Anxiety Therapy in Los Angeles
Virtual therapy available throughout all of California
Living with anxiety can be exhausting.
Many of my clients come into therapy overwhelmed with anxious thoughts. These thoughts can look like constant self-criticism, fear of what others think, ‘does everyone hate me’, overthinking conversations and interactions that lead to an internal system flooded with negative self-talk that impacts our sense of confidence.
‘How do I turn this off?’ I hear this question all the time. I understand. Really tackling anxiety is a collaborative effort. Most of our anxious thoughts are locked away or only shared with our journal or maybe one close friend. These thoughts need to be brought to light so we can give them the attention they need. Some thoughts need to be told by a trusted therapist ‘that’s not rational’ or even ‘everyone feels that way sometimes’. While other deeper, more pervasive thoughts might stem from insecurities that need a deeper sense of understanding. I also firmly believe many of our anxieties need to be treated with action. Facing fears. Sending that text. Setting that boundary. Going out alone. Whatever it is, my goal is to be on your team and support you on finding empowerment and healthy anxiety management to live with less fear.
Common symptoms of anxiety:
Racing thoughts
Tension in your body
Overthinking
Obsessing over relationships
Constant worry
Rumination
Intrusive and unwanted thoughts
Inability to ‘turn your brain off’
Social anxiety
Insecurity
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Skin picking or other excoriations
My Approach
How I work with clients…
Hi, I’m Ellie. I’m a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in anxiety. Many of my clients come into therapy feeling lost and overwhelmed with anxious thoughts of worry, fear, self criticism with nowhere to go. Deep feelings they don’t know how to talk about. Desires. Insecurities. Regrets. Shame. Pain. Wants. Needs. I get it. We can only hold it all together for so long until something in us breaks - and we finally ask for help. As a therapist, I am active and engaging. I am not going to sit quietly nodding while you vent, update or complain. I will share my thoughts, insights, reflections and sometimes, my own experience when appropriate.
Our work begins with getting a full picture of your life, sharing stories of what you’ve been through, developing a sense of safety in how we talk about your life. I will listen to you deeply and make sure you feel safe and connected to me. Many of us have to build a sense of armor to protect ourselves, and this can lead to dysfunctional patterns that helped us survive a difficult childhood or time in our lives that needs to be un-learned as we become adults who actually have more control over our lives and our stories. I’m here to help you figure this out.
How can therapy help with anxiety?
Actionable tools (exercise, daily walks, yoga, journaling)
Self-soothing (breathing exercises, meditation, long showers, comfort activities
Affirmations (we get to the root of your fear and build affirmations together that empower you. Ex, ‘what other people think of you is none of your business)
Fear inventory (we bring all the fears to light and explore them together)
Finding meaning (what is the anxiety trying to protect you from)
Taking
Action
Most importantly, therapy is a safe space to share and explore all parts of your anxiety. Even the stuff you’ve maybe never said out loud or told anyone.
Some tools include acceptance, mindfulness and evidence based practices such as CBT and DBT that help us engage with our anxious thoughts or somatic experiences. These tools help us with emotional regulation, movement (i.e. not getting stuck in bed doom scrolling) and basic awareness of when our anxiety is really taking over.
I find these to be helpful in the beginning, but most of my clients find the most relief and growth when get below the surface and explore the deeper roots of anxiety, insecurity and suffering. I use psychodynamic and relational approaches to really get in the mud and building a strong sense of self, resilience and affirmations so you can feel empowered to tackle anxiety on your own.
Anxiety grows the longer the fears stay in our head. Many of my clients have been struggling with general anxiety or certain fears for years before finally coming to therapy. At that point, the anxiety might feel like paranoia or like you’re convinced if you do XYZ, something really bad will happen. We work together to reason this out and I encourage my clients to start taking action (whatever that looks like, action could be going for a walk or it could be finally sending that scary text), and once we get through a few hurdles together, you will start to feel a sense of confidence. The anxiety shifts from ‘that’s so scary, I can’t do it’ to ‘that’s kind of scary, but I’ve been here before, and normally things end up fine’.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a state of heightened alert in the brain and nervous system. It occurs when your system stays switched into “threat detection” mode, even when no immediate danger is present. This can lead to racing thoughts, tension in the body, trouble sleeping, difficulty focusing, and a constant sense of unease. Over time, anxiety becomes exhausting because the brain is using energy meant for survival rather than rest, connection, and clear thinking.
From a brain-based perspective, anxiety often develops when stress, emotional overwhelm, or past experiences train the nervous system to stay on high alert. The brain learns to anticipate danger as a way to protect you, even if that danger is no longer real. Rather than being a flaw or weakness, anxiety is often a sign that your system adapted to stress and now needs support, regulation, and understanding to return to balance.
Schedule A Consultation
Offices
Larchmont Village
&
West Hollywood
Primary hours of operation:
Monday-Friday, 10AM - 6PM
Limited availability on weekends and after 6PM
Phone: (323) 372-6855
Email: Elliemdoherty@gmail.com