Anxiety Therapist NYC
Takeaway: In the bustling heart of New York City, anxiety can weave a web of challenges that hinder your personal growth and happiness. Whether it's navigating constant stress, self-doubt, or feeling overwhelmed by life's demands, working with an anxiety therapist in NYC can help provide you with the support and tools you need to regain control and thrive. Prepare to embrace positive change and begin your journey today.
Generalized anxiety disorder GAD is the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorder in the United States. Anxiety is felt, generally speaking, by all people at some point or another throughout their lives.
Moving in with someone, interviewing for a new job, and getting called to your supervisor's office at a moment's notice, for example, are all situations where anxiety occasionally shows up.
When heightened anxiety prevents you from participating in a particular area or most areas of your life, consistently, and for a prolonged period of time, it is pivotal to take a closer look. Excessive anxiety can be debilitating even causing you to avoid people or places to prevent these anxious feelings from surfacing.
Anxiety disorders can involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror. These feelings could escalate and peak within minutes, at their worst culminating in experiencing a panic attack.
Panic attacks do not have to be present in order for significant anxiety to cause concern or to seek out the help of mental health counselors for anxiety treatment.
Anxiety can show up in direct correlation to a specific event and may need short-term focused treatment and support. Anxiety can also feel like a persistent, ongoing challenge that will require a different approach to treatment.
Anxiety can have an extensive list of causal factors, that can include environmental, genetic, and medical. Having multiple factors can increase the likelihood of you feeling anxious.
Here, I will write about…
I will write about how anxiety can manifest in your day-to-day life.
Symptoms that can impact your mental health.
Deepening your understanding of anxiety disorders.
My approach to anxiety and the populations I work with.
Learn what the most common treatment processes for anxiety disorders are and their success rates.
Does this sound like you?
Feeling nervous, restless, and tense consistently, unable to relax.
Trouble concentrating or having challenges in remaining present in the here and now.
Having a sense of impending doom, dread, panic, or danger.
Sweating excessively, feeling flushed and like your heart is beating out of your chest.
Having difficulty controlling worry.
Having the urge to avoid things that cause anxiety.
Self-medicating with drugs or alcohol to feel less anxious.
If so, you might be struggling with anxiety.
There is hope, you CAN manage anxiety. You can expect a sense of relief when you grow awareness and understanding of your symptoms.
Anxiety affects behavior.
You may notice that you start to withdraw from friends and family. You might feel unable to go to work or start to avoid certain places. While avoiding situations can give you short-term immediate relief, anxiety often returns the next time you’re in a similar situation. Avoidance reinforces the feeling of danger, which can snowball into a much more serious sense of dread and could cause panic attacks.
You might seem to be calm on the outside while still having some of the symptoms listed above. People often develop ways of masking anxiety so that other people don’t notice it.
There are mental health services and common treatments that work in reducing anxiety symptoms, such as cognitive behavior therapy or exposure therapy. You might also find, depending on the level of anxiety and whether or not other issues are present, that you can greatly diminish excessive worry, by engaging in things like physical exercise, mindfulness practices, yoga, painting, drawing, dancing, cooking, or meditation.
Understanding anxiety disorders
There are different anxiety disorders; effective treatments will help reduce your anxiety and instill a sense of hope.
Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, agoraphobia, specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, and medication-induced anxiety are all anxiety disorders.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), anxiety disorders include disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances.
Some general differences between anxiety and everyday stress:
Stress is usually caused by external pressures, such as meeting a deadline or getting into an argument with a coworker, family member, or friend. The potential stress that these instances cause usually subsides, once the situation has been resolved.
Anxiety is mainly an internal reaction to external stress or pressure. Unlike stress, anxiety usually continues even after the stressful situation has long been resolved.
Common anxiety symptoms
Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
Having an increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Difficulty sleeping
Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Having difficulty controlling worry
Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety
Meet Karina Diaz | NYC anxiety therapist
Therapy is a personal process. There’s no cookie-cutter formula to a fulfilled and enriched life.
As a therapist, it is important for me to get to know you, learn what is important to you, listen, and remain present with you to discover your personal language. Together, we will discover what is most important to you, and how you relate to the world around you.
