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Therapy for anxiety

Aerial Beach Waves

Anxiety is a part of life. Everyone knows the feeling of tension or alertness. But anxiety becomes a problem when your body warns of danger that no longer exists or is out of proportion to what's happening.


Then it seems like your system remains switched on, even at times when you want to relax or think clearly.
Anxiety isn't something you should just get over. It's a signal. It shows that your nervous system is overloaded, or that it's interpreting situations as threatening when they no longer are. Therapy helps calm that system, so you can regain control over yourself instead of your anxiety.

What is fear anyway?

Fear is a biological alarm system. It allows you to react quickly to danger—run, fight, or be careful. But if that alarm system becomes too sensitive, it goes off at times when there's no danger at all. You might feel it, for example, when you experience:
 

  • a body that becomes stressed for no apparent reason

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  • worrying that doesn't stop

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  • thoughts that keep creating disaster scenarios

 

  • you avoid situations

 

  • palpitations, pressure on the chest, breathing that stops

 

  • panic attacks

 

  • unrest that always seems to be present beneath the surface


So fear isn't just an emotion. It's a physical reaction, a way your system says, "Something is happening that feels unsafe and a certain need is not being met."

 

Why Fear Lingers

Fear usually intensifies when you try to suppress or avoid it. Your body then has no chance to react adaptively or to experience that you are actually safe.


The alarm system does not receive any new information and therefore remains on alert.
Past experiences—major events or prolonged stress and insecurity—can also make your system more sensitive. This makes you react more quickly and intensely to situations that aren't necessarily threatening, but do touch on something from the past. Therapy can help reduce this fear.


So, lingering fear is often a sign that your system has become overloaded, or that something within you has not yet been able to work through a difficult experience.

 

Different forms of anxiety

Anxiety can manifest in many ways. You don't have to identify with just one label to seek help. Common manifestations include:

  • panic – sudden waves of fear, often with physical symptoms

  • phobias – fear of specific situations or places

  • social anxiety – fear of being rejected, looked at, or judged

  • generalized anxiety – constant worrying and being vigilant

  • fear after traumatic experiences – a body that cannot rest

 

Regardless of the form, the core is always the same: your system goes in survival mode, even though it is no longer needed.

 

How Fear Lives in Your Body

Fear isn't just in your head. It's in your muscles, your breathing, your nervous system. You sometimes notice it by:

  • breath that sits high

  • tension in your abdomen or chest

  • difficulty sleeping

  • cramps in your jaws or shoulders

  • feelings of threat

  • the feeling of "going crazy" or losing control

  • difficulty concentrating

  • get stressed quickly

These aren't signs of weakness. They're signs of overstimulation: a system trying to protect itself and getting stuck in a survival response.

What we do in therapy for anxiety

Anxiety therapy isn't about positive thinking or forcing yourself to be brave. In therapy, we work with your body, your nervous system, and what you're experiencing right now. Together, we explore what your anxiety is trying to convey, what your body needs to calm down, and what patterns you've developed to cope with tension. We also address past pain or long-term stress that may still be a factor, and how you can gradually regain control.


In this process, we work with awareness, nervous system regulation, and body-focused attention. Sometimes we pause to consider parts of you that are afraid or trying to protect you. Not to push something away or force it, but to understand what's happening and create space for change. This way, your system gradually learns that you are now safe. Fear then no longer becomes something that overwhelms you, but something you can recognize, manage, and regulate.

The goal of therapy for anxiety

The goal isn't to never feel fear again—no one lives without fear. The goal is for fear to no longer be in control so that you can learn that you: 

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  • no longer need to avoid situations

  • can keep in touch with yourself

  • can think clearly

  • can trust your body

  • make choices based on yourself instead of panic

 

You don't have to be able to do this all at once. You don't have to do it alone either.

 

You are welcome

Whether you occasionally experience anxiety or have been living with tension, panic, or avoidance for a long time, you don't have to bear it alone. You can come as you are now, even if you can't yet pinpoint what's going on.​​​

I'm Tessa , a holistic psychologist with fifteen years of experience. I work with a body-aware approach, addressing issues such as trauma , anxiety, depression , and much more. Your safety is paramount in my guidance . We work step by step, at your pace, focusing on what your system can handle. You don't have to force anything or relive anything.

In an initial (no-obligation) consultation, we'll explore together what's going on and what challenges you're facing. From there, we'll discuss how we can work step by step towards more rest, movement, and recovery. This will help you reconnect with yourself, experience space in your body and mind, and gradually regain your energy and direction in life.

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