Anxiety is like a storm in your brain.  It shows up in different forms for different people.  It can manifest as the stress of being pulled in too many different directions.  It may be debilitating panic attacks.  It can be indecision and uncertainty about your future – career, relationship, where to live, what you’re doing with your life, etc.  Anxiety about death and the pressure to live life to the fullest now….but fear of making the wrong choice.

 

The weird thing about anxiety is that it’s a normal part of being alive.  Every human is born with an innate ability to go into high-alert at the sign of danger as a survival skill.  Your nervous system was originally wired to go into fight-flight-freeze mode back in the day, if for instance, a tiger was prowling your turf and threatening to eat you and your family.  In that case, your brain signals to your body that there’s danger here and you better be prepared to run or shoot your bow and arrow asap.  These days, we’re not faced with the same dangers as our tiger-fighting predecessors, but we still have the same nervous system responses.  Anxiety becomes a problem when it interferes with your daily functioning and enjoyment of life.  Otherwise, it provides enough adrenaline to stay up all night to cram for a test, run away from a robber, or stop you from walking in front of a bus.  It’s time to get help to manage your anxiety when it becomes overwhelming and prevents you from being present in your life and relationships. 

 

In therapy, I will teach you hands-on anxiety and stress-reduction tools to try in session and out in the world.  We’ll explore the function or purpose of your particular flavor of anxiety to better understand where it’s coming from, how it may be serving you, and how to use its power for good, not stress.  With my support, we will gently turn towards your fear instead of avoiding it, pushing it away, or playing tug-of-war with it.  If you’re plagued with indecision and uncertainty, I have been there!  (Check out my blog for a taste of my experience and how I got through it).  Together, we will explore your options, what is getting in the way of making a decision, and look at what the very next teeny tiny baby step might be to move toward making a choice.  These days, we are presented with so many options and may have a variety of interests and talents, and it is incredibly daunting to choose just one mate or career or school or major, etc.  I will provide strategies to help you discover what you really want and to get out of your own way.  I will also sit very patiently with gentle loving kindness as we mull it all over together again and again without pressure to decide.  You’re not alone in the struggle.  We’re in this together.