Posts in mental health
Therapy for Anxiety: Understanding Anxiety and Its Impact

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health challenges, affecting millions of individuals daily. It’s more than just occasional worry; anxiety can feel overwhelming, impacting every area of your life—from relationships to work. If you’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, finding therapy for anxiety can help you regain control and improve your overall well-being.

Common Symptoms of Anxiety

Recognizing the symptoms of anxiety is the first step toward addressing it. While everyone experiences anxiety differently, some common signs include:

  • Persistent feelings of worry or fear

  • Difficulty concentrating or focusing

  • Irritability or restlessness

  • Physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, or shortness of breath

  • Trouble sleeping or insomnia

  • Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety

If these symptoms sound familiar, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to face them by yourself. Therapy can provide the tools and support you need to manage anxiety effectively.

How Therapy for Anxiety Can Help

Seeking therapy for anxiety is a powerful way to address the root causes of your feelings and learn strategies to cope. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we specialize in providing compassionate, evidence-based care to help you navigate your journey to mental wellness.

Therapy for anxiety can help by:

  1. Identifying Triggers: Understanding the situations, thoughts, or behaviors that lead to anxiety.

  2. Building Coping Mechanisms: Learning techniques like deep breathing, mindfulness, and cognitive restructuring to manage anxiety in the moment.

  3. Improving Emotional Regulation: Gaining skills to handle stress and overwhelming emotions more effectively.

  4. Promoting Self-Awareness: Exploring underlying causes of anxiety and addressing them in a safe, supportive space.

Types of Therapy for Anxiety

At Sprout Therapy PDX, we tailor our approach to meet your specific needs. Some of the therapies we use for anxiety include:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A widely used method that helps you identify and change negative thought patterns.

  • Mindfulness-Based Therapy: Techniques to help you stay present and manage anxious thoughts without judgment.

  • Person-Centered Therapy: A supportive, empathetic approach that focuses on your unique experiences.

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy: For those whose anxiety stems from past traumatic events, this approach offers a safe and healing environment.

Why Choose Sprout Therapy PDX?

Finding the right therapist is crucial when seeking therapy for anxiety. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we understand how anxiety impacts your life, and we’re committed to helping you regain control. Our therapists:

  • Offer personalized care tailored to your needs.

  • Use modern, evidence-based techniques to address anxiety.

  • Provide a warm, boutique environment where you feel safe and supported.

Take the First Step Toward Healing

Anxiety doesn’t have to define your life. With the right support, you can take control of your mental health and thrive. At Sprout Therapy PDX, we’re here to guide you every step of the way with compassionate and expert care. Schedule an appointment now!

who are we, anyways?
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I wonder about this alllll the time. What version of myself am I to others? 

I know who I am to myself, I feel consistently myself day in and day out. But even that consistent sense of self morphs and changes based on environment, the situation, responsibilities, the people you’re with, etc... 

Sometimes I’m quiet, hyper vigilant, and anxious. 😨Sometimes I’m loud, rambunctious, and quick witted.😎 Sometimes I’m frustrated and quick to anger or sadness. Sometimes I’m truly present, listening and reflecting. 

I find myself wondering if I’m authentic enough, if I’m myself enough- in real life, at work, as a therapist, as a friend or partner, in my own counseling, and most of all on this page! 

Anyone share these fears, worries, or thoughts? ⬇️

shoulds- you shouldn't!

The cognitive distortion I’m covering for today is “Shoulds”! 

Shoulds are things we expect ourselves or others to do. Like a list of rules 📝 we have about our behavior or the behavior of others. 

When people break our rules (or when we break our own rules) it might make us feel angry, 😡disappointed, hurt, shameful, guilty, resentful, or even disgusted. 

You might believe that you are motivating yourself with shoulds and shouldn’ts, but you’re leaving yourself with a big emotional consequence of guilt and shame.

A toxic “should” I hear all the time is “I should diet”, “I ate Taco Bell today so I should go for a run”, “I shouldn’t eat that”, “I should lose weight”. I’m totally guilty of this too. These ideas are symptoms of DIET CULTURE- a huge land mine of shoulds that prescribes expectations, rules, and behaviors for create perfect bodies (but not perfect minds, I might add). Diet Culture is a symptom of PATRIARCHY- and we all know how we feel about that, right? 😉

What “shoulds” do you tell yourself!?

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