I will create a safe space to process and support you in making choices that feel meaningful to you.
You can expect genuine compassion and quality care. I listen with an open heart and draw from my 20+ years of experience. My goal is to be personable and relatable. I will collaborate with you and help create a clearer understanding of your goals. Doing this will help us track how you are progressing in your recovery. You will always have real-time knowledge at your fingertips of how you are doing in treatment.
My approach to treating anxiety in NYC
My therapeutic training and background are in Art Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I apply these modalities to tailor treatment to your unique needs and to help you to reduce anxiety.
Art Therapy is a branch of psychodynamic therapy that can be very empowering. It frees us to express ourselves without having to find verbal interpretations of our emotional distress. words can be difficult to access at times, but having access to a creative outlet can help create a bridge and a clearer understanding of your subconscious and emotional state.
It can not only help us feel seen but to feel proud.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy CBT treatment usually involves interventions that help change thinking patterns causing difficulties for you in your life. These strategies might include:
Learning to recognize one’s thinking patterns that could be contributing to sources of stress, and then reevaluate them through a different lens, providing options.
Gaining a clearer understanding of the behavior and motivation of others.
Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.
Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities.
CBT treatment also involves interventions that help change behavioral patterns. These strategies might include:
Facing one’s fears instead of avoiding them, safely.
Using role-playing to prepare for potentially problematic interactions with others.
Learning to calm one’s mind and relax one’s body.
Not all CBT, will use all of these strategies. Rather, we will work together, in a collaborative manner, to develop an understanding of the problem and to develop a treatment strategy.
Source: APA Div. 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology)
Who my anxiety disorder treatment is for
It is important to note that oftentimes anxiety is felt when experiencing depression. Depression causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and reduced energy, amongst other symptoms that greatly impact your quality of life. Anxiety creates feelings of nervousness, worry, or dread. Although the two conditions are different, you can have both at the same time.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL IDEATION:
If you or anyone else could be in danger, please call 911.
If you are in a mental health crisis, please call 988.
Trauma, abuse, and relational issues can carry ongoing stress, excessive worry, intense fear, social phobia, and acute episodes of distress, amongst other anxiety problems.
My specialties:
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and Abuse
Relational Issues
I work with children and their families in family therapy, as well as work individually with young adults and adults of all ages. My therapeutic modality and space are culturally and religiously affirming and inclusive.
FAQs about anxiety therapy in New York City
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Anxiety doesn't just go away! Anxiety if left untreated can worsen over time even leading to mental health problems such as depression or substance misuse. This is why it is very important to seek help for anxiety as soon as possible. The sooner you receive mental health services, the more success you will experience in your recovery.
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Treating anxiety with the support of a mental health professional can help you uncover the underlying causes of extreme fear or worries. It will help you learn to regulate more readily, relax or calm your mind and body, and look at situations in less frightening ways. Seeking treatment for common symptoms related to anxiety can help you develop coping skills and problem-solving skills.
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Look for therapists who offer a free initial consultation. Many therapists offer this consultation service to decrease barriers to inquiring about mental health services. Have a list of questions ready and let potential therapists know what you are looking for. Ask for credentials and approach to working with their clients. This initial consultation will also help you gauge the therapist's energy. Below are some sample questions:
1.What is your preferred modality or approach to treating your clients, certificates, licenses, etc.?
2.If it is important to you, inquire about the length of experience in their field or if they are starting out, are they being supervised by someone with an independent license to practice? They should disclose this information right away.
3.Based on your goals or reason for seeking services, do they have suggestions as to which approach or modality might work best for you?
4.Depending on what your concerns are, do they have a referral network in case you need a psychiatrist or a psychiatric nurse practitioner to prescribe medication, groups, any adjoining therapies or wellness supports, etc.?
5.How does the therapist track treatment and its efficacy? How will you both assess your progress in therapy?
6.When will you start therapy? what availability does the potential therapist have? Does this availability match your preferences?
7.Does the potential therapist have flexibility between online and in person sessions?
8.How much will treatment cost?
