Tips for “Finding a therapist near me for anxiety”.

Anxiety can be hard enough to deal with and having a therapist who you like is key.

Here are some tips on finding the right therapist for you (whether it is a therapist near you or an online therapist):

Make sure you feel comfortable:

At Long Beach Therapy, we have been helping clients heal from anxiety for over 20 years.  We believe the best therapist for anxiety is the one who you feel safest with.  Because of this, we have options of different therapists so that you can choose the therapist who you feel the most safe/comfortable with to start your journey of healing.

Make sure you don’t feel judged:

Many people who struggle with anxiety have gone to the emergency room thinking they were having a heart attack, have had to cancel last minute plans on friends because they are overwhelmed by anxiety, or have done something else they feel is embarrassing while they were feeling their anxiety closing in on them.

It is important to know that anxiety can be managed (and sometimes eliminated) and that there is no reason to feel embarrassed because you are human and you are dealing with your anxiety in the best way you know how.   Many people feel judged when talking about anxiety and so it is even that much more important that you find a supportive therapist for anxiety.  At Long Beach Therapy, we take a non-judgmental approach with all of our clients because (1) no one is perfect (including us) and (2) everyone deserves to have relief from their anxiety.

Find out their approach:

When you call a therapist near you for anxiety, ask them how they approach anxiety.  Is it EMDR, CBT, or a person-centered approach?  Each one of these approaches can be helpful for anxiety, but the more approaches your therapist is trained in, the more you both have in the “anxiety treatment toolbox” so that if one approach/tool doesn’t work, another might work. At Long Beach Therapy, we offer EMDR, CBT, Person-Centered therapy and other evidence-based approaches in the treatment of anxiety.

Is online therapy or in person therapy better for anxiety:

It really depends on YOUR comfort level.  Sometimes, online therapy for anxiety is better because you can do it from the safety of your own home and if you are too overwhelmed or if you don’t like the therapist, it is easy to blame technical problems for wanting to cut your therapy session short.    However, there are some clients who simply prefer in-person therapy because they believe it gives them a better idea of the therapist’s energy.  Research shows that both online therapy and in-person therapy are effective approaches, so I would recommend trusting your gut feeling and doing whatever feels best for you.  Read more about “pros and cons of online therapy” by clicking here.

Whether you want in-person therapy in Long Beach or you want online therapy, I encouraged you to take the first step and call Long Beach Therapy to schedule an appointment.