Andrea Golden, LCSW
P S Y C H O T H E R A P Y & C O U N S E L I N G
Anxiety & Overthinking
When your mind won't slow down, even everyday life can feel exhausting.
Anxiety can show up in many ways—constant worrying, overthinking conversations and decisions, difficulty sleeping, physical tension, perfectionism, irritability, or feeling like you always need to be prepared for what might go wrong.
You may understand logically that you're okay, yet still find it difficult to quiet your thoughts or relax. Over time, anxiety can affect your relationships, confidence, work, sleep, and ability to enjoy your life.
Therapy can help you better understand what's fueling your anxiety, recognize patterns that keep you feeling stuck, and develop practical ways to manage overwhelming thoughts and emotions. Together, we'll work toward helping you feel more grounded, confident, and able to trust yourself again.
My Approach to Anxiety Treatment
Anxiety is a normal part of being human. But when worry, fear, overthinking, or physical symptoms begin interfering with your relationships, work, sleep, or ability to enjoy your life, it may be time to approach it differently.
We'll start by understanding how anxiety works for you—what triggers it, how it shows up in your thoughts and body, and the patterns that may be keeping it going. From there, we'll work on practical ways to help you respond differently rather than allowing anxiety to make more and more of your decisions.
Depending on your needs, I may draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), DBT-informed strategies, mindfulness, trauma-informed approaches, and exposure-based interventions. Together, we may work on challenging unhelpful thought patterns, reducing avoidance, tolerating uncertainty and uncomfortable physical sensations, setting healthier boundaries, and developing practical strategies you can use in everyday life.
The goal isn't to eliminate every anxious thought or feeling. It's to help anxiety become more understandable and manageable, so it takes up less space in your life and has less power over the choices you make.
When Anxiety Doesn't Always Look Like Anxiety
Anxiety isn't always obvious. You may appear capable and put together on the outside—working, caring for others, meeting responsibilities, and getting things done—while your mind rarely slows down.
You may replay conversations, second-guess decisions, worry about disappointing others, or feel as though you always need to be prepared for what might go wrong. Perfectionism, overpreparing, difficulty saying no, and staying constantly busy can sometimes become ways of managing anxiety without realizing it.
For some people, anxiety shows up more physically—in muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, a racing heart, stomach discomfort, restlessness, or simply feeling unable to fully relax. For others, it may lead to panic, avoidance, or withdrawing from situations that feel overwhelming.
You can function well and still struggle. When you put so much energy into managing worry, uncertainty, and the pressure to keep everything under control, it can become exhausting.
Common Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety
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Excessive or difficult-to-control worry
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Racing thoughts or persistent overthinking
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Feeling tense, restless, or unable to relax
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Difficulty concentrating
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Trouble falling or staying asleep
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Perfectionism or fear of making mistakes
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Increased heart rate or rapid breathing
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Muscle tension or physical discomfort
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Panic attacks or a sense of impending danger
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Feeling easily overwhelmed or on edge
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Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
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Fatigue or feeling emotionally exhausted
Your Questions About Anxiety, Answered
How do I know if anxiety is becoming a problem?
Some anxiety is a normal part of life. Therapy may be helpful when worry, fear, panic, overthinking, or avoidance begins interfering with your sleep, relationships, work, decision-making, or ability to enjoy everyday life. You don't have to wait until anxiety feels overwhelming to seek support.
What causes anxiety?
There isn't one single cause. Anxiety can be influenced by genetics and temperament, stressful or traumatic experiences, learned patterns, health concerns, relationships, life circumstances, and ongoing stress. Therapy can help you better understand what may be contributing to your anxiety and what keeps it going.
Can therapy help with anxiety?
Yes. Therapy can be very effective for anxiety, and several forms of psychotherapy have strong research support for anxiety disorders. Treatment can help you better understand your anxiety, change patterns that may be reinforcing it, develop more effective coping strategies, and gradually become more comfortable with uncertainty and uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations.
