Therapy for Anxiety + Stress
THERAPY FOR ANXIETY + STRESS in Philadelphia & Montgomery County | in-person + virtual
Therapy for
Anxiety + Stress
For deep-thinkers and deep-feelers who want to feel more calm, connected, and confident
Anxiety can suck the joy out of life — the constant self-questioning, sleepless nights, and fear of judgment can keep you from enjoying work or even being with your friends. You may call it anxiety or stress or overwhelm, but the bottom line is it’s a huge energy drain.
At Green Fig, we know that anxiety isn’t just in your head. It’s shaped by your personal history, relationships, cultural and societal expectations, identity, and the world you’re living in.
Our work together focuses on uncovering the roots of your anxiety — so you can stop blaming yourself, learn new strategies, and feel more liberated in your life.
Anxiety can look a lot of different ways
There is nothing wrong with you — everyone experiences anxiety. But when it shows up in unhelpful ways, you may:
have crippling self doubt
overthink or have obsessive thought loops
live with fear of judgment, failure, or just not being good enough
compensate with overworking, perfectionism or people pleasing
feel like an imposter
feel deep fatigue
feel restless, on edge, or unable to relax
constantly monitor yourself in social situations, at work or in relationships
have the sense that something bad is just around the corner
find yourself shutting down
For some people, they may look in control, but feel like they’re spiraling inside.
Anxiety isn’t always obvious — sometimes it can show up in more subtle ways. You may just feel vaguely stressed and find yourself:
feeling like you can’t turn your brain off
experiencing physical symptoms like GI issues, muscle tension, jaw pain
not understanding why you’re feeling angry or sad
unconsciously ‘bracing’ your body
numbing out with things that make you feel good (sex, shopping, food, social media, drugs or alcohol)
avoiding certain situations or people
feeling overstimulated
feeling aggressive or irritable
Relationships may suffer due to irritability, shutting down, or just feeling disconnected.
Feeling calm and centered is possible
Some amount of anxiety is normal, but it doesn’t have to rule your life. Therapy can help you:
learn tools and hacks for combatting anxiety
regain parts of yourself and feel more centered
build self-trust and confidence
challenge negative thoughts
cultivate self-compassion to combat negative self-image
stop avoiding situations that make you anxious
experience the world in a body free from tension
weather stressful periods in which anxiety flares up
feel safer putting yourself out there in relationships
live a softer, more easeful life
At Green Fig, we’re here to provide you with the support you need to feel more calm, confident, and connected.
What therapy for anxiety looks like
In therapy for anxiety at Green Fig, we carefully uncover your symptoms (some may be less obvious than others!) to assess the specific type or types of anxiety you experience. Then, we can explore the root causes and offer targeted interventions to bring you relief.
Understanding your particular ‘brand’ of anxiety is a big part of the work and often leads to useful ‘aha’ moments.
Together, we explore questions like:
What is your anxiety trying to protect from or call your attention to?
How does numbing or withdrawing help you in the moment?
Where did you learn to over-function, disappear, or people-please — and how might you move differently?
Often anxiety shows up when old coping strategies are no longer working. With awareness and practice, learning new strategies can be liberating.
FAQs
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It depends on what type of anxiety you have and why it’s showing up for you.
Our approach is individualized and tailored to the unique needs of each client.
It may involve work to challenge negative thoughts (CBT), include somatic interventions (think breathwork and strategies to discharge anxiety in your body), be more focused on navigating situational stressors (help setting boundaries or gaining insight about relationship dynamics), understanding anxiety through psychoeducation that demystifies anxiety (did you know avoiding anxiety sends your brain signals that make you more anxious?!), or helping you navigate medication options or specialized treatments.
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Therapy can be game changing for anxiety. Oftentimes clients begin to feel relief in the first session — just knowing you’re not alone with it can make a difference.
Over time, having professional guidance and practicing new ways begins to make an impact. Depending on how severe your anxiety is and what the root causes are, this can take anywhere from a few sessions to several months in therapy.
We’re here to walk beside you, lantern in hand, to illuminate the path.
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Great question! If you find yourself avoiding things — situations, people, conversations — or feel restless, irritable, angry or uncertain and you don’t know why, it can be useful to determine if anxiety is holding you back. You may also feel deeply fatigued or unmotivated, stuck and/or unable to achieve things in your life that you’re longing for.
Pursuing therapy can help you uncover what’s happening for you on a deeper level so you can make change with support.
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Like many mental health conditions, anxiety is caused from a complex interaction of biological and environmental factors. Sometimes it’s inherited or related to brain wiring and other times it can be rooted in negative experiences, problematic family of origin dynamics, or intergenerational trauma we aren’t even aware of. Taking on new roles in work (a promotion for example) or in life (becoming a parent, experiencing divorce) can also cause anxiety.
Understanding root causes can be useful but isn’t always necessary to treat anxiety.
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We like to think of anxiety as a trickster.
It can show up in ways that cause us to second guess ourselves, feel hypersensitive to criticism, confuse distress with danger, doubt our abilities and prevent us from taking safe risks to expand who we are.
You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather.
—Pema Chodron
anxiety + stress
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deep feelings
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life changes + loss
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relationships
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self-esteem + identity
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work + career
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adult ADHD
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decluttering
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anxiety + stress ● deep feelings ● life changes + loss ● relationships ● self-esteem + identity ● work + career ● adult ADHD ● decluttering ●
Ready to feel relief from anxiety?
At Green Fig, we are skilled in identifying and addressing anxiety symptoms. If you are ready to start feeling more calm and confident, it’s easy to get started with anxiety therapy.
BOOK A CALL. Just use the button below to schedule a time that works for you.
WE’LL CHAT. We’ll have a free 20-minute chat to see if we’re a good fit.
SET YOUR SESSION. If we’re a match, we’ll book your session and send you onboarding info.