anxiety therapist ct

Empowering support to help you feel present in your daily life

3 Best Anxiety Therapists in Connecticut

  • We provide a lot of psycho-education about the nervous system's role in anxiety. You will learn more about your physical symptoms and why they occur.

  • We work in coping skills on day one so that you have interventions right away.

  • We explore how family dynamics, cultural pressures, and experiences impact your anxiety presentation.

  • We treat the full spectrum of anxiety including Generalized anxiety disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and trauma.

  • Anxiety treatment is our bread & butter and is the foundation of our practice.

About Cope & Calm Counseling

At Cope & Calm Counseling, we provide inclusive and welcoming mental health care from highly qualified therapists. It is an expectation that our therapist's are passionate about counseling and psychology. We seek trainings and consultations all year round to expand our skillsets. We are up to date on the latest research and treament options. We support clients regardless of their unique presentation or related disorders. Anxiety is a necessary human emotion. Yet, it can have varying clinical presentations in mental health. It is important to be able to assess differential diagnosis. We can only do that if we continue to learn and grow our understanding of each diagnosis. Anxiety is present in both OCD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), but the treatment is very different for these two disorders. Someone may be struggling with anxiety that impacts their relationship with food. This may be the result of sensory activation, obsessional thinking, or disordered eating.

We assess for the many different factors associated with anxiety. We treat neuro-divergence, stress, a specific phobia, or general worry. So if you have other clinical needs, then we will have the ability to can tailor treatment to your varying needs

Meet our top-rated Connecticut anxiety counselors

  • anxiety therapy connecticut

    1. Amber Young

    Amber is the founder and original therapist of Cope & Calm Counseling. She will often say that "My job is my hobby", and can often be found digging into research and attending trainings just for fun. Amber encourages this thirst for professional development for her associates. She is a member of the IOCDF. She trains her associates to treat OCD in accordance to IOCDF recommendations. This includes Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), iCBT, and ACT. As as trauma-informed provider, she puts an emphasis on somatic healing and the mind-body connection when treating anxiety disorders.

    Learn more about Amber
  • anxiety counseling connecticut

    2. Ashley DeFreitas

    Ashley is a counseling associate that has extensive experience with Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) developed to treat mood instability. DBT has proven effectiveness for anxiety therapy. Ashley has an easy sense of empathy. It is easy to feel safe whole learning new coping skills from the first session. She treats kids who struggle with social anxiety, fears, school stressors, and ADHD/ASD. Ashley implements play and art therapy strategies into her counseling sessions. These strategies allow her school aged clients to explain their feelings without having to rely on talking. For adults, she cultivates acceptance, self-compassion, and understanding while clients share their stories.. Ashley understands that learning where we have been can help us to where we want to go. She keeps this in mind when teaching new coping skills.

    Learn more about ashley
  • anxiety therapist ct

    3. Danielle Sterry

    Danielle is an associate at C&C with an extensive background in treating addictions. We know that therapy for substance use is usually trauma treatment. Addictions or maladaptive coping develops out of a need to numb. It can also serve to lose a sense of control or to act in the face of our own well-being as a proclamation of control. Danielle empowers clients to create healthier patterns for themselves. She explores the influense neurological reward systems have on decision making. She has experience treating depression, panic, anxiety, and trauma.

    Learn more about Danielle

How to get started.

Ready to feel better? If you are ready to learn how to calm your brain, cope with muscle tension, deal with panic, manage stress, and live better with your anxiety symptoms, reach out!

Reach Out

To get started, you can either call or text (203) 903- 8010 or submit a form on our website.

Connect

Our magnificent intake coordinator will greet you before collecting your information. Then she will match you with the right therapist in our practice. Towards the end of the call she will share some information about how our practice works.

Get Started

On this same call (or text) you can book your first appointment or a free consultation.

Feel better

Learning new mindsets and coping skills can take some time. But, you will leave your very first session with some coping skills in hand that will get you on your way.

Why choose us for anxiety therapy in CT

  • If you are a perfectionist, we are your people. Yes, perfectionism is something to be honed, but it has its perks. For example, we want to ensure that we are not just "good" therapists. We want to be the best therapists we can be. We make intentional efforts to be continually growing our mental health competencies. If you are struggling with a specific issue, please know that we have either A) gone down the rabbit hole of research to learn more about the subject or B) will get into a thrilling hyperfixation in order to be better prepared week after week.

  • We are able to structure treatment based on scientific evidence, not insurance company expectations. You won't be limited to a specific number of sessions per year or lose session time in order to document "medical necessity". We can focus on your specific needs using our qualified professional judgement and inquiry. We limit the amount of sessions we provide to fewer than 20 client facing hours per week. This gives us time to reflect on treatment plans or collaborate with other providers. It also affords us the time to research diagnostic presentations and treatment modalities. This intentional limit also ensures that we have the energy to actively listen to each of our clients throughout the week.

  • We welcome you to come as you are and we will do the same. There is no need to censor your language at a PG 13 level or come dressed in your business best. We want to forge an authentic connection with you and that means we have to be ourselves in sessions. This means that there will be no stuffy sessions. Silences will only be used with intention and purpose. And if you want to take your shoes off and grab a snack from the waiting room, please be our guest.

  • If you have a busy schedule, we can try to accommodate you by offering both in-person and virtual sessions. We also have flexible hours and can be available over your lunch break or in the evenings.

  • We treat a variety of mental health conditions. But anxiety, trauma, and stress related disorders make up the vast majority of our work. Clinical anxiety can be tricky to differentiate from other conditions. It can be present in stress related responses, neurodivergent activation, or obsessional thinking. Our anxiety therapists in CT specialize in treating anxiety disorders.

