Now, more than ever, is a time to address your mental health. With constant negative news, war and crime, pandemic and world illnesses, existential anxiety and mental distress are at an all time high. I(https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/americas-mental-health-crisis)f you are wondering whether existential anxiety therapy can be of benefit for you, read below: • You have an anxiety-related disorder (or experience) • You are struggling to find meaning • You experience apathy and have lost the lust for life • Your experiences and symptoms are overwhelming • Other treatment modalities weren’t the right fit • You’re ready to have difficult conversations • There’s some curiosity Existential therapy is a truly unique and human approach to addressing many difficult experiences in life. It's an approach that values authenticity, self-understanding, personal growth, openness, and a bit of satire along the way.

Our mental health counselors at Authentically Living Psychological Services are truly dedicated to your psychological wellness. We take pride in spending each hour of therapeutic work investing energy in cultivating a genuine relationship, exploring your experiences, and supporting you in navigating acute episodes of anxiety or periods of excessive anxiety. We enjoy the process of asking challenging questions in efforts towards furthering your self-understanding and towards leading a life that feels renewed, meaningful, intra and interpersonally connected, and in line with your values.​ While the relationships our therapists are able to cultivate is the true uniqueness of our work, our approach is embedded with philosophical understandings, spiritual openness, human science, and in our ability to seamlessly incorporate the art and dance of the therapeutic process. Our approaches are relational, compassion-focused, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and person-centered. If you'd like to learn more about our approach, reach out to one of our providers here.

Anxiety therapists may hold licenses as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist; there are also provisionally licensed professionals that may also treat anxiety while gaining supervision and accruing hours towards their licensure. Most therapists trained to treat anxiety, at minimum, have a master's degree. Most providers receive generalized training during their education, which mean they have experience either learning about or working with clients struggling with various different mental health conditions named in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). Some clinicians may identify a niche or speciality area they most align with clinically, such as anxiety, which our clinicians at Authentically Living Psychological Services have done, along with a few others.(https://www.authenticallylivingpsych.com/grief-counseling-nyc) Clinicians must maintain active licenses which often require continued education. Thus, clinicians who identify with certain specialty areas are up to date with research and literature, treatment modalities, and treatment interventions. Clinicians often partake in outside supervision or consultation to maintain best practice, process countertransference, and ensure our own mental wellness so that we are best equipped to hold space for our clients. While there are many mental health professionals who specialize in treating anxiety, factors such as experience and approach and style are important considerations when choosing a therapist. Don't be afraid to assess vibes during your consultation call; remember, you're going to be sharing A LOT with this person.

We might be a little biased with this one, but ultimately the best therapy for anxiety comes down to what it is you are looking for out of therapy. Are you look for tools and skills (cognitive behavioral therapy), meditation exercises (mindfulness-based therapy), learning possible "root causes" (psychodynamic therapy), or are you looking for more process-oriented work that is going to explore large aspects of existence and the human condition? If you're interested in the latter, existential therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy may be a better fit for you. While these approaches are really awesome to talk about, they are really just theories to help guide a clinicians way of conceptualizing certain mental health experiences. So, when searching for "the best" therapy for anxiety, we'd say go with your gut. Who do you feel connected to when you're having your consultation call? It might take a few meetings to get into a groove and see if you gel, but that is going to be your best guide. Remember, there's no such thing as the best therapist, only the right therapist for YOU.

Umm we're biased again....Yes! How can investing time each week to talk about your triumphs and tribulations not be worth it? Therapy is a wonderful space to gain an understanding of your experiences, your anxiety, how it manifests, what elevates it, as well as ways to manage these experiences. By understanding the experience, especially through an existential lens, you might come to find that there is less weight in the heaviness of the experience and in the occupancy the experience has in your life. While tools are a wonderful component of therapy, you'll also be able to work through the many areas of your life that anxiety has effected: your self-esteem, relationships, work life, communication style, assertiveness, and how you view the world around you. Like going for your annual physical health visit, make mental health a priority this season. You may be surprised the benefits a little talk therapy can have on the soul.