Anxiety Therapy in Wausau, Wisconsin
When Your Mind Won't Let You Rest
You're capable, hardworking, and you get things done. But inside your head, there's a constant hum of worry that never quite turns off. Maybe you lie awake at night replaying conversations, wondering if you said something wrong. Perhaps you spend every Sunday evening with a knot in your stomach, dreading the week ahead.
You might find yourself overthinking every decision from major life choices to everyday situations. Or maybe you're caught in cycles of perfectionism and procrastination, where you want everything to be just right and are paralyzed by the pressure to get it perfect.
If this is you, here's what you need to know: Anxiety is one of our most useful emotions and you don’t have to live in constant fear.
Understanding Anxiety as Your Overactive Alert System
Anxiety isn't your enemy. It's one of your greatest assets but only when it's working properly. Anxiety is your internal alert system, designed to help you identify potential problems and give you the focus and motivation to address them effectively.
When this system is well-calibrated, anxiety:
Helps you prepare thoroughly for important situations
Motivates you to meet deadlines and maintain your standards
Alerts you to genuine threats that need attention
Provides focus and energy when you need to perform your best
The problem isn't having anxiety – it's when your alert system becomes hypersensitive, signaling danger in the absence of an actionable threat.
Ready to quiet the noise and reclaim peace of mind?
Schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your anxiety patterns and determine if working together would be a good fit.
When Anxiety Stops Being Helpful
You know anxiety has crossed the line from helpful to hindering when:
Anticipatory worry dominates your thoughts, making you dread situations that usually go fine
Decision paralysis keeps you stuck, overthinking choices until opportunities pass by
Perfectionism becomes a prison, where "good enough" never feels acceptable
Procrastination kicks in because the pressure to be perfect feels overwhelming
Rumination cycles replay scenarios endlessly, especially late at night
Physical symptoms like tension, insomnia, or digestive issues become regular companions
Many capable individuals develop what looks like a well-managed life while battling constant internal stress. You might be handling your responsibilities while feeling anxious about every detail, or maintaining relationships while worrying about what others really think of you.
The Hidden Costs of Unmanaged Anxiety
Living with constant worry is exhausting. Even when things are going well, part of your mind is scanning for what could go wrong next. This hypervigilance can:
Drain your energy even during supposedly relaxing times
Impact your relationships when worry makes you irritable or distant
Limit your potential by keeping you in safe, familiar patterns
Affect your physical health through chronic stress responses
Create a sense of being "on" all the time with no real downtime
There’s a common value of self-reliance and handling challenges independently, and while these are admirable qualities, sometimes these very values can make it harder to recognize when your anxiety needs attention.
A Different Relationship with Anxiety
Rather than viewing anxiety as something to eliminate or simply endure, therapy helps you develop a healthier relationship with it. This means learning to:
Distinguish between useful anxiety and unnecessary worry. Not all anxious thoughts deserve your attention. We'll work on identifying which concerns warrant action and which are just mental noise.
Use anxiety as information rather than letting it drive your decisions. Anxiety often contains valuable data about your values and priorities, but it shouldn't be the only voice in important decisions.
Build practical skills for managing anxious moments. You'll learn concrete techniques for calming your nervous system when worry spirals start.
Develop self-compassion for being human. Perfectionism often fuels anxiety. Learning to treat yourself with the same kindness you'd show a good friend can significantly reduce internal pressure.
How Anxiety Therapy Works
My approach combines practical skill-building with deeper insight work, helping you understand both the "what" and the "why" of your anxiety patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral Strategies
We'll examine the thought patterns that fuel worry and learn to evaluate them more objectively. For example, thoughts like "If this doesn't go perfectly, it's a disaster" often create more anxiety than the actual situation warrants.
Mindfulness and Present-Moment Awareness
Anxiety thrives on future-focused worry and past-focused regret. Mindfulness practices help you anchor yourself in the present moment, where most problems exist only in your imagination.
Acceptance and Self-Compassion
Instead of fighting against anxious feelings, you'll learn when to acknowledge them without being controlled by them. This reduces the "anxiety about anxiety" that often makes things worse.
Practical Stress Management
You'll develop a toolkit of techniques for managing anxiety in real-time – whether you're preparing for an important conversation or dealing with unexpected challenges.
Values-Based Decision Making
We'll explore what truly matters to you, helping you make choices based on your deeper values rather than just trying to avoid anxiety.