Remember, a good therapist will allow room for your questions, will welcome them, and will not avoid answering, or make you feel in the wrong for your inquiries. If you feel that you are being demeaned or condescended to, do not second guess yourself and make an appointment with a different therapist. You will find the right fit for you and your needs.
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1.Practice self-care and make yourself a priority.
The first step in practicing self-care is to take care of your body. In order to do this it is important to:
-Eat a healthy diet.
-Exercise can help decrease depression and anxiety and improve mood.
-Get enough sleep.
2.Limit the use of electronics and social media.
Add an electronics-free time period to your day. Taking intentional time to disconnect from the constant stream of emails and alerts will allow you to interact with people face-to-face and will help reduce the many feelings of "missing out". Remaining present in your life will add immediate relief.
3.Engage in activities that provide meaning to you.
Initiate activities that produce joy, and productivity, and be creative and thoughtful as to where you place your attention. Whether through drawing, painting, dancing taking an exercise class, going out to dinner with friends, or caring for a pet, spending quality time with those who matter to you can help you feel fulfilled.
4.Volunteer.
Nurture what gives you meaning and purpose derived from helping others or your community. Doing this can enrich and expand your life and make you happier. There’s no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore. Schools, places of worship, nonprofits, and charitable organizations of all sorts depend on volunteers for help in any capacity.
5.Engage in meditation and/or mindfulness.
Relaxation exercises can improve your state of mind and outlook on life. Research has shown that meditation helps you feel calmer. According to neuroscience research, mindfulness practices dampen activity in our amygdala and increase the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Both of these parts of the brain help us to be less reactive to stressors and to recover better from stress when we experience it.
6. Avoid heavy substance use.
It is important to keep alcohol use to a minimum and avoid other drugs. Many people use alcohol and other drugs to "self-medicate" but in reality, substance misuse may get in the way of your ability to function at work or school, maintain stability in your home life, handle life’s difficulties, and relate to others.
7.Get help from a licensed mental health professional.
Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Just as it requires effort to build and maintain physical health, the same goes for our mental health.
Don't hesitate to schedule a free 15 minute consultation if you have additional questions regarding treatment options
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Short answer, yes! The more you engage in understanding yourself on a deeper level with someone who is equipped to support you in the process, the more awareness and sense of relief you will feel.
Most people who suffer from anxiety are able to reduce or eliminate symptoms after several (or fewer) months of psychotherapy, and many notice improvement after just a few sessions.
Choosing therapy for anxiety is a personal decision. Results vary from person to person, but outcomes are very positive once you decide that you are ready to attend regular therapy sessions with a qualified professional.
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The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and psychotropic medications.
Psychotherapy
Also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, is an effective treatment for anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective form of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. Generally a short-term treatment, CBT focuses on teaching you specific skills to improve your symptoms and gradually return to the activities you've avoided because of anxiety. CBT includes exposure therapy, in which you gradually encounter the object or situation that triggers your anxiety so you build confidence that you can manage the situation and anxiety symptoms. By Mayo Clinic Staff. "Anxiety Disorders" Mayo Clinic, May 04, 2018
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Fortunately, anxiety is a highly treatable condition. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health found that over half of all patients who received therapy for anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions experienced significant improvement in their symptoms.
Outcomes are not guaranteed.
Everyone is different and will have different needs and readiness levels to engage in the therapy treatment process. Asking questions, researching treatment options, and allowing yourself some grace will go a long way in creating a suitable environment to ensure higher success rates in treatment.
Working with an anxiety therapist in NYC can help you feel seen and empowered.
Therapy is a personal process. There’s no cookie-cutter formula to a fulfilled and enriched life.
As a therapist, it is important for me to get to know you, learn what is important to you, listen, and remain present with you to discover your personal language. Together, we will discover what is most important to you, and how you relate to the world around you.
I will create a safe space to process and support you in making choices that feel meaningful to you.
You can expect genuine compassion and quality care. I listen with an open heart and draw from my 20+ years of experience. My goal is to be personable and relatable. I will collaborate with you and help create a clearer understanding of your goals. Doing this will help us track how you are progressing in your recovery. You will always have real-time knowledge at your fingertips of how you are doing in treatment.