Anxiety is a natural response to perceived threats. In some situations, it can be useful, prompting us to pay attention or prepare for a challenge. But when anxiety becomes persistent or disproportionate to the situation, it can begin interfering with your relationships, responsibilities, decisions, and ability to enjoy everyday life. That’s where a licensed clinical psychologist like Tammy Thigpen, Ph.D., PLLC can prove helpful. Through anxiety therapy at my practice in Houston, I help individuals in Texas and beyond better understand their condition and develop practical skills for responding to it differently. My therapy for anxiety is offered through telehealth, allowing adults in all PSYPACT participating states to access care from a private, convenient location. Keep reading to learn how my services can change your life!
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
Anxiety can look different from one person to another. You might find yourself constantly anticipating what could go wrong, replaying conversations, questioning decisions, or unable to quiet your thoughts. Anxiety may also involve muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, or a racing heartbeat.
For many, anxiety leads to avoidance. You might turn down an opportunity, put off a difficult conversation, repeatedly seek reassurance, or avoid situations that make you uncomfortable. These avoidance behaviors can bring quick relief without clear consequences, which is why they become difficult patterns to change.
Understanding the Anxiety Cycle
Anxiety becomes cyclical when attempts to escape uncomfortable feelings reinforce the belief that those feelings or situations are dangerous. For example, imagine feeling anxious about a social event. You anticipate an uncomfortable interaction and decide not to attend. Staying home reduces your anxiety in the short term, so avoiding the event feels like it worked. The next time a similar situation arises, however, your mind remembers avoidance as a way to find relief. Anxiety returns, and the urge to avoid may become even stronger. Similar cycles can develop around work, health concerns, relationships, parenting, decision-making, and many other areas of life. Over time, your world becomes shaped by what you are trying not to feel rather than what matters most to you.
How Therapy for Anxiety Teaches You to Interrupt Anxious Patterns
Therapy for anxiety provides an opportunity to recognize anxious patterns and develop more flexible ways of responding to these difficult thoughts, feelings, and situations. Rather than expecting you to eliminate every anxious thought or uncomfortable emotion, therapy can help change the way you relate to these experiences. My approach is evidence-based, compassion-focused, and tailored to each individual. We can explore what triggers your anxiety, identify behaviors that may unintentionally maintain the cycle, and practice responding in ways that support your goals and values.
Building Skills to Manage Anxiety Differently
An important part of therapy is developing skills you can apply beyond our sessions. Depending on your individual needs, our work may help you:
Practice noticing thoughts without automatically treating them as facts
Tolerating uncomfortable emotions
Approaching situations you would normally avoid
Responding to yourself with greater compassion
Through approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, we can also clarify your values and consider how you want to act when anxiety shows up. Instead of allowing fear to make every decision, you can learn to make room for discomfort while moving toward goals that give your life meaning.
Getting Started With Dr. Tammy Thigpen
Breaking an anxiety cycle with therapy takes practice, but you do not have to figure this out by yourself. If anxiety is limiting your choices or keeping you from living the life you want, I invite you to reach out. Schedule an anxiety therapy appointment with my office in Houston, TX, today to inquire about how my online therapy services can help you develop a healthier, more flexible way of responding to anxiety!