Starting Anxiety Therapy in Portland: A Guide for When You’re Overwhelmed
When you’re overwhelmed, even thinking about starting therapy can feel like too much. Anxiety counseling in Portland offers a compassionate place to begin—at your own pace.
When you’re already overwhelmed, the idea of starting therapy can feel like just one more thing you don’t have the energy to manage. You might know you need support, but scrolling through websites, figuring out payment options, or even drafting that first message to a therapist can feel like a mountain to climb.
If that’s where you are right now, you’re not alone and you’re not doing anything wrong. Overwhelm often isn’t what therapy fixes after you begin. It’s the reason many people come in the first place. And in anxiety therapy in Portland, you don’t have to have it all together before taking that first step.
Let’s break it down.
When Even Reaching Out Feels Like Too Much
Anxiety has a way of making everything feel urgent and impossible all at once. You might feel stuck between wanting relief and not knowing where to start. Your mind might race with questions: What do I even say? Will I make sense? What if I cry right away?
This is part of how anxiety works; it floods your system and then tells you you’re failing for being flooded.
The truth is, starting therapy doesn’t require you to be calm, clear, or confident. It simply requires a moment of courage…and even that can be tender and uncertain. Whether you’re looking for tools, space to exhale, or someone who actually gets what you’re going through, anxiety counseling in Portland is about meeting you where you are, not expecting you to arrive fully “together.”
What Anxiety Therapy in Portland Really Looks Like
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy, especially not when it comes to anxiety. That’s actually a good thing. It means that the process can adapt to you.
In your first session, you don’t need to have a rehearsed speech or a perfectly written list of goals. You can show up feeling unsure, scattered, even guarded. We start where you are, with whatever feels most important or simply what hurts the most.
In Portland, Oregon, you’ll find a wide range of therapists with different backgrounds and specialties. And while that can feel overwhelming at first, it also means there are providers who are a great fit for you. Maybe you’re looking for someone LGBTQ+ affirming, someone who understands how anxiety lives in both the mind and the body, or someone who gently integrates mindfulness without making it feel like a performance.
Therapy can help you not only feel more grounded but also more connected to yourself without forcing you to change who you are.
Common Fears About Starting Therapy (and Why You’re Not Alone)
Let’s name a few:
“I don’t know what to say.”
“What if I cry the whole time?”
“What if they don’t understand what I’ve been through?”
These worries are common and understandable. Anxiety tends to pair every effort to reach out with a dozen reasons why it won’t work. And if you’ve had a negative or invalidating therapy experience in the past, that inner voice might be even louder.
This is especially true for LGBTQ+ individuals, who may have spent years in spaces where parts of themselves had to stay hidden or explained away. That’s why finding a therapist who sees your whole story matters.
Therapy with me is not about pushing through those fears. It’s about sitting with them, gently, and slowly proving them wrong…not with pressure, but with presence.
You Don’t Have to Be Calm Before You Begin
Many people believe they need to be less anxious before reaching out (as if therapy is something you earn once you’ve done enough “work” on your own). But therapy can be where the work begins. And more importantly, it’s a space where your experience of being overwhelmed can finally soften.
In sessions, we might pause to notice what’s happening inside. Maybe it’s a wave of thoughts. Maybe it’s tension in your chest. Maybe it’s just the feeling of needing to shut down. You won’t be asked to change it on the spot, only to notice, together.
This noticing becomes the beginning of trust; not just in the process, but in yourself. And for many clients, especially those who’ve had to hold it all together for a long time, that first breath of relief is everything.
Whether It’s Your First Time in Counseling or You’re Starting Again—You’re Welcome Here
Maybe you’ve never tried therapy before. Or maybe you’ve been before and something about it didn’t feel right. That’s okay.
For returning clients, it’s common to carry an inner critic that says, “You should be able to handle this by now.” But the truth is, anxiety often strengthens that inner critic—and therapy can offer a different way forward. Not a quick fix, but a chance to build a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
You don’t have to explain away your overwhelm. You don’t have to apologize for struggling. And you definitely don’t have to filter who you are.
Whether you’re based in Portland or elsewhere in Oregon, therapy should be a space where you feel safe and fully seen from the start.
In my practice, I offer anxiety therapy in Portland that is mindfulness-based and LGBTQ+-affirming. Sessions are tailored to your needs and your pace, whether you’re just beginning or ready to try again.
Eric Goodwin, Anxiety Therapist in Portland and Licensed Professional Counselor
You don’t have to figure it all out before you begin. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unsure about starting therapy, that’s exactly where the work can begin.
I offer anxiety counseling in Portland for individuals who are looking for grounded, affirming, and compassionate support. Together, we can explore what it means to soften your inner critic, meet yourself with more understanding, and begin again.
I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit. Sessions are available in person in Portland or online throughout Oregon. Call 971.533.5590 or click here to schedule yours today.