Anxiety Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Living with anxiety can feel like your internal alarm won’t switch off—heart racing, breath going shallow, muscles braced—while your mind scans for what’s wrong even in safe moments. It shows up as looping “what-ifs,” replaying conversations to find the mistake, avoiding emails or plans because they suddenly feel dangerous, and sudden waves that make you sure something terrible is about to happen. You know it isn’t rational, but it feels urgent and real—and it quietly shrinks your world.
What most people miss: anxiety isn’t a personality flaw or “just worrying too much.” It’s a brain-body habit loop that overestimates threat and underestimates your ability to cope, reinforced by things like checking, reassurance-seeking, and avoidance that bring brief relief but feed the cycle. You’re not broken—and you’re not stuck this way. When you reach out, I’ll help you interrupt that loop, steady your system, and get your life back to full size.
Understanding Anxiety
Plain‑English definition: Anxiety is your nervous system’s alarm system firing too often or too loudly—showing up as restlessness, racing thoughts, irritability, muscle tension, poor sleep, and avoidance.
Adults vs. stereotypes: It’s not always panic attacks. In adults it often looks like over‑preparing, workaholism, snapping at people, GI issues, or never feeling “off‑duty.”
Common presentations:
Generalized Anxiety (constant worry + physical tension)
Social Anxiety (fear of judgment, replaying conversations)
Panic (sudden surges of fear, chest tightness, dizziness)
Health Anxiety (persistent fear of illness despite reassurance)
Performance/Driving/Flying fears, phobias
Why it’s missed: High achievers often mask anxiety as “standards” or “drive.” It’s praised until it starts costing sleep, mood, relationships, or health.
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — your story, stressors, habits, medical history, and goals.
Evidence‑based measures — validated questionnaires to pinpoint type and severity.
Differential diagnosis — I rule out ADHD, thyroid issues, medication effects, trauma‑related disorders, OCD, and depression.
Personalized plan — not a label. A clear roadmap that fits your life, preferences, and timeline.
Treatment Tailored to You
Medication, when helpful: SSRIs/SNRIs, beta‑blockers for performance anxiety, short‑term options when appropriate, and careful adjustments to minimize side effects.
Therapy strategies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), exposure‑based work for panic/phobias, acceptance‑based skills, and habit redesign.
Nervous‑system tools: Sleep optimization, exercise dosing, caffeine/alcohol strategy, breath-work that actually changes CO₂ tolerance, and micro‑practices you can use in meetings or on flights.
Adaptive over time: We track what changes first (sleep? tension? avoidance?) and iterate quickly so you feel progress in weeks, not months.
Why My Practice is Different
Most anxiety content online is either too generic (“just breathe”) or too clinical to use. I give you practical, usable knowledge right away so you:
Understand what’s happening in your brain and body
See all viable treatment paths—not just one option
Start feeling better before you book
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — Anxiety
If you’re spiraling right now (3–8 minutes)
Name the state (5 seconds).
“This is anxiety. My alarm system is loud, not accurate.”
Physiological reset (60–90 seconds).
Do 8 rounds: inhale through the nose, top it off with a tiny second inhale, slow exhale through the mouth.
Ground in the room (60–90 seconds).
5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Say each out loud or whisper.
Orient to safety (30 seconds).
“Right now: I’m at [place], it’s [time], I’m safe enough. Next small action: [one step].”
Micro-move (2 minutes).
Start a two-minute action that moves life forward (send the email header, put one plate away, open the doc). Momentum > certainty.
A 10-minute “calm block” you can drop anywhere
Minute 0–2: Clear noise. Put phone face-down in another room; close all tabs but one.
Minute 2–6: Single-task. Do only the next tiny step of one task.
Minute 6–8: Body check. Shoulder drop, unclench jaw, slow exhale x5.
Minute 8–10: Close the loop. Write one sentence: “Moved X → Y.” Then stop.
Panic wave plan (use during spikes)
Ride the wave, don’t fight it. Picture a bell curve; aim to surf it for 3–5 minutes.
Count the breath out. Exhale to a count that’s comfortable (6–8), repeat.
Label sensations, not stories. “Tight chest. Warm face. Fast heart.” Let the narrative pass.
Train your attention (2 minutes, 3x/day)
Anchor drill. Pick one neutral anchor (sound of the AC, feel of the chair).
