The human body has a fight, flight, or freeze system that activates when it senses danger. This system speeds up your heart rate so you can run, causes you to sweat so you can stay cool, dilates the blood vessels to improve strength, and so on. The freeze part of the system causes a type of “paralysis” and is another way the body/mind may choose to minimize damage to itself.

Fight, flight, or freeze is a critical innate response for staying safe from danger. But for some, the fight, flight, or freeze system is triggered even when no real danger is present. Fear is the emotional response to this real or perceived danger.

Closely related to fear is anxiety. Anxiety is our emotional experience to anticipated threat or danger. Our mind may anticipate threat or danger because of the way it’s perceiving or interpreting something in our environment, whether that be in our physical world or in our inner mental world.

Therapy for Anxiety in Kansas City, MO

There are different types of anxiety. Some people struggle with nervous thoughts that do not seem to go away. Others have physical symptoms that mimic serious health conditions, like heart attacks. Still others find that they cannot stop intrusive thoughts. Different forms of anxiety have different names, including:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Separation Anxiety Disorder
  • Specific Phobias
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Panic Disorder

Anxiety creates long term, chronic stress. Stress itself also carries with it its own physical symptoms, which is why even mild anxiety can develop into an overwhelming condition that benefits from evidence based, in-person treatments.

Anxiety Therapy Techniques with Tempe, AZ Psychologist Dr. Leigh Anne Randa

There are many different techniques to therapy. I have extensively trained in some of the most research validated techniques available, to help you manage anxiety symptoms and reduce chronic stress. By getting to know your own struggles with anxiety, we’ll be able to determine which treatment is most likely to be effective, including:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

I also work with patients that struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Call Today to Get Started

It is my job to create a safe, comfortable space, and I will do my best to prove to you that your anxiety can be controlled. Together, we’ll create actionable strategies that you can take home with you to use in your day to day life, and find solutions that will keep anxiety to healthy levels rather than overwhelming you.

If you find yourself struggling with anxiety or anxiety symptoms, please contact me today at 858.224.3767 or email me at DrRanda@FriendlyPsychology.com. Together, we’ll work on helping you overcome your anxiety, and start improving your quality of life.