Anxiety Therapy
If anxiety has started running your daily life, whether that looks like worry you can't turn off, tension that follows you into sleep, or a growing pattern of avoiding things that used to feel manageable, you don't have to keep pushing through it alone. A lot of the clients I work with come in feeling exactly that way. I use Internal Family Systems, Attachment Theory, and the Gottman Method to help you understand what's driving your anxiety and build something more lasting than coping strategies. I'd love to help you get there.
What Anxiety Therapy Is, and What It Isn't
Anxiety therapy isn't about learning to relax or just pushing through discomfort. It's a process of understanding why your nervous system keeps generating a threat response, what patterns are keeping it stuck, and how to build new ways of responding that give you more choice in your daily life.
Most of the anxiety I see in my practice has deep roots. It's shaped by early experiences, attachment patterns, and the stories your nervous system learned to tell about safety, control, and connection. The work we do together addresses those underlying patterns rather than only the surface symptoms. That's the difference between managing anxiety and actually changing your relationship with it.
Sessions are collaborative and paced to what you can actually use. We work on identifying patterns, understanding where they come from, building emotional regulation capacity, and creating new frameworks for how you respond to the situations that currently trigger anxiety.
How I Work with Anxiety
I draw on three core frameworks in my anxiety work, and I choose the approach (or combination) based on what's actually showing up for you, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) for Anxiety
IFS is central to how I work. It understands anxiety not as something broken in you, but as a protective part of your internal system doing its best to keep you safe. In our work together, you learn to relate differently to the part of you that worries, to get curious about what it's protecting rather than trying to silence or override it. A lot of my clients find this approach transformative because it removes self-judgment from the equation: anxiety isn't a character flaw. It's a response with a purpose. The work is about understanding that purpose and building a system where protection doesn't have to cost you so much.
Attachment Theory in Anxiety Therapy
Your earliest relational experiences shaped your baseline assumptions about safety and connection, and those assumptions are still operating in your adult nervous system. In our work together, I help you explore how anxious or avoidant relational patterns may be underneath chronic worry, difficulty trusting others, hypervigilance in social situations, or fear of abandonment. Understanding your attachment history doesn't mean dwelling on the past; it means identifying why certain situations continue to feel threatening when, objectively, you know they shouldn't.
Gottman Method for Relationship-Related Anxiety
For clients whose anxiety is significantly activated within their relationships (worry about a partner's availability, conflict avoidance, anticipatory dread of difficult conversations), I use the Gottman Method to help understand and change those relational dynamics. Relationship anxiety often looks like general anxiety but resolves much more effectively when the relational system is addressed directly rather than treating the individual in isolation.
Ready to Start?
A free consultation is a low-pressure way to see if this is the right fit.
Book a ConsultationTypes of Anxiety I Work With
Anxiety shows up differently for everyone, and the right approach depends on what you're experiencing. I work with adults navigating:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Chronic, wide-ranging worry across multiple areas of life (work, health, relationships, finances) that feels difficult to control and exhausting to carry.
Social Anxiety
Intense self-consciousness, fear of judgment, avoidance of social situations, or persistent anxiety around performance in social contexts.
Panic and Panic Attacks
Sudden surges of intense physical anxiety (racing heart, shortness of breath, dissociation) and the anticipatory anxiety that often develops between episodes.
Health Anxiety
Persistent preoccupation with physical symptoms or fear of serious illness, often maintained by cycles of reassurance-seeking and checking behaviors.
Performance Anxiety
Anxiety specifically activated around high-stakes situations (presentations, evaluations, creative work, athletic performance) that interferes with functioning.
Anxiety Around Life Transitions
Significant change events (career shifts, relationship changes, parenthood, loss, relocation) that destabilize an otherwise functional baseline and generate anxiety responses disproportionate to the objective circumstances.
What to Expect When You Start
The first session is a conversation, not an interrogation. You'll share what brought you in and what you're hoping changes. I'll ask questions to understand the full picture of how anxiety is showing up in your life, what you've already tried, and what matters most to you in the work we do together.
Most of my clients begin to notice shifts in awareness and self-understanding within the first several sessions. Behavioral change and symptom reduction typically develop over a period of weeks to months, depending on the complexity and history of what you're working through. There is no standard timeline that applies to everyone. The pace is determined by your goals and what's sustainable for you.
Sessions are 50 minutes, held in-person at my downtown Petaluma office or via telehealth. Both formats are available for California residents.
Does Anxiety Therapy Work?
Yes. The research on anxiety treatment is among the strongest in mental health, and the approaches I use in my practice have decades of evidence supporting their effectiveness. Therapy has been shown to produce lasting change in anxiety severity, daily functioning, and overall quality of life across a wide range of presentations.
