Navigating Anxiety with a Portland Therapist Who Gets It
Anxiety therapy with a Portland Therapist
Anxiety can feel like having a guest in your house that won’t leave – hanging around in the background, ready to jump in without notice (and often without anything helpful to add to the conversation). It may show up as busy, racing thoughts that keep you up at night (and why can’t it be pleasant thoughts? Why’s it gotta be catastrophe 24/7?), a heavy-beating heart before you know you’ll be speaking in front of others, or that constant sense of dread you can’t quite shake despite your best efforts to focus on something else. You can find yourself thinking, “This will never get better” or “I’m just an anxious person” and resign yourself to a life gripped by anxiety.
But here’s the thing: Anxiety doesn’t have to rule your life.
As a Portland therapist specializing in mindfulness, self-compassion, and LGBTQ+-affirming therapy, I’ve seen how transformative it can be to work through anxiety with the right support. Just like with daily tasks around your home, the right tools for the job can make a huge difference. Let’s explore what anxiety feels like, how therapy can help, and some practical steps you can take today to start feeling more grounded.
What Anxiety Feels Like: Recognizing The Signs
Anxiety can be sneaky. Because it doesn’t always look the same for everyone it’s not always easy to feel understood when talking to friends and family. For some people, anxiety feels like an endless cycle of frightful futures. For others, it’s a gripping tightness in the chest or instant palm-sweat when approaching social interactions. Here are some common signs of anxiety:
Physical Symptoms: Sweating, a racing heart-beat, or body and muscle tension.
Emotional Symptoms: Irritability, dread, or feeling easily overwhelmed.
Cognitive Symptoms: Difficulty concentrating or constant overthinking.
Do any of these sound familiar?
There actually is good news: anxiety isn’t a life sentence. With the right support, you can learn to respond to anxiety in a way that feels empowering rather than overwhelming. If you’re searching for anxiety therapy in Portland, you’re not alone in wanting support. Working with a Portland therapist can help you identify the unique ways anxiety shows up for you, how past experiences and trauma may play a role in your triggers, and to uncover helpful ways to manage it effectively.
Why Working With a Therapist Makes a Difference
Anxiety can be isolating, especially when it feels like no one truly understands what you’re going through. Have you ever turned down an invitation or opportunity that is important to you because of anxiety? Therapy offers a compassionate, judgment-free space to explore your experiences and discover what’s driving your anxiety.
As a Portland therapist, my approach focuses on helping you find ways to change your relationship with anxiety through mindfulness and self-compassion. This isn’t about “fixing” you (you’re not broken, you’re human) it’s about working together to create a pathway toward relief, clarity, and more balance.
Whether you’re navigating social anxiety, worried thoughts, or anxiety tied to LGBTQ+-related trauma and experiences, therapy can provide the support and techniques that can help you to regain a sense of control. Therapy not only helps you address anxiety in the moment but also can equip you with long-term practices to manage future challenges. It’s a space to explore your patterns and build resilience over time.
A Mindful Approach to Anxiety
When in the grips of anxiety, it’s easy to spiral into reactive thoughts like, “There’s no way this will change.” Mindfulness helps you step back from those thoughts and see them for what they are: temporary and manageable. It’s a gentle reminder that while you may experience these thoughts, you are not your thoughts. Imagine feeling your heart race before a big presentation. With mindfulness, you can pause, notice the sensation without judgment, and use grounding techniques to respond with calm instead of panic.
In therapy, we use mindfulness to create a sense of calm and open awareness. This approach allows you to:
Notice anxiety without letting it take over.
Respond to stress with intention rather than reactivity.
Create space for clarity and calm during chaos.
The Role of Self-Compassion in Managing Anxiety
Have you noticed that anxiety often comes with a companion? That harsh inner critic that says, “You’re not good enough,” or “Why can’t you handle this better?” Self-compassion helps to soothe and calm that voice, replacing self-judgment with understanding and kindness. Again, anxiety is a human experience, not the sign of something that you’ve done wrong or that you’re somehow defective. Self-compassion makes room for these reminders.
Imagine how different it would feel to approach your anxiety the way you’d comfort a close friend - with patience, care, and encouragement. In therapy, we’ll work on building this approach so that you can meet anxiety with resilience and a growing trust in your own ability to support yourself through it.
Practical Tools to Calm Your Mind Right Now
If you’ve read this far, my guess that you may be feeling anxious today. I’d like to share two simple mindfulness-based grounding techniques to try:
The 5 Senses Grounding Technique:
Take a moment to observe your (just notice, no need to analyze, judge, opine – simply observe these as they are)
5 things you can see.
4 things you can hear.
3 things you can touch.
2 things you can smell.
1 thing you can taste (your saliva counts).
This practice helps to gently guide your focus away from the subject(s) of your racing thoughts and brings you back to the present moment.
A piece of advice for this exercise – don’t get too caught up in having the “correct” number of items for each sense – if you only hear two things, great! Just notice and move on to the next sense.
Soothing Rhythm Breathing:
Find time and space to sit upright and comfortably with your feet on the floor. Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Observe the sensation of breathing just as it is.
Now add in the intention to breathe in a rhythm that will slow the body and slow the mind.
Inhale deeply for a count of four, hold for four, and exhale for six. If this rhythm doesn’t work for you, no worries, simply adjust to a rhythm that allows you to slow and soothe.
Repeat this cycle for a few minutes, allowing your breath to slow your mind and body.
Try this 3 times a day and notice what it’s like!
These are just a couple of starting points. Working with a Portland therapist can help you discover more tools tailored to your needs and a chance to process what does and doesn’t help you.
Why LGBTQ+-Affirming Therapy Matters for Working with Anxiety
For clients from the Queer community, anxiety can be amplified by experiences with discrimination, thorny family relationships, or trauma with queerphobic bullying and violence. Whether you’re navigating anxiety rooted in intersecting identities, family dynamics, or societal pressures, I provide a space where your full self is honored and supported. There’s no need to over pathologize our experiences, for example - feeling unwelcome and anxious in certain spaces can be a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Finding an LGBTQ therapist in Portland who understands these unique challenges is crucial.
In my practice, you won’t need to spend time explaining the basics of your experience. Instead, we’ll focus on creating a space where you feel seen, valued, and supported. Together, we can work toward self-acceptance and empowerment, helping you move through anxious experiences and toward a more fulfilling, connected life.
Let’s Navigate Anxiety Together
Eric Goodwin, Portland Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor
Anxiety doesn’t have to define your life. Therapy offers a way to understand and manage your experiences with anxiety with compassion and clarity, and I’m here to support you each step of the way.
As a Portland therapist, I specialize in mindfulness and self-compassion, helping clients like you redefine your relationship with anxiety and build a life of greater balance and resilience. Whether you’re seeking LGBTQ+-affirming therapy, anxiety therapy in Portland, or addressing how shame + self-criticism impact your life, I’d be happy to learn how I can best help you.
Let’s take this first step together. Call 971-533-5590 or click here. Your path to healing can start today!