Common Types of Anxiety I Work With
Generalized Anxiety: Persistent worry about multiple areas of life, often accompanied by "what if" thinking patterns.
Social Anxiety: Discomfort in social situations, worry about judgment, or fear of saying something embarrassing.
Performance Anxiety: Stress related to important conversations, presentations, or any situation where you feel "on display."
Perfectionism-Related Anxiety: Fear of making mistakes, setting impossibly high standards, or feeling like nothing you do is ever quite good enough.
Decision-Making Anxiety: Becoming overwhelmed by choices, overthinking options, or fear of making the "wrong" decision.
Work-Life Balance Anxiety: Feeling like you're failing at both your responsibilities and personal life, never quite doing enough in either area.
Why Work with Someone Who Understands Life's Demands
I've worked with many individuals who are capable and responsible but struggling internally with worry and stress. I understand the pressures that come with daily responsibilities and the challenge of maintaining your commitments while managing anxiety.
This experience helps me offer strategies that work in real-world situations, not just theoretical advice that falls apart when you're facing challenges and demands in the wild.
I also recognize the importance of privacy. My practice operates on a self-pay basis, improving confidentiality without insurance records that could potentially impact other areas of your life.
What You Can Expect from Anxiety Therapy
Through our work together, you can expect to:
Develop a healthier relationship with worry that allows you to use anxiety as helpful information without being overwhelmed by it
Build practical skills for managing anxious moments as they arise
Reduce the mental energy you spend on unnecessary worry, freeing up space for what actually matters
Improve your decision-making by learning to consider anxiety as one factor among many, rather than the deciding voice
Increase your tolerance for uncertainty, a crucial skill in all areas of life
Enhance your overall sense of calm and confidence in handling whatever challenges come your way
Your Optimization Starts With One Decision
You don't have to wait until anxiety derails your next big opportunity. The sooner you begin strategic intervention, the faster you can transform anxiety from a performance barrier into a competitive advantage.
Every day you delay is another day of diminished decision-making, increased stress, and missed opportunities to leverage anxiety's natural benefits. But every day is also a chance to start moving toward optimized professional performance.
Ready to transform your relationship with anxiety? Schedule your confidential consultation.
Common Questions About Anxiety Therapy
"How do I know if my anxiety needs professional help?"
If anxiety is interfering with your sleep, relationships, or daily functioning, or if you find yourself avoiding situations because of worry, these are signs that anxiety therapy could be beneficial. Many people wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming, but addressing it earlier often leads to better outcomes.
"What's the difference between normal worry and anxiety that needs treatment?"
Normal worry is proportional to actual situations and doesn't significantly impact your daily life. Anxiety becomes problematic when it's excessive compared to the actual threat, persists even when situations improve, or starts controlling your decisions and behaviors.
"How long does anxiety therapy take to work?"
Most people notice some improvement in their daily anxiety management within the first few sessions. Deeper changes in how you relate to worry and uncertainty typically develop over 3-6 months, depending on your specific situation and goals.
"Will anxiety therapy change my personality?"
Anxiety therapy doesn't change who you are, rather it helps you develop a healthier relationship with worry and stress. The goal isn't to eliminate all anxiety, but to help you experience it in a way that's more manageable and less disruptive to your life.
"Can I do anxiety therapy and still maintain my privacy?"
Absolutely. My practice operates on a self-pay basis, which means greater confidentiality without insurance records. Your sessions remain private, and you have more control over who knows about your therapy experience.
Taking the First Step
I understand that seeking support for anxiety can feel vulnerable, especially if you're used to handling challenges on your own. You might be wondering if what you're experiencing is "serious enough" for therapy, or if you should just continue managing it yourself.
Here's what I've learned: The people who address anxiety proactively rather than waiting until it becomes overwhelming tend to see the most significant and lasting improvements.
If you're ready to develop a healthier relationship with worry and reclaim some mental peace, I'd be honored to work with you. My practice serves individuals throughout Wisconsin, with both in-person sessions in Wausau and virtual sessions available.
Schedule a consultation to get started. We'll discuss your specific anxiety patterns and determine if working together would be a good fit.
If you're experiencing anxiety alongside other challenges, you might also find it helpful to learn about my Burnout Therapy and Depression Therapy services. For comprehensive support, I also offer Support for Individual Wellness that addresses multiple aspects of mental health and well-being.
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Anxiety Therapy
in Wausau
300 N 3rd Street
Suite 302
Wausau, WI 54401
Virtual services are also available across Wisconsin.