What makes the biggest difference isn't which specific technique is used. It's whether the approach fits your particular anxiety pattern and whether the therapeutic relationship supports the work. That fit is something that becomes clear in the early sessions, and it's something I encourage you to talk about openly if you have any doubts.
Anxiety Therapy in Petaluma, CA
My practice is located in downtown Petaluma at 7 4th Street, Suite 3, Petaluma, CA 94952, a private, quiet office setting. I also offer telehealth to adults anywhere in California.
If you're considering anxiety therapy and want to understand whether working together would be a good fit, I offer a free initial consultation. You don't need to come in with a diagnosis or a clear sense of what's wrong. You just need to be ready to explore it.
Book a ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Therapy in Petaluma
The most effective therapy for anxiety depends on your specific experience. Internal Family Systems (IFS) works especially well when anxiety is connected to past experiences, protective patterns, or relational wounds. Attachment-based therapy helps when anxiety is rooted in early relationship experiences that shaped how you respond to stress and uncertainty. The Gottman Method is effective when anxiety is closely tied to relationship dynamics, communication patterns, or fear of conflict. In this practice, Elizabeth often weaves these approaches together based on what fits you best.
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple grounding technique: name 3 things you can see, 3 things you can hear, and move 3 parts of your body. It works by pulling your attention out of anxious thoughts and back into your immediate surroundings. It is a helpful in-the-moment tool, though it is most effective when combined with the deeper work of therapy, which addresses the underlying patterns driving your anxiety.
For immediate relief, slow your breathing: inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6 to 8. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system and signals your body to shift out of fight-or-flight mode. Grounding techniques like the 3-3-3 rule or placing your feet flat on the floor can also help. These techniques manage symptoms in the moment. Therapy helps you build a longer-term relationship with anxiety so these moments become less frequent and less intense.
Many people experience significant improvement through therapy alone. Internal Family Systems, attachment-based therapy, and the Gottman Method are all approaches that do not involve medication. That said, "beating" anxiety is not always the right frame. For some people, medication combined with therapy is the most effective path. Elizabeth does not prescribe medication but can coordinate with your prescriber if you choose to explore that option alongside therapy.
Most clients begin noticing meaningful changes within 8 to 12 sessions. Some people find relief from specific symptoms sooner, while others with more complex anxiety histories may benefit from longer-term work. The pace of therapy is always collaborative. You and Elizabeth will check in regularly about what is working and adjust as needed.
The first session is about getting to know each other. Elizabeth will ask about your history with anxiety, what brought you to therapy now, and what you are hoping to change. She will explain how she works and answer your questions. There is no pressure to share everything in the first session. The goal is to leave feeling heard and clear about what the process will look like going forward.
Elizabeth Harding, LMFT accepts certain insurance plans. Contact the practice directly at 707-634-4927 or visit the Fees and Insurance page for current details on accepted plans, out-of-network reimbursement, and sliding scale availability.
Yes. Panic attacks respond well to therapy. Using an IFS lens, Elizabeth helps you understand the protective part that triggers panic and what it is responding to underneath the surface. Attachment-based work can also address the deeper fears (often fears of abandonment, loss of control, or not being safe) that fuel panic responses. Understanding what drives the panic, not just managing the symptoms, is where lasting relief comes from.
Stress is a response to a specific external demand, like a deadline or a conflict. When the situation resolves, the stress typically eases. Anxiety often persists beyond any specific trigger. It can feel like a background hum of worry or dread that does not have a clear cause, or it can attach itself to situations that logically should not provoke such a strong response. If your worry feels disproportionate, hard to control, or is interfering with daily life, that is worth exploring in therapy.
Yes. Elizabeth offers telehealth sessions for anyone located in California. Telehealth sessions use a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform and follow the same structure as in-person sessions. Many clients find telehealth reduces the barrier to starting therapy and makes it easier to maintain consistency, especially during busy weeks.
If anxiety is interfering with your sleep, relationships, work, or your ability to enjoy daily life, therapy is worth exploring. You do not need a diagnosis or a crisis to reach out. Many people come to therapy because they notice their anxiety is slowly getting louder, taking up more space, or limiting choices they used to make freely. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to see whether this approach feels right for you.
Ready to Start? Book Your Free Consultation
In-person in Petaluma or telehealth anywhere in California.
Book a Consultation
Making changes in your personal life or relationships can feel hard, even when you know change is needed. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in downtown Petaluma, California, and I support individuals ages 13 and older and couples through anxiety, depression, trauma, shame, low self-esteem, and relationship struggles. My work is primarily informed by Attachment Theory, Internal Family Systems, and the Gottman Method. I see clients in person and through telehealth anywhere in California, with evening sessions available. Contact me for a free consultation to see if we are a good fit.