- Constant overthinking
- Difficulty relaxing
- Feeling easily triggered
- Emotional numbness or shutdown
- Avoiding situations that feel uncertain or uncomfortable
Anxiety
Trauma-Informed Support for Chronic Anxiety
Anxiety is more than occasional worry. It can feel like a constant sense of unease, making it difficult to relax, feel present, or trust that things will be okay.
Anxiety often reflects a nervous system that has been carrying stress, uncertainty, or emotional overwhelm for a long time.
In my trauma-informed psychotherapy practice, I help adults understand the roots of anxiety and learn new ways to respond to it. Through a combination of psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing®, we work to calm the nervous system, strengthen self-trust, and create a greater sense of balance.
How Anxiety Can Show Up
You might notice:
Anxiety doesn’t always look like worry.
It may feel like being on edge or avoiding things altogether.
Both are survival responses.
Common Survival Responses to Anxiety
Self-Criticism and Reactivity (Fight)
You are highly self-critical, easily frustrated, or reactive under stress.
Beneath these responses is a nervous system working hard to protect you from perceived danger.
Overthinking and Avoidance (Flight)
You replay conversations, worry about what could go wrong, avoid difficult situations, or constantly stay busy to escape uncomfortable feelings.
These patterns can bring temporary relief while keeping anxiety in place.
Shutdown and Disconnection (Freeze)
When anxiety becomes overwhelming, you feel numb, disconnected, exhausted, or unable to take action.
What looks like a lack of motivation is often a protective survival response.
The Roots of Anxiety in Childhood Trauma
For many adults, chronic anxiety is connected to early experiences of emotional neglect, or unpredictability.
As children, we adapt in intelligent ways to survive difficult environments. You may have learned to:
- Stay hyper-aware of other people’s moods
- Keep the peace through people-pleasing
- Detach from overwhelming emotions, also known as dissociation
These strategies may have helped you cope when you were younger. In adulthood, they may be contributing to anxiety, self-doubt, and perfectionism. Understanding is the first step to change.
Tools for Calming Anxiety
Avoidance often makes anxiety stronger. The more we fear the sensations of anxiety, the more trapped we feel by them.
In my practice, I integrate grounding exercises, body awareness, cognitive reframing, and tools from my Empowerment Toolbox to support both short-term relief and lasting change.
You will learn to:
- Recognize early signs of anxiety
- Stay present during emotional activation
- Challenge old beliefs rooted in childhood
- Feel more grounded and confident in yourself
A CASE STUDY
Reclaiming Calm Through Grounding, Somatic Imagery, and Inner Child Work
When my client first arrived in therapy, she described her anxiety as a constant presence. She felt overwhelmed by everyday tasks and often dissociated in moments of stress, unsure how to reconnect with herself. She carried a lifelong pattern of people-pleasing and perfectionism, rooted in a childhood where emotional safety was never guaranteed.
Our work began with grounding techniques to stabilize her nervous system. Simple practices like orienting to the room, feeling her feet on the floor, and tracking sensations in her body helped her build a sense of safety in the present moment. These practices laid the foundation for deeper healing.
Using Somatic Experiencing, I introduced guided imagery to support the release of stored anxiety. In one session, she visualized a safe place – a sunlit garden where she could rest. By returning to this imagery during periods of overwhelm, her body began to associate calm with internal resources, instead of external control. Gradually, her symptoms of hyper-arousal softened.
We also engaged in inner child work, which was key to understanding the emotional roots of her anxiety. She identified the voice of a younger self who believed she had to earn love by never making mistakes. By meeting this part of herself with compassion, she began to shift her internal narrative. Over time, she no longer reacted to situations from fear, but from grounded presence.
Through this integrated approach, my client’s anxiety decreased significantly. She now reports greater clarity, emotional regulation, and stronger self-reliance. She now sees her anxiety as a signal to listen inward.
You Deserve A Calmer, More Grounded Future
Living on edge is exhausting.
Therapy becomes a space where you learn to feel safer in your body and trust yourself.
Let’s start a conversation about what healing could look like for you.