Adult Individual Therapy

Why Therapy?

You’re here because you’re searching for something.

There are the obvious reasons for seeking individual therapy: anxiety, depression, a traumatic event, the loss of a loved one, to name a few. Sometimes people come to therapy to sort out a very specific problem, such as procrastination, a work problem, social isolation, or sexual functioning . There are also less clear-cut reasons people consider psychotherapy: to more deeply understand identity, to stop repeating self-defeating patterns of behavior, or to reconfigure a life a person has outgrown. The point is, there is no one reason people seek therapy and there shouldn’t be one set of principles applied to all clients. Keep reading to learn more about the concerns we work with at Kindred Psychology. 

Individual Therapy

Anxiety: Tricky, and also Treatable.

Anxiety presents in many forms and can be difficult to identify.

To some, anxiety mighty feel like butterflies in the stomach, or worrying thoughts in the mind. Anxiety can present as episodes of get-me-out-of-here panic, a long-established disposition of requiring perfection, or difficulty abiding gracefully through the unexpected. Sometimes anxiety shows up as deeply held but quiet fears that interfere in life.

  • Fear of rejection might manifest as difficulty forming new relationships
  • Fear of ridicule can lead to avoidance of public speaking or leadership roles
  • Fear of loss in relationships drives us to extreme behaviors to maintain unhealthy attachments

We know that anxiety is a defense mechanism with a survival function. Anxiety is your body’s original alarm system to warn of danger and threat. When the body’s alarm systems goes haywire, anxiety can be experienced in ways that are debilitating and disconnected from the original survival function. Benign situations or associations can activate the body’s alarm system in an attempt to mobilize defenses for survival, even when the actual event isn’t life-threatening.

We ruminate, we worry, we catastrophize, we obsess, we avoid. Anxiety is tricky. Sometimes the things we do to cope with anxiety make it worse. When something makes us anxious, we avoid it or engage in safety behaviors that help us feel less vulnerable. The relief that we get from avoidance and safety behaviors actually exacerbates anxiety, and we can get stuck in a vicious cycle.

The good news is that anxiety is also very treatable. Using evidence-based therapies, you can learn to interrupt this vicious cycle by gradually facing your fears, eliminating safety behaviors, and building your confidence. The goal is to learn when anxiety is serving that original purpose, and when it’s simply a faulty belief or haywire physiology that is preventing you from living a secure and vibrant life. 

Contact our Client Coordination Team to inquire about the services we provide to help you better understand and manage anxiety.

For Helping and Healing Professionals

Are you the one holding everything together, but inside feel like you’re falling apart?

At Kindred Psychology, we have providers who specialize in the unique challenges faced by people who are educators, medical and mental health professionals, attorneys, and first responders. We understand there isn’t room in your life to show up as anyone but your best self.

Let us help you manage the impact and stressors that come with a life lived in service to others.

Visit our Resources section for some relevant readings on vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.