Compassionate Anxiety Therapy in Warrenville, IL and Statewide Telehealth

Life with anxiety can feel like you’re always on high alert. Whether you’ve been coping with these symptoms for as long as you can remember or anxiety has recently taken a hold due to the many stressors in the world today, the impact can be profound. Anxiety can make even the simplest tasks feel unbearable. Work, relationships, and social interactions—things that should bring joy or at least a sense of normalcy—might instead cause overwhelming worry or panic. At S & J Wellness in Warrenville, IL our anxiety therapists, we understand that anxiety is complex and deeply personal. Everyone experiences anxiety differently, and that’s why we focus on helping you understand your symptoms and find relief in a way that works for *you*. Our therapists will partner with you to create a personalized plan to manage and reduce anxiety symptoms, empowering you to regain control over your life. 

Anxiety shows up in many forms, and sometimes it can be hard to tell if what you're experiencing is anxiety or something else. Here are some common signs and symptoms of anxiety: 

• Rapid heartbeat 
• Panic attacks 
• Excessive worry that you can’t turn off 
• A sense of impending danger or doom, even when nothing is wrong 
• Numbness or tingling, especially in your hands or feet 
• Shortness of breath, feeling like you can’t catch your breath 
• Excessive sweating, even in situations that aren’t physically strenuous 
• Chest pain, which can be frightening and feel like a heart issue 
• Avoidance of social events or activities that could trigger your anxiety or panic 

If you’re reading this and recognizing any of these symptoms, know that you’re not alone. Anxiety can be incredibly isolating, but therapy offers a safe space to begin untangling these experiences. 

Many people wonder, “How can talking about my anxiety help?” The truth is, therapy is more than just talking—it’s a process of learning and healing. At S & J Wellness, we work with you to understand the root of your anxiety. Whether it’s tied to long-term stress, past trauma, or something else entirely, therapy helps you break down these overwhelming feelings and start building healthier ways to cope. 

• 1. Learning Coping Skills: Anxiety often stems from thoughts and worries that spiral out of control. In therapy, you’ll learn coping techniques to manage stress and anxiety before it becomes overwhelming. These might include relaxation techniques, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness strategies that help ground you when anxiety hits. 
• 2. Goal Setting for Symptom Reduction: Together with your therapist, you’ll set achievable goals to reduce the frequency and intensity of anxiety episodes. We work collaboratively to ensure that these goals feel manageable, realistic, and tailored to your specific needs. 
• 3. Body Awareness and Regulation:Anxiety doesn’t just affect your thoughts; it impacts your body, too. You might feel tension, experience chest pain, or notice shortness of breath. Therapy can help you become more aware of how anxiety shows up physically, giving you tools to calm your body during distress. By recognizing early signs of anxiety, you can intervene before it spirals into a full-blown panic attack. 
• 4. Managing Negative Thoughts: Anxiety often brings a flood of negative or catastrophic thinking. It might feel like your mind is constantly racing, always jumping to the worst-case scenario. Therapy will help you challenge and reframe these thoughts, making it easier to break free from the cycle of worry. 

In some cases, anxiety may not exist on its own. It can be linked to past trauma, substance use, or co-occurring mental health conditions like depression. That’s why our therapists take a holistic approach. We’ll conduct a thorough assessment to understand if there are other underlying factors contributing to your anxiety. Identifying the root causes, which an anxiety therapist helps with, can be crucial to developing the most effective treatment plan.

At S & J Wellness, our therapists use evidence-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety symptoms. Some of the approaches we may use include: 

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is one of the most effective forms of therapy for anxiety. It focuses on identifying and challenging the thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and replacing them with healthier ways of thinking. Over time, you’ll develop new coping strategies to manage your anxiety more effectively. 
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT combines elements of CBT with mindfulness practices. It’s particularly helpful for people who experience intense emotional reactions and struggle to regulate their emotions. DBT teaches you how to stay present in the moment and manage overwhelming feelings without resorting to avoidance or harmful coping mechanisms. 
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): This therapy combines mindfulness meditation and body awareness techniques to help you become more attuned to your body and mind. By practicing mindfulness, you can learn to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment, reducing the impact of anxiety. 

We hear this question a lot. While therapy can be highly effective on its own, some people benefit from a combination of therapy and medication. If you’re interested in exploring medication as part of your treatment, we can refer you to a trusted physician. Together, we’ll work with your medical provider to ensure that any medication supports your therapy goals. 

We know that reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, especially when anxiety is already making things harder. It can feel strange or uncomfortable to open up to a therapist, someone you’ve never met, and talk about deeply personal struggles. But at S & J Wellness, our goal is to make sure you feel safe, heard, and supported from the moment you step into our office—or log in for a teletherapy session. Therapy isn’t about telling you how to live your life or pushing you in a direction that doesn’t feel right. It’s about working together to help you regain control, find relief, and live the life you want. You are always in charge of your therapy sessions, and we’re here to guide and support you every step of the way. 

If you’re ready to take that first step, we’re here to help. S & J Wellness offers therapy for anxiety in our Warrenville office, as well as teletherapy for residents of Illinois. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you on your journey to anxiety relief.