THERAPY FOR ANXIETY IN SAN RAFAEL & ACROSS CA

Recognize the voice of your anxiety and learn how to respond differently.

Support for adults struggling with overwhelming anxiety, OCD, all-consuming stress, phobias, and more.

Each day comes with a constant, distracting companion: anxiety.

While feelings of stress, worry, or overwhelm are common experiences, the triggers can vary from person to person, and can sometimes reach a level that’s hard to manage on your own. You might find your racing thoughts or urges are impacting your relationships, work, and even your physical health. This mental clutter leaves you feeling out of control, like it’s preventing you from living your life in a way that feels productive, fulfilling, and meaningful to you.

What you’re feeling is not your fault. I’m here to help you find relief.

Maybe you’ve been…

  • You may be tossing and turning at night with restless thoughts or nightmares that make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. As you try to drift off you keep replaying conversations or worrying about what might happen next. It’s making you exhausted, even more anxious, and harder to tackle each new day when your body feels drained.

  • It could be stomachaches, headaches, or an intense amount of exhaustion—you just never feel your “best.” Certain situations—like social gatherings or demanding responsibilities—can trigger intense emotions and reactions from your body that are hard to handle.

  • Perhaps you find yourself constantly worrying about what could go wrong, with your mind racing through worst-case scenarios that may never actually happen. This hypervigilance leads to an ongoing need to plan for every potential disaster, making it challenging to adapt when things inevitably change. As a result, you may struggle to connect with the people closest to you and stay engaged in day-to-day life.

  • You might find yourself trapped in a loop of intrusive thoughts that keep nagging at you, even if you know they don’t make sense. Worries about not being “good enough” or needing to be “perfect” are constant, and you’re fixating on things beyond your control.

  • You might find yourself putting off important tasks because the pressure to be perfect feels overwhelming. This fear of failure often leads to avoiding responsibilities or putting off decisions, which only adds to your anxiety. The more you procrastinate, the more stressed you become, and those unfinished tasks start to weigh you down, leaving you feeling stuck while your goals slip further out of reach.

My approach

No matter what you’re experiencing, you are safe here. 

Sometimes when we experience difficult emotions, we push them away instead of acknowledging them. It can feel easier to do this, but here's the truth: it's okay to feel what you're feeling.  When we avoid these emotions, they often grow in the background and resurface with even greater intensity. As Brené Brown wisely said, “We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” I’m here to help you understand those emotions, regain control, and move forward.

Our work will start with identifying your specific anxiety triggers. This isn’t just about labeling what makes you anxious; it’s about helping you separate the voice of anxiety from your wiser self. This distinction can empower you to recognize the difference between healthy anxiety, which communicates important information, and the kind that feels overwhelming.

Simultaneously, we will explore techniques to calm your overactive nervous system. I use polyvagal techniques, among others, to help you find a sense of balance and ease.

I believe in therapy that is action-oriented: rather than just asking you how you’re feeling and talking about your anxiety, we’re going to create a clear, step-by-step plan that actually leads to change. That means equipping you with tools and coping strategies, empowering you with a better understanding of how anxiety influences you individually, and continuously collaborating on your treatment until you feel confident managing things on your own. As you learn how to build positive coping patterns and calm your nervous system, you can discover a sense of peace, deeper self-awareness, and confidence to take on whatever challenges come your way.

Therapy can allow you to…

Trust yourself again.

Feel more in tune with your mind and body, confident in making choices that are right for you.

Be present.

Learn how to stay grounded and appreciative of where you are right now, instead of always stressing about the past or what’s next.

Embrace a balanced life.

Approach life's challenges with a greater sense of calm, emotional balance, and self-assurance.

Reclaim control.

Learn how to manage your thoughts, make decisions that align with who you are, and trust that everything will be okay.

Get to the root of your anxiety.

Find lasting relief by addressing the deeper causes of your anxious patterns so you can feel more long-term peace.

discover lasting relief

Get “unstuck” and discover lasting relief.

Questions?

FAQs

  • Yes. Many people feel anxious about beginning therapy, which is a natural response to sharing personal thoughts and emotions with someone new. You’re taking the first step toward understanding yourself and your anxiety, and I’m here to support you through each part of the process. 

  • If anxiety is interfering with your daily life— affecting your relationships, work, or overall well-being—it may be time to seek support. Therapy can be beneficial even if your anxiety feels manageable. Navigating life’s challenges can be overwhelming and when you have the right tools and support, you can feel more ease, confidence, and peace. 

  • Yes, I can help with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In therapy, we’ll focus on understanding the specific obsessions and compulsions you experience. After identifying those, we’ll create a pause between the obsessive thoughts and your compulsive responses while also desensitizing you to your triggers in order to create new, healthier associations in your brain. Together, we’ll work on identifying and challenging those thoughts including what’s driving them. I can help you regain control over your life with healthy coping strategies.

  • Yes. Phobias are closely connected to anxiety and often trauma. We can work on understanding your fears and reducing the hold they have on you. In this safe, supportive space you can face these fears gradually and feel more in control over time. We'll move at a pace that feels right for you, focusing on helping you feel more empowered in the situations that currently feel overwhelming.