Common reasons why people start counseling for anxiety

  • Whenever there is a stark change in presenting symptoms, further exploration is warranted. We all experience stress and anxiety is an important emotion. But, when the impact of our stress responses begins to impair us or our mood, then support should be sought. Having a sudden onset of symptoms can be caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS), brain injury, or increased demands on executive or sensory functioning. Getting to the center of the issue improves treatment outcomes.

  • This is often the cause that brings our clients to us. Our clients will report high levels of nervous system activation, running thoughts, heightened irritability, and a pervasive feeling of "not enoughness". Going into nature may provide a moment of peace, but it does not have a lasting impact. A persistent sense of overwhelm can be caused by multiple factors. However we most often see it associated with executive dysfunction associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

  • Thinking of one million things at once can have a negative impact on one's ability to connect to friends and family. Given how much more available we are in a social context, it follows that there is ample opportunity to receive a nasty comment or judgmental feedback. Anxiety's job is to help us prepare for a task and determine what actions we need to take. If we are anticipating frequent rewarding comments or criticism, then we will have a heightened sense of social anxiety. This may lead to hyper-vigilance, indecision, increased people pleasing or defensiveness, and an overall sense of increased distress.

When another practice might be a better fit for your needs

  • Aren't ready to commit the time.

    When we are trying to learn a new skill, it is imperative to dedicate time and energy to its practice. When wanting to learn an instrument or improve athletic skills, it is a common expectation to practice multiple times in a week. In therapy, we are working to change mindsets and patterns that have been exercised and practiced a countless amount of times over the course of a client's life. In order to gain momentum and work toward sustainable change, we require that our client's commit to meeting at least once per week.

  • Don't want skills and strategies to act on

    In our practice, we work on unlearning old habits and building new ones with intention. There is space to vent and all of our sessions make space for validation and compassion. But progress does not usually occur simply through a retelling of our story. If you are looking for a safe space to share your experiences, but are not interested in receiving feedback or learning new strategies, then we may not be the right fit.

  • Don't want to use OON benefits

    We are an Out of Network Provider (OON). Most of us pay large monthly premiums for our health insurance but do not capitalize on many of our policies benefits. This includes using OON benefits. Our clients pay their fee at the time of service and request reimbursement from their insurer. We also offer to submit the claims for our clients using Mentaya. You are paying for the benefit either way, it makes sense to use it!

  • Don't want to be in therapy

    It is hard to make progress if we are not committed. It is unethical to provide therapy to someone who does not provide informed consent. If you are feeling resistant or unsure but open-minded, then we can probably work through that. However, if you do not want therapeutic support, then we aren't the right fit.

  • You do want very formal or traditional vibes

    We take our work incredibly seriously, but we like to bring levity into our sessions. We show up in session with our personalities as assets. Tabula rasa who? There are no blank slates here. We use our clinical training, expertise rooted in research, and our own lived experiences to inform how we connect to our clients and present information in a way that is digestible. If you want anxiety counseling in Connecticut that is more stoic or formal, you may want to consider another option.

FAQs about anxiety therapy

  • Anxiety can be incredibly difficult to live with, but it is highly treatable! You can learn how your nervous system works (in a nutshell), why anxiety occurs, learn the functions of anxiety, and develop habits that allow you to redirect those feelings of urgency and overwhelm in productive directions.

  • The number one predictor of therapeutic success is the client-therapist relationship. It is important that you feel safe with your therapist and that is easier when you like your therapist as a person. When selecting a provider, do a vibe check to see if you both can understand each other. Additionally, it is important to find a therapist who specialized in multiple areas of anxiety. Anxiety is present for a lot of conditions and disorders. To tailor treatment in the most efficacious way, a provider needs to have a breadth of knowledge about the complicated presentations of different disorders and the distinct differences in treatment.

    At C&C, we specialize in OCD, disordered eating, generalized anxiety disorder, executive dysfunction and neurodivergence, panic disorder, depression, PTSD, and trauma. We also have experience providing services to postpartum parents, adolescents, children, and adults.

  • The brain learns best from lived experiences. If we have a fearful response to a specific phobia, thought, or event, then we can change that response with different treatments. Most of our clinical work is rooted in Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT. CBT allows our clients to learn about the relationships between their thoughts and feelings that impact their actions. With this understanding, self-compassion can stand a change to grow. From here, we may introduce DBT skills or build exposure opportunities to learn more adaptive habits. We can also explore Internal Family Systems (IFS) work in order to understand the complex and varying motivations that compete within us leading to dissonance and uncertainty. We take a developmental approach to explore how these patterns came to be and identify the very valid reason why you learned the coping patterns that you have. All of our strategies are evidence based and have proven effectiveness.

anxiety counseling connecticut

Connect with a Connecticut anxiety therapist today

Psychology is a science and anxiety counseling is the art of that science in practice. At C&C, we are mental health professionals who specialize in anxiety disorders. We make it our mission to be consistently developing our skillsets and learning new ways to support our clients. We believe that there is power in sharing your story and being validated for your perspectives. We also know that providing our clients with concrete coping tools and providing resources that help our clients understand their anxiety is a necessary part of treatment. You will be heard and provided new options.

Looking for anxiety counseling, Connecticut? If you are ready to confront those racing thoughts head on, learn techniques to calm a hard beating heart (and maybe calm those GI symptoms and muscle tension), and gain a new appreciation for all of the work that you have already put in, then give us a call! We are eager to get you on a new track. Our anxiety therapists will be happy to give you a personalized consultation and answer any questions that you may have.