Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety Therapy for Teen Girls and Women
You may look like you have it together on the outside, while inside your mind feels anything but calm. Worry, overthinking, perfectionism, or the pressure to keep everything under control can make it difficult to feel present and enjoy your life.
I provide anxiety therapy for teen girls and women in Stony Brook and the surrounding Long Island communities who are navigating anxiety, stress, social pressure, perfectionism, a challenging life experience, and the expectations they place on themselves.
For teen girls, anxiety may show up through academic pressure, worries about friendships, social situations, or the fear of disappointing others. For women, it may look like constantly thinking about what could go wrong, carrying everyone else’s needs, second-guessing decisions, or feeling like you should be able to handle everything on your own.
You don’t have to wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming to seek support. Therapy for anxiety can give you a place to slow down, understand what’s underneath the anxiety, and develop practical ways to feel more grounded and in control.
When Anxiety Doesn’t Always Look Like Anxiety
Anxiety doesn’t always look like panic or fear. Sometimes it looks like being the person who always tries to do everything right.
You may overthink conversations, worry about making the wrong decision, replay things you’ve said, or imagine everything that could go wrong. You may avoid situations that make you uncomfortable or push yourself harder because you are afraid of falling short.
For teen girls, anxiety can become closely tied to school, grades, friendships, social media, activities, and the pressure to meet expectations. A teen may appear to be doing well while quietly struggling with perfectionism, self-doubt, worry, or a fear of failing in school, in social situations, or in other areas of her life.
For women, anxiety may be connected to work, relationships, motherhood, family responsibilities, or the feeling that everyone depends on you. You may be exhausted from carrying so much while still feeling like you should be able to handle it.
When anxiety begins affecting your sleep, relationships, confidence, school, work, or ability to enjoy everyday life, it may be time to get support. Therapy for anxiety is a time to unpack what life is like and see what is causing the anxiety, while learning good coping skills to help you feel more in control of your emotions.
When Anxiety Starts Affecting Everyday Life
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. But when worry or fear begins influencing how you think, behave, sleep, communicate, or move through your day, therapy can help.
You may benefit from anxiety therapy if you:
Constantly worry about things that might go wrong
Find yourself overthinking or replaying situations
Feel pressure to be perfect or meet high expectations
Avoid social, academic, or everyday situations because of anxiety
Have difficulty relaxing or quieting your mind
Feel anxious about disappointing other people
Experience panic or a sense of dread
Have trouble sleeping because your thoughts won’t slow down
Feel overwhelmed by responsibilities or expectations
Notice anxiety affecting your relationships, school, work, or confidence
Anxiety Therapy That Starts With Understanding You
There is no single way anxiety looks or feels, which is why I don’t believe therapy should be a one-size-fits all approach. I also believe that the relationship you build with your therapist matters just as much as the techniques they use.
In our work together, we’ll look beyond the anxious thoughts themselves to understand what may be keeping the anxiety going. We may explore patterns of perfectionism, self-worth, relationships, past experiences, expectations, and the ways you’ve learned to cope with stress.
My goal isn’t simply to help you get through the next anxious moment. It’s to help you understand yourself more deeply, build confidence in your ability to handle difficult emotions, and feel more in control of your life.
What To Expect From Working With Me
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, understanding you, as a whole person, and your life’s story is important to me. Therapy is a collaborative process. We’ll start by understanding what you’re experiencing, what you’ve already tried, and what you hope will feel different.
Together, we’ll identify the patterns that may be contributing to your anxiety and work on practical strategies that you can use in everyday life.
For teen girls, therapy may provide a space to talk openly about school, friendships, expectations, confidence, and the pressures that can be difficult to share with parents or others.
For women, therapy can provide space to step out of the role of constantly taking care of everyone else and begin paying attention to your own needs, boundaries, relationships, and emotional well-being.
Most importantly, you don’t have to figure everything out before you walk through my door. We’ll start where you are and work from there.
We will have you learn and practice coping skills that you can apply in and outside of your sessions. These skills are to be used when you are experiencing anxiety. We will build an individualized list of ways to quickly quiet your anxiety, based on which methods you find most effective.
