Therapy for Anxiety in Pasadena

Anxiety, panic, obsessions, and insecurities all share a common thread: fear. At their core, these overwhelming experiences stem from fear running unchecked, making life feel painful, unpredictable, and difficult to navigate. Fear can arise from many sources—lingering traumas from childhood, relationship conflicts, or survival and existential uncertainties. These symptoms can surface anywhere: in relationships, family dynamics, or even during moments of solitude.

As someone who has faced and worked through my own fears, I deeply understand how consuming and isolating this suffering can be. My own journey has led me to explore the nature of fear, develop tools to navigate it, and ultimately transform my relationship with it. This personal experience fuels my passion to help others—because I know how much it hurts, and I genuinely care.

In therapy, I offer a blend of practical tools to help you weather the immediate storm and a depth-oriented approach to uncover the root causes of anxiety and fear. Together, we’ll explore how fear manifests in your mind, emotions, and your body—where it often appears as physical tension or medical symptoms. I work with individuals, couples, children, and families in Pasadena and Los Angeles, offering support for those struggling to manage fear and anxiety in its many forms.

Anxiety doesn’t disappear simply by ignoring, suppressing, or distracting yourself from it. Instead, real relief comes from developing a willingness to sit with, explore, and understand the messages anxiety is trying to communicate—both verbal and nonverbal. With the support of a compassionate and skilled therapist, you can begin to gently touch the edges of your anxiety, creating space for healing and transformation.

I would be honored to walk alongside you on this journey. Together, we’ll work toward releasing the fears that are making life feel unmanageable, helping you move toward a life of greater peace, clarity, and resilience. If you’re interested in learning more about therapy for anxiety in Pasadena and Los Angeles, I invite you to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. Call or text me at (323) 577-3430, or send me a message through my contact page. I look forward to hearing from you.

Types of Anxiety

Obsessions and OCD
Obsessions are intrusive, repetitive, unwanted, and distressing thoughts that can feel impossible to escape. These thoughts are often accompanied by intense emotional states such as fear, alarm, insecurity, or even terror. In the context of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), compulsions—repetitive behaviors or mental rituals—often arise as an attempt to neutralize the distress caused by obsessions. However, these compulsions typically offer only temporary relief, leading to a frustrating cycle of obsession and compulsion.

This vicious cycle can leave sufferers feeling trapped, exhausted, and confused by their own thoughts and behaviors. Many people with OCD recognize that their obsessions and compulsions are irrational, but insight alone is rarely enough to disrupt the cycle. True relief requires addressing the emotional roots of the obsessions and exploring the feelings beneath the compulsions.

Therapy for OCD may involve techniques such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which helps reduce the power of obsessive thoughts by learning to sit with discomfort without resorting to compulsive behaviors. Additionally, incorporating mindfulness, somatic (body) awareness and emotional processing can help discharge the underlying fears and anxieties that fuel the cycle.


Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
Panic is often characterized by a feeling of losing control—like your grip on reality is slipping, the ground is falling out from under you, or an internal alarm is blasting at full volume. Panic attacks can bring feelings of terror, desperation, and alarm so intense that they may trigger the body’s fight-flight-freeze response.

During a panic attack, some may confront the perceived threat head-on (fight), run away (flight), or become immobilized (freeze). At peak levels, when fighting or fleeing isn’t an option, the body may freeze into a state of paralysis—often described as being “petrified” or “scared stiff.” This can be followed by a sense of derealization (the world feels unreal) or depersonalization (feeling disconnected from oneself).

Panic attacks are physically and emotionally exhausting, leaving sufferers feeling vulnerable and unsure when the next wave will strike. Therapy provides a space to learn tools for managing panic, addressing its root causes, and regaining a sense of safety and control.


Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety is a pervasive form of anxiety that affects everyday life. It’s characterized by chronic, incessant worrying about potential negative outcomes, even in situations that don’t warrant such concern. This “catastrophizing” pattern—imagining worst-case scenarios—can take a profound toll on the mind and body.

Physically, chronic worrying can cause tension, fatigue, headaches, and other stress-related ailments. Emotionally, it can lead to feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and even depression as the constant flood of anxious thoughts drains energy and prevents relaxation.

Therapy can help you identify and disrupt this cycle of worry, build tools for managing stress, and develop greater resilience in facing life’s uncertainties.


Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety is more than shyness; it’s an intense fear of social situations where you might be judged, criticized, or humiliated. This fear can lead to avoidance behaviors, such as withdrawing from social interactions or avoiding situations like public speaking, meeting new people, or even everyday activities like making phone calls.

For those with social anxiety, the fear of embarrassment or rejection often leads to self-critical thoughts and physical symptoms like sweating, trembling, or a racing heart. Therapy for social anxiety focuses on developing self-compassion, building confidence in social situations, and reducing the fear of judgment so that you can engage with others more freely and authentically.


Specific Phobias
Phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations—like heights, flying, or certain animals—that can lead to avoidance behaviors and significant distress. Even though the fear may be recognized as irrational, the emotional and physical responses can feel overwhelming and uncontrollable.

Therapy for phobias often involves gradual exposure to the feared object or situation in a safe, controlled environment, paired with tools to calm the nervous system and reduce fear responses over time.


Health Anxiety (Hypochondria)
Health Anxiety involves a persistent fear of illness or physical symptoms, often leading to excessive checking behaviors, frequent doctor visits, or avoiding healthcare altogether due to fear of bad news. This condition can trap individuals in a cycle of worry about their health, even when medical reassurance has been provided.

Therapy helps individuals break free from this cycle by addressing the underlying fears, reducing compulsive checking behaviors, and cultivating trust in their body’s resilience.


Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
While PTSD is often considered its own category, anxiety is a key component of this condition. Individuals with PTSD may experience intense anxiety, flashbacks, hypervigilance, or avoidance behaviors triggered by reminders of past trauma. These symptoms can disrupt daily life and make it difficult to feel safe or grounded.

A trauma-informed therapeutic approach focuses on creating a sense of safety, processing the traumatic memories in a manageable way, and helping clients reconnect with their present lives. Somatic awareness and mindfulness are often central tools for addressing PTSD symptoms.