Therapy for Anxiety
If you're struggling with general anxiety, social anxiety, or panic episodes, we can help you find calm you need.
Calm your anxious thoughts
Understand yourself better
Learn how to manage stress
You may be experiencing ...
- Excessive worry or fear
- Restlessness or feeling on edge
- Sleep disturbances and poor quality of rest
- Avoiding social situations, especially when you will be meeting new people
- Difficulty focusing on regular tasks
- Abnormal levels of irritability or anger
- Excessive worry about developing a serious illness
- Avoidance of certain situations, places, or activities due to fear of illness
- Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks that may peak within minutes
- Racing heart, shortness of breath, trembling or shaking, chest pain, dizziness, or nausea
We provide virtual therapy across Ontario and in-person therapy in Toronto for general anxiety, social anxiety, and panic disorders in order to calm in your mind and gain control of your life.
Anxiety Therapy In Toronto
What are the types of anxiety?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- The worry and anxiety are significantly impacting daily functioning, such as work, school, or relationships
- Attempts to control or reduce the anxiety have been unsuccessful
- The anxiety is causing significant distress or emotional pain
- Physical symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle tension, or sleep disturbances, are affecting overall well-being
- The symptoms persist for an extended period
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by an intense fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in social situations. This fear often leads to feelings of self-consciousness, embarrassment, and avoidance of social interactions.
It may be time to seek therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder if:
- The fear and anxiety are significantly impacting daily functioning, such as work, school, or relationships
- The avoidance of social situations is limiting personal growth, career advancement, or the ability to form meaningful connections with others
- The anxiety is causing significant distress or emotional pain
- Physical symptoms related to social situations are affecting overall well-being
- Attempts to overcome the anxiety have been unsuccessful, or the symptoms have persisted for an extended period, typically more than six months
Health Anxiety
Health Anxiety, also known as hypochondria, involves a preoccupation with the fear of having a serious illness, leading to excessive self-monitoring and seeking reassurance from medical professionals.
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, including an increase in health anxiety. The constant exposure to news about the virus, the uncertainty of the situation, and the real threat of illness have contributed to heightened levels of health anxiety in many people. It’s important to note that some degree of concern about one’s health during a pandemic is normal and expected. However, when this concern becomes excessive and debilitating, it may indicate a health anxiety disorder.
It may be time to seek therapy for Health Anxiety Disorder if:
- The worry and anxiety are significantly impacting daily functioning, such as work, school, or relationships
- The preoccupation with health is causing significant distress or emotional pain
- The fear of illness leads to frequent seeking of reassurance, excessive self-monitoring, or avoidance behaviours
- Attempts to control or reduce the anxiety have been unsuccessful, or the symptoms have persisted for an extended period, typically more than six months.
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is marked by recurring, unexpected panic attacks, which are sudden episodes of intense fear and physical symptoms, such as racing heart and shortness of breath. People with Panic Disorder often develop a persistent fear of having more panic attacks and may engage in avoidance behaviours to prevent them.
It may be time to seek therapy for Panic Disorder if:
- The frequency and intensity of panic attacks are significantly impacting daily functioning, such as work, school, or relationships
- The fear of future panic attacks leads to avoidance behaviours or significant lifestyle changes
- The panic attacks and associated worry are causing significant distress or emotional pain
- Attempts to manage or reduce the panic attacks have been unsuccessful, or the symptoms have persisted for an extended period, typically more than one month
Therapy, particularly cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), has been shown to be effective in helping people manage anxiety. In therapy, we can help you identify the underlying thoughts and beliefs that contribute to your symptoms and provide tools and techniques to challenge these thoughts and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Why Choose Talm Therapy?
Julian Raveendran, MSW, RSW
When you need to talk to someone who understands your lived experience, has the capacity to hold your worries confidentially and the competency to help you solve the issues you’re facing – we are here to provide the support and guidance you need to create lasting change.
We provide therapy that is:
Diverse & Inclusive
Our therapists are warm, empathetic, highly-trained mental health professionals with wide variety of lived experience.
Process Focused & Results-Based
We regularly check-in to see if we are making progress on your goals and seek feedback after each session to make sure we’re constantly adapting to your needs.
Comprehensive
Our therapists participate in group supervision, engage in gold-standard professional development programs, and regularly coordinate with a lead psychiatrist to optimize-care.
How Our Therapy For Anxiety Works
Free consult
Book a free 15-min phone call with your therapist
We will answer your questions, learn about what’s bringing you to therapy and explain the therapy process. It’s an opportunity for you to get a feel for the working relationship with your therapist to ensure a good fit.
