Therapist for anxiety recommendation
Hello BPN Parents. I am in strong need of a therapist for my anxiety. It is severe. I am working with a psychiatrist and talk therapist but I'd like someone who really specializes in this area of anxiety/depression. Most important is if I can receive a personal recommendation of someone who has helped you get through something severe with methods that go beyond standard talk therapy. Please someone not too far from Berkeley. Thank you very much!
Apr 10, 2024
Parent Replies
Since you are looking for something beyond a "regular" therapist, I can recommend you look into the following:
-A therapist specializing in CBT or DBT! Both of these programs are clinically proven to be effective against anxiety, and if you go through a center that has either or both of these specializations, it is a very structured program with homework and not just talking to someone. I can personally recommend The Wise Mind Institute in Berkeley or Clearwater Clinic in Oakland for DBT- any of their therapists are wonderful. DBT is basically CBT with the addition of Mindfulness- you really can't go wrong there!
-A brainspotting therapist. Unlike EMDR which tends to trigger/ramp up things before they can settle back down, brainspotting works in the background and has been super helpful (it was discovered by David Grand who was doing EMDR at the time). Here is one I can recommend: https://www.goldengatecounseling.com/brainspotting/ but you can search under the brainspotting website here: https://brainspotting.com/directory/bsp-professionals/
Good luck to reclaiming your best self!
I've had a lot of relief from anxiety by working with Annie Alpers (https://www.alperspsychotherapy.com/). She treated my anxiety with a variety of techniques--facing my anxious thoughts and creating more realistic ones, helping me not do compulsions (like checking my daughter to make sure she was still breathing every night) which just make anxiety worse, and even helping expose me to anxiety symptoms so I don't fear anxiety itself as much. There's some talk therapy, but mostly to pinpoint areas that we need to work on with other techniques. I see her over video chat--I'm not sure if she works in person.