In sessions we will also explore messages of self-identity, self-worth, shame-based thinking, and triggers linked to your anxiety. Counseling for anxiety will help you uncover what is behind the anxiety, what keeps it going, and how to create positive changes in your life to take back control of your emotions and the way you’re feeling.
Therapy for anxiety will help you feel calmer, peaceful, and more confident by creating a life that aligns with your life purpose and your values. We will work together to get you back on your feet and enjoying life again.
Approaches I May Use in Anxiety Therapy
In order to help you find powerful relief, I stay up to date on modalities like:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – can help change the story that you’ve been telling about yourself, enabling you to rewrite negative thought patterns that drive your anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – can teach you to handle challenges by focusing on factors within your control, rather than experiencing anxiety over things you cannot change.
Mindfulness and Relaxation Skills - can help quiet the mind and calm the body to help reduce emotional reactivity during stressful situations.
Brainspotting - a powerful, neurobiologically-focused therapy that resolves anxiety by identifying, processing and releasing emotional distress stored in brain.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – can be a powerful way to regulate your emotions and cope with distress without feeling trapped by anxiety.
Somatic Therapy – can help you determine where you’ve been holding onto anxiety in your body and release the physical tension linked with anxiety.
Rather than following a predetermined formula, I tailor therapy to you, your experiences, and what you need to feel more confident managing anxiety in your everyday life.
I have successfully provided therapy for many people who have experienced generalized anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Clients have reported that they feel more in control over their lives with a plan to work through anxiety and/or panic attacks.
To get started, you can email me or call me at (631) 406-3139
Still Have Some Questions About Anxiety Therapy?
Will counseling work for me?
Anxiety therapy is not a guarantee that someone will never have anxiety or an anxiety attack. But the anxiety reduction tools and techniques I teach are known to decrease anxiety when used regularly, especially before the anxiety starts. The tools you will gain through counseling also work when someone has an anxiety or panic attack. Together, we’ll identify which techniques work best for you and have you take your techniques with you wherever you go. I will have you keep your notes in your cell phone, so they are easily accessible to you when needed.
How long does someone need counseling for anxiety?
First, we explore where the anxiety is coming from (i.e. upbringing, life experiences, faulty thinking, or triggers). Then, we identify and practice individualized tools to reduce anxiety, helping you get your symptoms under control. If you’ve experienced anxiety for a short while, time in counseling tends to be shorter. If anxiety has been part of your life for a long time, it may take longer to address the core issues. It really depends on the individual. Overall, my goal is to get you to feel more comfortable as soon as possible.
What makes your approach to anxiety therapy different?
I don’t believe effective anxiety therapy starts with simply treating symptoms. I want to understand you as a whole person: your experiences, relationships, responsibilities, strengths, and the patterns that may be contributing to your anxiety.
Our work is individualized to you rather than following a predetermined formula. The relationship we build matters, too. You should feel understood, comfortable, and supported by the person you’re trusting with your mental health.
I incorporate techniques based on you as a whole person, taking into account your childhood experiences, family roles in growing up, peer interactions, relationships, physical health, life goals, and other factors that encourage may contribute to an anxiety-based way of living and thinking.
I have a great rapport with clients who know that I truly care, and I want to see you succeed in feeling more in control of your emotions.
You Don’t Have to Decide Everything About Anxiety Therapy Today
If you’ve made it this far, something about this page likely resonated. That doesn’t mean you’re ready to commit to counseling. It simply means anxiety may be asking for some attention.
Reaching out can feel intimidating. Many people worry about saying the “right” thing, being judged, or not knowing what to expect. That hesitation is completely understandable.
A first conversation isn’t about fixing anything. It’s just a chance to talk, ask questions, and see whether anxiety therapy feels like a supportive next step for you. You can either either click one of the buttons below or call me at (631) 406-3139 to take the first step.
Most clients tell me this first step felt easier than they expected.
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Anxiety Therapy
215 Hallock Rd. Suite 3D
Stony Brook, NY 11790
I offer a free 15 minute consultation to hear your needs and answer your questions. It’s important to feel comfortable with your therapist. Let’s find out if we’re a good fit.