Areas of Support

Anxiety is your nervous system's alarm system, the part of you built to scan for danger and get your body ready to respond to it. The trouble starts when that alarm goes off too often, too loudly, or without an actual fire to point to. Physically, it often shows up as a racing heart, shallow breathing, a tight chest or stomach, muscle tension, or trouble sleeping. Mentally, it can look like racing thoughts, constant worry, trouble concentrating, or jumping straight to the worst-case scenario. Behaviourally, it can show up as restlessness, avoidance, or a hard time sitting still with your own thoughts.

Neurologically, when your brain registers a threat, real or perceived, it switches on your sympathetic nervous system, the "fight, flight, or freeze" response. Your amygdala (the brain's threat detector) sounds the alarm before your thinking brain has a chance to weigh in, which is why anxiety can feel like it's happening to you rather than something you're choosing. For some people, this alarm system has learned (often from past experience) to stay on high alert even when there's no real danger present.

Treatment for anxiety works best when it addresses the nervous system alongside the mind. Nervous system based approaches, like somatic therapy, EMDR, and DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting), can help the body learn that it's safe to come out of high alert, while emotion-focused therapy can help you understand what the anxiety is pointing to. Over time, this kind of work can help reduce how often the alarm goes off and help you feel calmer and more in control. If anxiety has been running the show for a while, you don't have to figure it out alone. I offer individual psychotherapy in North York and would be glad to help you find your way through it.