Stress, PTSD and Anxiety Therapists in Dunn Loring, VA.

In the fast-paced Northern Virginia area, high levels of stress and anxiety are common. I create an understanding, compassionate therapeutic environment. My approach is to address both anxious thinking and the body’s stress response. You will learn practical skills to help adjust the thought patterns that support anxiety. Because anxiety is also physical I use relaxation and mindfulness techniques to achieve a calmer, more focused state by slowing down racing thoughts. With these skills, we examine all areas of life, including any outside factors that contribute to stress. I never take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to my work. Therapy is a collaborative process, the best results coming from honoring the uniqueness of each person.

As we all know stress is from anything in life and left undone, it will start bringing levels of anxiety. If we allow anxiety to grow unchecked it will start overwhelming us and can lead to a life "out of control". Here is one of my principles called "margins". A "margin" is when we give adequate space for the fluctuations of life. If you have put together a serious budget, it needs to have some room for the unexpected. When our "margins" are packed without room to adjust, we are headed for trouble. As we build "margins" with adequate space, we start experiencing rest, hope and joy. For we are not overwhelmed. One cannot have a "crises" management attitude. There is real hope.

There are many things that cause us to feel uneasy or uncertain as we move through our daily activities. We may be worried that we will be late for work or may feel anxious about getting a job. Together we will look at ways to reduce stress and make changes to make life less complicated. Sometimes the level of anxiety always is very high and I will help you find interventions to reduce that feeling of being overwhelmed. We may be able to use cognitive behavioral techniques along with meditation and tai chi movements. All sessions will focus on helping you move toward a less stressful life.

As a normal reaction to stress, mild anxiety is sometimes helpful: you study for a test, or drive within the speed limit. But excessive anxiety and stress make everyday activities much more difficult – they choke the joy out of life. Perhaps you worry way too much about normal things, find it hard to concentrate, or often experience an impending sense of doom or dread. Maybe you’re afraid of having panic attacks you can’t control. Perhaps you avoid social activities because you fear embarrassment or humiliation. Change is possible! With counseling, you can learn to soothe your anxious body, tame your anxious mind, and change your anxious behavior. Please contact me for more info.

I want to help you get relief from your anxiety. Living with a lot of anxiety can feel like you don’t quite get to be yourself. It can leave you not enjoying life as much as you’d like. Sometimes it can impact your relationships. We’ll look at the situations that trigger your anxiety. We’ll track what your perceptions are, what behaviors you do, what other feelings are there along with the anxiety. Once we have a better understanding of the anxiety, we can explore more effective ways of managing it. I will also help you learn the practice of self-compassion, as well as other tools that can help reduce anxiety.

There is no doubt that anxiety, shyness, worrying, phobias, and panic attacks can interfere in your life. They can wreck havoc on your professional and personal life. Anxiety can adversely affect your most important relationships especially if you are experiencing severe symptoms. Many people experiencing severe anxiety confuse the symptoms with medical problems. We can help! We can teach you a set of skills, techniques and methods that will help you effectively manage and even eliminate all of these issues. We use techniques that are proven to be effective in treating anxiety such as: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, and Emotional Freedom Technique.

Robyn E. Brickel, M.A., LMFT, LLC uses counseling methods in her therapy practice that are based on research evidence that can help facilitate the rapid resolution of symptoms of anxiety and mood instability, including stress and depression. Robyn incorporates techniques for mind-body integration so insights gained in psychotherapy are internalized and sustained.

We all go through seasons of life where things going on around us feel out of control and un-manageable. For some of us, this stress and anxiety can feel debilitating and get in the way of us experiencing life to the fullest. Regardless of how severely you experience this, I am here to help. Through our journey together, you will come to realize your ability to thrive no matter what the circumstances are.

If you’re not stressed, you’re probably dead! Our world today seems to thrive on it; we work too much, don’t rest enough, eat poorly, and can’t find time to exercise. When we have free time, we often find ourselves staring at a little screen filled with “friends” whose lives seem perfect. This “normal” life causes us physical and emotional distress; add in a propensity for anxiety and chances are you feel really horrible sometimes! Whether you’re simply overwhelmed by life’s responsibilities or are struggling with severe anxiety, panic, and phobias, we can help!

Anxiety can be quite debilitating. Using evidence-based treatment, learn how to face your fears and overcome your anxiety. Learn to take control over your mind and focus on the things that really matter to you in life. Together we will work towards helping you live in the present moment instead of running with your mind into the future or your past. Start living the life you value. Call today for a free phone consultation!

There are at least four components to reducing anxiety. The first is to learn self-soothing techniques. the second is to become aware of the thoughts and images which are making you anxious and to deliberately choose other thoughts and images. The third is to discover and face what you are most afraid of. Sometimes, when there has been trauma, this fear is something that has already happened and from which you have not recovered. Often it is something out of your control, a fact of life, like death! We need to make peace with these, accept their reality and make the best of what we have. I have some excellent tools from hypnosis and a field of study called NLP to speed your progress.

Anxiety disorders develop as a result of long-term and cumulative stress. Recovering from anxiety and coping with stress can be successfully addressed through the use of a holistic and educational therapeutic model. I will help you to: • Learn to counter negative beliefs and self-talk; • Develop skills for coping with stress, panic attacks and phobias; • Adapt mindfulness strategies to decrease stress and worry; • Improve relationship skills; • Develop self-acceptance, self-esteem and assertiveness; and • Cultivate a sense of direction and purpose. I provide a safe and supportive space to help you achieve your goals.

Anxiety and stress seem to be everyone's typical standard way of life these days...but that doesn't make them any easier to deal with. Though they can certainly be linked, stress and anxiety can be very different, including the way they are treated. From everyday issues to healing from past traumas and losses, anxiety can steal your quality of life. The good news is that anxiety is one area that is particularly receptive to therapy and counseling - much can change in a short period of time with the right intervention and help.