Anxiety & Panic: Your Journey from Turmoil to Tranquility 

If you’ve ever felt the grip of anxiety or the sudden rush of panic, you know these feelings aren’t just fleeting moments; they’re experiences that can echo through every aspect of your life. You’re not alone in this.

At Marsh Psychotherapy, we see you and understand the depth of your struggle. Led by Dr. Catherine Marsh, our team is here to guide you from the chaos of uncontrolled worry and fear to a place of calm strength.

We’re committed to transforming these overwhelming waves into ripples that no longer dictate the course of your life.

Doesn’t Everyone Get Stressed? How Do I Know if it’s Anxiety or Panic?

It’s true that stress and worry are normal parts of life.

Everyone experiences them, and they can even be beneficial in small doses, helping us to react to dangers or prepare for upcoming challenges. However, when these feelings become overwhelming, constant, and disruptive, they may cross into the realm of clinical anxiety or even panic. Some key differentiators include:

  • Intensity and Persistence: Normal worries are generally temporary and specific to certain stressors. Anxiety, however, is more pervasive and persistent, often lingering even in the absence of direct stressors. Panic takes this a step further, manifesting as sudden, intense episodes of fear or discomfort, accompanied by physical symptoms like heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or dizziness.

  • Physical Symptoms Beyond Normal Stress: Anxiety can lead to chronic symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, or sleep disturbances. Panic attacks, in contrast, are acute, with intense physical reactions that can feel overwhelming or even mimic a heart attack.

  • Impact on Daily Functioning: While everyday worries don’t significantly impede your life, anxiety and panic disorders can disrupt your ability to work, maintain relationships, or carry out daily activities comfortably.

  • Excessive and Uncontrollable Worry: If your worries are difficult to control and consume a large part of your day, it’s indicative of an anxiety disorder. With panic disorders, the worry often centers around the fear of the next panic attack, creating a cycle of anxiety.

Woman feeling anxious in need of a therapist for anxiety and panic

Unraveling the Roots of Anxiety and Panic with PIT

We believe that understanding the deeper psychological roots of anxiety and panic is key to effective treatment.

This is where Psychodynamic Interpersonal Therapy (PIT) plays a vital role. PIT goes beyond surface symptoms to explore the underlying emotional and relational dynamics that contribute to anxiety and panic disorders.

Middle aged woman doing deep breathing exercises to help with anxiety and panic
  • Exploring Relational Patterns: PIT provides insights into how your relationships, both past and present, shape your experiences of anxiety or panic. By identifying and understanding these patterns, we can pinpoint triggers and stressors, leading to more targeted and meaningful therapeutic interventions.
  • Interpreting Emotional Responses: Through PIT, we explore the complex emotional responses that contribute to your anxiety and panic. This exploration fosters a deeper self-awareness, helping you recognize how specific feelings and reactions are linked to these conditions.
  • Transforming Interpersonal Dynamics: Managing anxiety and panic often involves reevaluating and altering how you interact with others and how you perceive yourself. PIT offers strategies to modify these dynamics, paving the way for healthier interactions and stress responses.
  • Utilizing the Therapeutic Relationship: A critical aspect of PIT is using the therapeutic relationship as a reflective tool. For example, if discussing certain topics elicits strong reactions, we explore these responses in the context of the therapist-client interaction. This exploration helps you understand and change deeply ingrained interpersonal behaviors, such as projecting past judgments onto current interactions, leading to insights about broader patterns in your life.

Harnessing the Power of Creativity in Healing

At Marsh Psychotherapy, we integrate Creative Arts Therapy as a vital component in treating anxiety and panic. This form of therapy, encompassing visual arts, drama, and dance, offers a unique and effective way to address the complexities of these conditions.

  • Expressing the Inexpressible: Often, feelings associated with anxiety and panic are challenging to articulate with words. Creative Arts Therapy provides an alternative means of expression. Through artistic creation, you can externalize and visualize your emotions, leading to a deeper understanding and processing of these feelings.

  • A Path to Emotional Release: Engaging in creative activities can be incredibly cathartic. The act of creating art, whether it’s painting, sculpting, or performing, allows for a release of pent-up emotions, offering relief from the intense internal pressure that anxiety and panic can create.

  • Building Self-Confidence and Agency: Anxiety and panic can often leave individuals feeling powerless. Creative Arts Therapy empowers you by putting you in control of the creative process. This empowerment can translate into other areas of your life, helping to build self-confidence and a sense of agency.

Deepening Self-Understanding and Support

Our therapists are trained to delve into your personality and defense mechanisms, uncovering deeply ingrained vulnerabilities that may be at the root of your anxiety. In addition to our foundational approaches, our therapists are specialists in other evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, Humanistic Therapy, and more.

Whether it’s addressing deep-seated patterns or providing immediate support and coping strategies, our team is equipped to tailor the therapy to your unique needs.

Woman with hands on heart trying to regulate anxiety

Building Resilience Against Anxiety

Our goal at Marsh Psychotherapy is to build long-term resilience.

We focus on equipping you with skills to manage stress, respond to anxiety-provoking situations effectively, and maintain a sense of control over your emotions.

Our therapists work collaboratively with you to develop coping strategies that you can use outside of therapy sessions, ensuring sustainable progress.

What People Are Saying

“It felt like we really rolled up our sleeves and delved  into my thoughts, beliefs, fears together. It was a truly collaborative experience.”

Take the First Step

If you’re struggling with anxiety or panic disorders, remember that you’re not alone, and help is available. At Marsh Psychotherapy, we’re dedicated to guiding you towards a life of calmness, control, and peace. Reach out to us to start your journey towards recovery and empowerment.