INTRO SESSION
Complete a comprehensive assessment
Registration Form
Biopsychosocial Assessment
Goal Exploration & Setting
Together, we’ll work to identify goals and a treatment plan to guide us through our time together.
ONGOING SESSIONS
Work through your treatment goals at a pace that feels right for you
We check in along your journey to ensure that the strategies learned in session are effectively moving you towards your goals.
In-between sessions we may provide information to review and exercises to work on.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Anxiety Therapy
Our psychotherapy team includes Registered Social Workers (RSW) and Registered Psychotherapists (RP). The vast majority of extended health benefits cover psychotherapy provided by an RSW or RP. We encourage you to check with your insurance provider to confirm eligibility and coverage rate prior to a paid session.
We send e-receipts immediately after payment that include your
therapist’s registration number and credentials. Receipts may be
submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. We do not offer direct billing at this time.
We are happy to offer in-person sessions during the day at our office located at King St & Bay St in downtown Toronto. This convenient location lets clients stop by for a scheduled session without much travel or interruption in their work day. Additionally, we provide remote sessions throughout the day and evenings by secure video or phone. Remote sessions allow clients to have a session in the comfort of their own home or while going for a (private) evening walk in their neighbourhood.
Your therapist will work with you to find a combination of remote or in-person sessions that work for you.
We strongly recommend scheduling an initial phone consult prior to a session. The initial phone consult allows the client and therapist to make sure the match is a great fit prior to paying for a session. It also allows us to explain our process and answer any of your questions.
We provide in house psychiatric assessment as an adjunct to psychotherapy. It’s best to discuss the referral process to psychiatry with your therapist.
Therapy can be highly effective in treating anxiety, with various approaches tailored to address the specific needs of individuals. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a common and well-established method, known for its efficacy in helping patients identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours related to anxiety. Exposure therapy is another approach that gradually exposes individuals to anxiety-provoking situations, helping them develop coping strategies and reducing their fear over time. The effectiveness of therapy for anxiety largely depends on the individual’s commitment to the process, the rapport between therapist and patient, and the specific therapeutic approach employed. While therapy may not work for everyone, research consistently indicates that a significant percentage of individuals with anxiety disorders can experience substantial improvements in symptoms and quality of life through professional therapeutic interventions.
Individual therapy, couples therapy, and family therapy provide a safe and supportive setting for clients to explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours connected to their relationships.
Therapy can help clients improve their communication skills, increase their emotional intelligence, acquire conflict resolution tactics, set appropriate boundaries, and get insights into their own behaviour patterns. These abilities and insights can help to foster healthier, more meaningful relationships.
It is crucial to emphasize, however, that the success of therapy is dependent on a variety of circumstances, including the client’s willingness to participate in the therapeutic process, the quality of the therapeutic alliance, and the therapist’s experience in dealing with relationship issues.
While both can present similar symptoms, the key differences lie in the intensity, duration, and impact on daily functioning.
Stress typically arises from external factors, such as work, relationships, or financial issues, and subsides once the stressor is resolved or managed. Symptoms can be similar to anxiety but are generally proportional to the situation and resolve with appropriate coping mechanisms.
Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, involve excessive and persistent worry or fear that can be difficult to control and often disproportionate to the situation. The anxiety interferes with daily activities, social interactions, and overall quality of life. Symptoms can include constant worry, restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbances, and physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and muscle tension.
To determine whether you’re experiencing stress or an anxiety disorder, consider the severity, persistence, and impact of your symptoms on your daily life. If you’re unsure or concerned, book a free consult with us to help you get some clarity about whether therapy is the right path for you.
The number of sessions varies based on the type of treatment, presenting issue, and severity. Research indicates that 50% of clients self report recovery after an average of 15-20 sessions. Many specific treatment protocols show clinically significant improvement after 12-16 sessions.
Throughout the therapy process, you and your therapist will have conversations about your goals, expectations, and progress, during which we can provide a more accurate estimate of the time required to achieve your objectives and can help adjust the treatment plan as needed.
Remember that therapy is not a one-size-fits all solution. Patience and persistence are key to achieving meaningful and lasting change.
What you can expect with Anxiety Counselling
- Improved ability to manage anxiety through relaxation techniques
- Improved ability to shift your negative thought patterns using CBT
- Improved and more restorative sleep due to less overthinking/rumination
- Increased confidence and hopefulness to take on new life challenges
