Anxiety
Support for when your mind won’t switch off, worry feels difficult to control, or anxiety is getting in the way of actually enjoying your life.
Anxiety doesn’t always look like panic attacks or obvious fear. Sometimes it looks like replaying conversations in your head, preparing for everything that could go wrong, needing reassurance, avoiding things that make you uncomfortable, or appearing completely put together while internally feeling overwhelmed.You might know that you’re overthinking. You might even recognize that your worries are unlikely to happen. But knowing that doesn’t always make the anxiety stop.
You may be here because:
Your mind feels like it is constantly “on”
You overthink conversations, decisions, or things you’ve said
You frequently worry about what could go wrong
You struggle with uncertainty or not knowing what will happen
You seek reassurance but find the relief doesn’t last
You put pressure on yourself to make the “right” decision
You avoid situations because of how anxious they make you feel
You experience physical symptoms such as tension, racing heart, nausea, restlessness, or difficulty sleeping
You worry about disappointing people or what others think of you
You struggle to set boundaries or say no because of guilt or anxiety
You appear calm or capable to others but feel overwhelmed internally
You find yourself preparing for worst-case scenarios even when things are going well
Anxiety is affecting your relationships, work, school, sport, confidence, or ability to enjoy everyday life
Sometimes anxiety has an obvious trigger. Other times, you may find yourself thinking, “I don’t even know why I’m anxious — I just am.”
How therapy can help Anxiety:
Anxiety often has a way of convincing you that if you think about something long enough, prepare enough, avoid the wrong thing, or make the “right” decision, you’ll finally feel more in control. While these strategies may bring some relief in the moment, they can also keep anxiety going over time.
Therapy can help you understand your own anxiety, what triggers it, how it shows up in your thoughts and body, and the patterns you may have developed to cope with it.
Together, we may work on:
Understanding your anxiety and recognizing your individual triggers and patterns
Learning how to manage overthinking, racing thoughts, and persistent worry
Recognizing and challenging anxious or self-critical thinking
Becoming more comfortable with uncertainty and things outside of your control
Reducing avoidance and gradually building confidence in situations anxiety has made difficult
Developing strategies to regulate your nervous system and manage the physical symptoms of anxiety
Understanding patterns such as perfectionism, people-pleasing, reassurance seeking, or fear of disappointing others
Building healthier boundaries and becoming more comfortable expressing your needs
Developing greater self-compassion and learning to respond differently to your inner critic
Building confidence in your ability to cope with uncomfortable emotions rather than needing to eliminate them
Reconnecting with the relationships, activities, goals, and experiences that anxiety may have been getting in the way of
The goal of therapy isn’t to make sure you never feel anxious again. Anxiety is a normal human emotion, and sometimes it has an important job to do. Instead, therapy can help you develop a different relationship with anxiety — one where it doesn’t get to make every decision for you.Over time, we can work toward helping you feel more confident in your ability to handle uncertainty, discomfort, and difficult moments while still moving toward the life you want to be living.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to anxiety therapy. We will draw from different evidence-based therapeutic approaches depending on how anxiety is showing up for you, what you would like to work on, and what feels most helpful.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT can help you understand the connection between your thoughts, emotions, physical responses, and behaviours. We may identify anxious thinking patterns, challenge unhelpful beliefs and predictions, and explore how certain behaviours may unintentionally be keeping anxiety going.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Rather than trying to eliminate every anxious thought or feeling, ACT can help you learn how to make room for uncomfortable emotions without allowing them to control your choices. We may explore your values, practice stepping back from anxious thoughts, and work toward taking actions that align with the life you want to live.
Exposure-Based Approaches
Anxiety can lead us to avoid situations, feelings, or experiences that make us uncomfortable. When appropriate, we may gradually and collaboratively practice approaching things anxiety has taught you to avoid. This can help you build confidence in your ability to tolerate discomfort and learn that you do not always need to respond to anxiety by escaping or avoiding.
DBT-Informed Skills
We may incorporate skills from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help with emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, communication, and navigating difficult moments without becoming overwhelmed.
Self-Compassion and Strengths-Based Approaches
For those who experience perfectionism, people-pleasing, high expectations, or a strong inner critic, therapy may also focus on developing a more compassionate relationship with yourself, recognizing your strengths, and separating your worth from performance or the approval of others.
Your therapy may include a combination of these approaches rather than following one specific model. Some sessions may involve exploring what has been happening in your life, while others may be more practical and focused on learning or practicing a particular skill.
Together, we will determine what approaches make the most sense for you and adjust therapy as your needs and goals evolve.
What therapy may look like
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Lauren Mallon Psychotherapy offers therapy for anxiety in-person in Burlington and virtually across Ontario with therapists Lauren, Fiona & Hailey