues at their core. We don’t believe in band-aid solutions. Your experience has been unique and it requires a delicate approach to fully process your pain.
Because of our extensive and on-going training to treat anxiety we have the advantage of offering multiple methods for anxiety treatments. Some of these we include:
We screen our therapists to ensure they are fully trained and continue to train in all approaches to processing anxiety, combining evidence-based techniques with cutting-edge research in neuroscience and mental health. All of us at The Therapy Team are dedicated to assisting our clients and improving lives.
We are ready to jump into the battle against anxiety with you. Side by side we will face the issues you are struggling with. Whether it be panic attacks, stress, social anxiety, a continuing sense of dread or the ever present physical sensations of worry and fear our team will be gentle and direct while supporting you as you rise above and overcome your challenges.
The purpose of therapy is to help you gain more insights into yourself and your experiences in order to facilitate healing. However, sometimes, being vulnerable and sharing parts of yourself may feel uncomfortable—even scary.
Our compassionate and experienced anxiety therapists understand that, and we’re expertly trained to help you through those moments so you never leave sessions feeling overwhelmed. We also recognize that you’re the expert on yourself, so you control the pace of sessions and the topics we discuss.
Anxiety is the body speaking to us, kindly warning us of danger and motivating us to do something about it. For that reason, it’s important to listen to and understand what those messages are saying and where they’re coming from. That way, you can learn to utilise anxiety when necessary and neutralise it when it’s not.
The Therapy Team can help you do that by implementing a range of evidence-based tools that have been proven to help people just like you reduce or eliminate anxiety altogether. Though you may feel like things will never change, there is a way to heal—and there is hope.
Medication is an option that’s completely up to you. We don’t pathologize or have prescribers on staff; rather, we focus on overcoming challenges and doing the deeper work of healing trauma, emotional pain, and attachment wounds that are often at the core of anxiety.
That said, if you would like to explore medication, we’re happy to offer you a referral or collaborate with your primary care physician to get you the relief you deserve.
Don’t let the stress, debilitating thoughts and self-doubt of anxiety control your life any longer. The therapists at TheTherapy Team will help you with effective anxiety therapy. Contact us now to schedule your free 15-minute consultation to learn how our online anxiety counselling will propel you through life with greater ease.
For most people, they assume that social anxiety is just being shy or someone being afraid to meet new people. Unfortunately, social anxiety goes far beyond feeling shy around other people.
The Therapy Team are a group of passionate registered social workers and psychotherapists delivering leading edge evidence-based therapies and accessible mental health care to help you live your best life.
