When Anxiety Deserves Extra Support
You don’t have to wait until anxiety becomes unbearable before asking for help.
Maybe you’re still going to work, taking care of your family, answering messages, and getting through everything that needs to be done.
But underneath it, you’re exhausted.
Your mind won’t switch off. You’re replaying conversations, worrying about things that haven’t happened, avoiding situations that make you uncomfortable, or constantly trying to make sure everyone else is okay.
Anxiety deserves attention when it starts taking up too much space in your life.
The American Psychological Association (APA) notes that anxiety disorders can interfere with work, school, relationships, and social situations. Psychologist Bunmi O. Olatunji, PhD, an anxiety researcher featured by the APA, offers another useful way to think about when to seek help: consider whether anxiety is affecting your quality of life.
Read the APA’s information about anxiety disorders →
Support may be worth considering if anxiety is affecting:
- your sleep
- concentration or work
- school
- parenting
- relationships
- decision-making
- your ability to relax
- activities you normally enjoy
- how much of your day is spent worrying
It can also help when you find yourself caught in cycles of overthinking, panic, avoidance, people-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries, or emotional exhaustion.
If you’ve been holding everything together for a long time, you may also want to learn more about burnout counselling.
Therapy Can Be More Than Reassurance
Sometimes people hesitate to begin counselling because they imagine they’ll simply talk about their worries every week.
Therapy can involve much more than that.
The APA describes psychotherapy for anxiety as a collaborative process in which the therapist and client identify specific concerns and develop concrete skills for managing anxiety.
The APA also identifies cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT can help people recognize how patterns of thinking contribute to anxiety and develop different ways of responding.
Avoidance can be important too. Avoiding something that makes you anxious may bring temporary relief, but the APA notes that avoidance can sometimes reinforce anxiety over time.
Counselling might therefore involve:
- understanding your personal anxiety patterns
- recognizing what triggers your stress response
- noticing anxious thought loops
- developing practical coping strategies
- learning grounding techniques
- working on boundaries and people-pleasing
- approaching situations you’ve been avoiding at an appropriate pace
- exploring experiences that may be contributing to how you respond to stress today
The right approach depends on you.
Some people need support with current stress, boundaries, and coping strategies. Others benefit from gently exploring deeper experiences that continue to influence how safe, capable, or secure they feel.
A trauma-informed approach to counselling can make room for both.
If anxiety is the main reason you’re considering therapy, you can learn more about anxiety counselling at Trueself Counselling.
Meet Our Counsellors
Finding the right counsellor can matter just as much as deciding to begin counselling.
At Trueself Counselling, our counsellors bring different areas of experience and therapeutic approaches. You don’t need to know which type of therapy you need before reaching out.
Jessa Turner, MPCC
Jessa Turner, MPCC supports adults and young people experiencing anxiety, high-functioning anxiety, burnout, overthinking, stress, self-esteem concerns, people-pleasing, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions.
Her approach is collaborative, practical, and trauma-informed, with space to understand what’s underneath anxiety while developing strategies that can help in everyday life.
Jessa offers in-person counselling in Coquitlam and virtual counselling across BC.
Natasha Carville, RCC
Natasha Carville, RCC supports adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, stress, and emotional overwhelm.
She draws from approaches including EMDR, CBT, DBT, EFT, mindfulness, and Solution-Focused Therapy.
Natasha offers in-person counselling in Victoria and virtual counselling across BC.
Lina Abbas, CCC
Lina Abbas, CCC works with adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression, and stress.
She draws from CBT, ACT, DBT, and Solution-Focused Therapy and offers virtual counselling throughout British Columbia in English and Arabic.
Roxanne Hahn, RTC
Roxanne Hahn, RTC provides trauma-informed, relational, and anti-oppressive counselling.
Her work includes trauma, identity, neurodivergence, LGBTQ+ experiences, relationships, couples, and family systems, with attention to somatic and nervous-system-informed approaches.
Roxanne offers virtual counselling across BC.
Not sure who feels like the best fit?
You Don’t Have to Wait Until Anxiety Takes Over
Trueself Counselling offers in-person counselling in Coquitlam and Victoria, along with secure online counselling across British Columbia.
A free 20-minute consultation gives you an opportunity to briefly share what’s been happening, ask questions, and see whether a counsellor feels like the right fit.
Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation →
You may not always be able to identify exactly why anxiety has appeared.
That’s okay.
Sometimes the first step isn’t figuring everything out.
It’s noticing that you’ve been carrying a lot, becoming curious about what’s happening, and allowing someone to help you understand it.
If anxiety is accompanied by severe or concerning physical symptoms, seek appropriate medical assessment. If you’re in immediate danger or feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe, contact emergency services or an appropriate crisis service.
References
American Psychological Association. How psychologists help with anxiety disorders.
Read the APA resource →
American Psychological Association. Anxiety.
Read the APA overview of anxiety →
American Psychological Association. Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
Read the APA stress resource →