Set a 60–120 second timer; gently return to the anchor whenever the mind wanders.
This builds “come back” power, not empty mind.
Worry management that actually works
Worry Window (15–20 minutes, same time daily).
All day, when worries pop up: “Not now—8:30pm.” Park them on a note.
During the window, review the list, sort into: actionable next step vs not actionable.
One-step bias. If actionable, do the smallest step immediately; if not, practice letting it be background noise.
Uncertainty tolerance ladder (start tiny)
Pick a small uncertainty (send a message without rereading 3x; leave a minor task slightly imperfect).
Do it on purpose.
Sit with the urge to check/fix for 2–5 minutes while breathing slowly.
Repeat daily with equally small challenges; climb one rung at a time.
Safety-behavior audit (the habits that keep anxiety stuck)
List your top 5 “make-it-feel-safe” moves (excess reassurance, Googling symptoms, overpreparing, avoiding).
Choose one to reduce by 20% this week (fewer checks, shorter prep, smaller avoidance).
Track urges; ride them like waves for 90 seconds before deciding.
Thought skills, plain-English version
Name the distortion. “Catastrophizing / mind-reading / all-or-nothing.”
Ask the 3:1 question. “What are three neutral facts, and what’s my one fear story?”
Draft the middle. Replace “It’ll be a disaster” with “It might be bumpy and I can handle the next step.”
Body-first calm (quick regulation menu)
Eyes & neck: Look side-to-side slowly; gentle neck stretch x30 seconds each side.
Hands & jaw: Open/close hands 10x; soften tongue from roof of mouth.
Temperature: Cool splash on face or hold something cold for 30–60 seconds.
Walk reset: 5–10 minutes at a brisk, even pace, eyes on the horizon.
Sleep support tonight (anxiety’s favorite target)
Pick a consistent wake time (the anchor).
Caffeine cut-off ~8 hours before bed; alcohol off if sleep is fragile.
“Buffer zone” 45–60 minutes: dim lights, no problem-solving, paper list for tomorrow’s tasks.
If awake >20 minutes, get up; low light, boring page; return when sleepy.
Cues & environment that lower anxiety by design
Visual to-do = one index card. Today’s top 3, only.
Phone friction. Grayscale + silence; problem apps off the home screen.
Entrance ritual. Keys, bag, mail in one spot; water on the desk; a single tab open to the task you’ll start.
Conversation & boundary scripts
Reassurance loop breaker: “I’m feeling the urge to double-check. I’m going to sit with it for a bit.”
At work: “Can we group non-urgent requests for a 2:30 check-in?”
With loved ones: “Help me practice—if I ask the same thing twice, remind me I’m working on uncertainty.”
Gentle exposure, everyday version (no heroics)
Make a list of 10 small situations you avoid (ordering by phone, driving a new route, sending a message without polishing).
Start at the easiest; do it daily until the anxiety drops by half.
Move up one notch. Keep steps boringly small.
Nutrition & stimulation guardrails
Eat something steady every ~4 hours; don’t let blood sugar crash masquerade as anxiety.
Notice personal triggers: excess caffeine, energy drinks, late-day sugar. Adjust one lever at a time for a week.
One metric to track for 7 days
Pick just one:
Calm blocks completed (10-minute blocks)
Worry windows honored (Y/N)
Safety behaviors reduced (count per day)
Review after a week; keep what clearly helps.
If nighttime anxiety hijacks you
Keep a night notepad: capture the thought, promise it your morning review.
Do 3 rounds of slow exhale breathing; count down from 100 by 3s.
If still wired, switch rooms for 10 minutes with low light and a dull page. Return when drowsy.
If you have a “big day” (interview, presentation, travel)
Rehearse the first 60 seconds only. That’s the on-ramp.
Plan one stumble. Pre-decide a simple recover line: “Let me restart that in one sentence.”
Bookend calm. 2 minutes of slow breathing before and after.
Tiny wins that compound
Put a sticky where the next step starts.
Set a 3-minute timer and begin.
Praise the attempt, not perfection.
Anxiety Often Comes with Company
Anxiety commonly overlaps with ADHD, insomnia, depression, OCD‑spectrum concerns, and trauma‑related patterns. Treating anxiety effectively means addressing the full picture, not just one part.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide anxiety treatment for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker and throughout all of Texas!