Services
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety can feel relentless — the racing thoughts, the physical tension, the constant sense that something is wrong. Therapy offers a way through, not just around.
What is anxiety therapy?
Anxiety therapy is a form of psychotherapy specifically focused on understanding and reducing the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations that make up anxiety. While some anxiety is a normal and even helpful part of life, anxiety becomes a problem when it is persistent, disproportionate, or begins to interfere with your relationships, work, or daily functioning.
Anxiety rarely looks the same from person to person. For some, it shows up as constant worry that is hard to switch off. For others, it is sudden panic attacks, a deep fear of social situations, or an overwhelming need to avoid anything that feels uncertain or unsafe. Whatever form your anxiety takes, it is real — and it is treatable.
At Healing Within, our therapists approach anxiety using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) as their primary frameworks — two of the most extensively researched and effective treatments for anxiety available. Alexandra Holmes and Laura Tuttolomondo both specialize in anxiety and depression, and bring focused clinical experience to this work.
How anxiety therapy works
01
Free 15-minute consultation
We begin with a free phone consultation so you can connect with your therapist, ask questions, and get a sense of their approach before committing to a session. There is no pressure — it is simply a chance to see if the fit feels right.
02
Understanding your anxiety
Your therapist will take time to understand the full picture of your anxiety — its triggers, its patterns, and the ways it has shaped your life. This is not just an intake; it is the beginning of a collaborative relationship built on trust and curiosity.
03
Building skills and new perspectives
Drawing on CBT and DBT, your therapist will help you develop practical tools to manage anxiety in the moment, challenge the thought patterns that fuel it, and gradually expand your sense of what feels safe and possible.
04
Lasting change over time
Anxiety therapy is not just about symptom relief — it is about understanding yourself more deeply and building a life that feels less constrained by fear. As you progress, sessions shift toward consolidating your gains and preparing you to navigate future challenges with greater confidence.
Our approach: CBT and DBT for anxiety
At Healing Within, CBT and DBT form the foundation of how we treat anxiety. Both are evidence-based, skills-focused, and have decades of clinical research behind them. Depending on your needs, your therapist may also draw on complementary approaches.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most well-researched treatments for anxiety in the world. It works by helping you identify the unhelpful thought patterns — like catastrophizing, overestimating danger, or all-or-nothing thinking — that keep anxiety going. Through CBT, you learn to examine those thoughts more objectively, challenge the beliefs that fuel avoidance, and gradually face situations that anxiety has been telling you to avoid. The result is a more flexible, grounded way of responding to life's uncertainties.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT was originally developed for intense emotional experiences, and it is exceptionally effective for anxiety — particularly when anxiety is accompanied by emotional overwhelm, impulsivity, or difficulty tolerating distress. DBT teaches four core skill sets: mindfulness (staying present without judgment), distress tolerance (getting through difficult moments without making things worse), emotional regulation (understanding and managing intense feelings), and interpersonal effectiveness (navigating relationships without anxiety taking over). These are practical, learnable skills that clients use between sessions and carry forward long after therapy ends.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT complements CBT and DBT by helping you develop a different relationship with anxious thoughts — learning to observe them without being controlled by them, and moving toward a life guided by your values rather than fear.
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Woven throughout both CBT and DBT, mindfulness practices help you slow down, observe your experience without judgment, and respond to anxiety with greater calm and awareness rather than reactivity.
Meet the therapists who specialize in anxiety
Alexandra Holmes
Registered Psychotherapist
Alexandra specializes in anxiety and depression, trauma, support for first responders, and life transitions. She brings a warm, grounded presence to her work and draws on CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed approaches.
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Laura Tuttolomondo
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Laura specializes in anxiety and depression, trauma, relationships, and mindfulness. She creates a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore what is driving their anxiety and begin to find relief.
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Who anxiety therapy can help
Anxiety therapy can support anyone whose worry, fear, or nervous system responses are getting in the way of living the life they want. Our therapists commonly work with people experiencing:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Panic attacks and panic disorder
- Social anxiety and fear of judgment
- Health anxiety and illness worry
- Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours
- Phobias and avoidance patterns
- Performance anxiety and perfectionism
- Anxiety rooted in past trauma
- Burnout and chronic stress
- Anxiety in children, teens, and young adults
You don't have to keep managing this alone.
We offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can find the right therapist and feel confident before your first session.