Anxiety can be overwhelming and can have a major impact on your daily life. Feeling worried can affect many areas of your life, like going to work or being mentally present when spending time with family and friends. Anxiety can also affect your physical well being and sleep. As you are reading this article I expect that you are having some anxiety symptoms and wondering what you can do to reduce them.
Reaching out to a therapist can be anxiety-provoking in itself, especially if you haven’t had therapy before. Walking into a therapist’s office for the first time can be rather intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to expect. I have been working with clients who experience anxiety for nearly three decades and I hope by the time you have read my article you will have a better understanding about how counseling with an anxiety expert works and what steps you can take to feel less stressed, worried and anxious.
What Is Anxiety Counseling?
Think of anxiety counseling as a pathway to understanding and managing anxiety in your life. It’s a specialized form of therapy where you work one-on-one with me to explore the underlying causes of your anxiety and develop strategies to cope with it. This process is about gaining insight and creating practical changes in your everyday life.
In our sessions, I aim to create a safe and supportive environment. This is a space where you can be open about your fears and worries without judgment. Over the years, I’ve noticed how significantly a non-judgmental space can impact a person’s willingness to explore difficult emotions. We use that openness to dive into the root causes of your anxiety which could involve other areas of your life, such as your relationships, work challenges, stress levels, or past experiences. By addressing these connected issues, therapy provides a space to better understand and work through the factors contributing and maintaining anxiety.
Anxiety counseling can be beneficial whether you’re dealing with generalized anxiety disorder, rumination, panic attacks, social anxiety, or a specific phobia. I’ve worked with individuals across this spectrum of anxiety conditions and I have seen how specialized approaches can provide significant insights and coping tools, regardless of the severity of the situation.
How Long Do Anxiety Counseling Sessions Last?
Our first appointment will be 55 minutes and then typically, each session lasts around 45 minutes. It’s common to have sessions once a week. Then, at a jointly discussed time, we can move to twice monthly appointments. However, this can vary depending on individual needs. Some people benefit from more frequent sessions, or longer sessions, at first to build a foundation of coping strategies before reducing the frequency as they improve.
The total length of treatment is not fixed and can range from a few months to longer, again depending on personal needs. In my experience, there’s no perfect timeline; what matters is creating a pace that feels comfortable and sustainable for you. Some clients find that after achieving their initial goals, they choose to continue with less frequent sessions to maintain their progress and continue personal growth and others appreciate having a weekly, non-judgemental space where they can be open about their feelings.
What Should You Expect During Anxiety Counseling?
As you start your journey in anxiety counseling, the initial focus will be on understanding your unique experience with anxiety. I will take the time to explore your history and see how anxiety affects your daily life. This isn’t just about gathering information; it’s about creating a safe space where you feel heard and understood. During these initial sessions, many of my clients express a sense of relief simply by having the opportunity to share their story without judgment.
Once your story and unique challenges are clear, we’ll set specific goals together. In my experience, setting clear, achievable goals is very important. It provides direction and purpose to our work and ensures that the therapy sessions are aligned with what you genuinely want to achieve. Whether it’s managing panic attacks or feeling more comfortable in social situations, your goals will guide our sessions.
As we proceed, you can expect to learn about and challenge any patterns of thinking that may be exacerbating your anxiety. This often involves cognitive restructuring techniques. In my work, I’ve found that understanding these patterns can be a powerful step toward change, allowing you to view situations from new perspectives.
Another vital component of your counseling will be learning and practicing coping strategies. Many clients find these techniques invaluable, not just for managing anxiety in the moment, but for building long-term resilience. You’ll also have opportunities to explore any avoidance behaviors, with the aim of gradually increasing your comfort in situations that currently provoke anxiety.
Between sessions, I’ll encourage you to practice what we discuss, helping to solidify new habits and responses. I’ve learned that clients who engage in these exercises often gain more from the therapeutic process.
How Is Therapy for Anxiety Different From Other Forms of Therapy?
Therapy for anxiety can be distinct in its focus and approach. One primary difference lies in its targeted and often structured strategies. I utilize techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy which directly addresses distorted thought patterns and behaviors contributing to your anxiety. These targeted interventions help you develop practical skills for managing anxiety.
Exposure therapy is another method used specifically for anxiety, where you are gradually introduced to feared situations in a controlled way. This type of exposure is unique to anxiety treatment and is something I’ve seen work very effectively with clients who struggle with specific phobias, avoidance or social anxiety.
While cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety tends to be goal-oriented, focusing on symptom reduction and empowering you with tools to manage your anxiety, we can also use other techniques to explore deeper aspects of identity, relationships, or past traumas over a longer duration. It’s not that one technique is better than another; rather, it’s about finding what truly resonates with your needs and circumstances.
In all my sessions, I aim to provide a supportive environment where you can explore and grow. There’s no one-size-fits-all, and my approach is adaptable based on what best supports you on your path to managing anxiety.
Can Anxiety Counseling Be Done Online?
Yes, online video or phone sessions can offer the flexibility and convenience to work with someone with my levels of expertise without having to travel a long distance. Many clients also appreciate being in their own space while discussing sensitive topics. I’ve observed that virtual counseling can be just as effective, particularly when life’s demands make travel to see me in person at my Northbrook office challenging. Unfortunately, I am only able to work with people who live in the places I have a professional license which includes throughout Illinois, Florida and across the UK.
Will I Need Medication in Addition to Counseling?
This is a personal decision, often discussed with a psychiatrist. While I focus on therapeutic approaches, I’ve seen clients find that a combination of medication and counseling works well for them. Your choice should be informed and comfortable for you. If you decide that you would like to take psychotropic medication (antidepressants, mood stabilizers etc..) I am happy to talk with your prescriber to tell them more about our work together, or not. It is entirely up to you.
How Long Does Anxiety Counseling Last?
Many clients have found long-term benefits through counseling. By understanding your thought patterns and developing coping mechanisms, you can gain skills that support resilience and growth. Identifying ways your relationships, work or other life stresses are affecting you, allows you to make changes to these areas. Therapy is a continuous process of learning and self-discovery that unfolds over time.
I think treating anxiety is a lot like peeling an onion. with patience and the right tools, we begin to work our way through the layers. When people first come in they are usually in a crisis and we work on the top layer to give tools to manage that difficult situation. Then we begin to peel back the layers to understand triggers, uncovering beliefs and values and core self concepts. Some people just need a few sessions to overcome a particular situations that caused them anxiety and other clients prefer longer term support and dig deeper. You are always in charge of when we stop therapy although clients are always welcome to return to therapy as things change and they need support again.
Conclusion
Understanding anxiety counseling and its benefits can make a big difference in how you manage anxiety. Anxiety counseling offers valuable coping strategies and emotional support and working with a therapist who has specialist training and a lot of experience can mean you reach your goals for therapy more quickly. You don’t have to face anxiety alone; professional support is available to help you through this challenge.
If you are looking for personalized in person anxiety counseling in the Chicago North Shore area, or virtually across Illinois, Florida, or the UK, Dr. Sarah Allen can help. Contact her below to take the first step towards managing your anxiety.
If you have any questions, or would like to set up an appointment to work with me and learn how to reduce anxiety, please contact me at 847 791-7722 or on the form below.
If you would like to read more about me and my areas of specialty, please visit Dr. Sarah Allen Bio.
Dr. Allen’s professional license only allows her to work with clients who live in IL & FL & the UK and unfortunately does not allow her to give personalized advice via email to people who are not her clients.
Dr. Allen sees clients in person in her Northbrook, IL office or remotely via video or phone.
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