Anxiety & panic
Anxiety Therapy in Charlotte, NC
Anxiety is not a personality trait you are stuck with. It is a nervous system doing its job too well, and it responds to treatment better than almost anything else we see.
What anxiety looks like in real life
- A mind that will not stop rehearsing conversations and worst cases
- Physical symptoms, chest tightness, jaw clenching, stomach trouble, broken sleep
- Panic attacks, or the fear of having one
- Avoiding things that matter to you because of the dread beforehand
- Checking, researching and seeking reassurance on a loop
- Irritability that everyone reads as anger
- Exhaustion from being alert all day
Recognize several of these? That is usually reason enough to start a conversation. Request an appointment →
How we treat anxiety
We start by mapping your specific pattern, the triggers, the physical signature, and the safety behaviors that provide short-term relief while quietly making the anxiety stronger.
From there the work is twofold: calming the nervous system so the baseline drops, and changing the relationship with the thoughts so they stop dictating decisions. Depending on your therapist and what fits you, that may draw on CBT, mindfulness-based practice, ACT, somatic and polyvagal-informed work, or attachment-based therapy when the anxiety is relational in origin.
Types of anxiety we work with
- Generalized anxiety and chronic worry
- Panic attacks and panic disorder
- Social anxiety
- Health anxiety
- Postpartum and perinatal anxiety
- Performance and high-achiever anxiety
- Anxiety alongside adult ADHD
- Anxiety following trauma
- Relationship anxiety and attachment-driven worry
What the first month usually looks like
- 01
Week one
Map the pattern. Identify triggers, body signals and the behaviors maintaining the cycle. You leave with two or three regulation tools to practice.
- 02
Weeks two and three
Practice and troubleshoot. Most people find that some tools work immediately and others need adapting. That is the point of having a therapist rather than an app.
- 03
Week four onward
Go after the driver. Whether that is perfectionism, an old trauma, a relationship dynamic or an untreated ADHD load, this is where the durable change happens.
What changes
What clients tend to notice
- Fewer spirals, and shorter ones when they happen
- Tools that work in the moment, not just in theory
- Room to do the things anxiety had been ruling out
- Sleep
Who provides this
Ashleigh Bryan
MS, LMFT, PMH-C
Couples therapy and maternal mental health, grounded in 17+ years of practice.
Diane Yee
MS, LCMHC
A steady, practical presence for adolescents and adults in transition.
Brooke Wagner
MA, LCMHCA, LCAS-A
Holistic, parts-informed work for people ready to feel like themselves again.
Also available with Josh Gorelick and Kelly Roberson.
Anxiety: questions we are asked
How long does anxiety treatment take?
Many clients notice meaningful reduction within six to twelve weekly sessions. Anxiety rooted in trauma or long-standing patterns generally takes longer, and we will be honest with you about that early.
Do I need medication?
Not necessarily. Therapy alone is effective for many people with anxiety. For some, medication plus therapy works better than either alone. We do not prescribe, but we will coordinate with your physician or psychiatrist if that is useful.
Can therapy actually stop panic attacks?
Yes. Panic is one of the most treatable presentations in mental health care. The treatment is counterintuitive, it involves reducing the safety behaviors rather than adding more, which is exactly why doing it with a clinician matters.
Is online therapy effective for anxiety?
Yes, and for people whose anxiety makes leaving the house difficult, it is often the way treatment actually starts.
Get started
Taking the first step is the hardest part.
Tell us a little about what is going on and we will match you with the right clinician, usually within a few days.
In-network with BCBS PPO & Aetna · Self-pay from $155 · Evenings until 8 PM