Anxiety & Social Anxiety Therapy in Glendale & Phoenix, Arizona and Minnesota
It’s exhausting to feel this way. It’s even more exhausting pretending you don’t.
Social Anxiety is Your Nervous System Stuck in Protection Mode. Therapy Can Help You Heal At The Root- And Finally Feel Safe Being Yourself.
You’re managing everything. And it’s costing you everything.
Your mind never stops. You lie awake at night replaying conversations, anticipating worst-case scenarios, and wondering what people really think of you.
You can’t seem to relax — there’s always something to worry about, always something you could be doing better.
You’re able to hold it together on a day-to-day basis, but underneath, you never feel good enough. You compare yourself to everyone around you.
You rehearse what you’re going to say before social interactions, monitor yourself the entire time, then replay everything afterward picking apart what you did wrong.
You cancel plans, avoid situations, or make excuses to get out of things — not because you don’t want connection, but because the fear of rejection or judgment feels unbearable.
You people-please, over-apologize, and over-accommodate — shrinking yourself to make sure no one is upset with you.
You feel insecure in relationships — needing reassurance, assuming people are upset with you, reading into every text or silence.
You feel like an outsider everywhere you go. Disconnected. Invisible. Like there’s something about you that just doesn’t quite fit.
If you recognize yourself in any of this — know that social anxiety isn’t a personality flaw. It’s your nervous system doing what it learned to do to keep you safe. And it can learn something different.
What Would It Feel Like To Stop Bracing, And Finally Show up as yourself
Imagine feeling okay being seen and taking up space--and not shrinking away.
Imagine being in a conversation without the constant internal monitoring — just being present, being yourself, without analyzing every word after the fact.
Imagine feeling secure in your relationships without needing constant reassurance that everything is okay.
Imagine choosing solitude because it nourishes you, not because the world feels too dangerous.
Imagine trusting that you are enough — not because someone told you, but because you finally feel it in your body.
This is what happens when we heal the root of anxiety, not just manage the symptoms.
We don’t just teach you to cope. We heal what’s underneath.
Most approaches to anxiety focus on managing symptoms — breathing techniques, thought reframing, coping strategies. And those tools have their place. But if you’ve tried all of that and still feel anxious, it’s because the root hasn’t been addressed.
Anxiety, including social anxiety, almost always traces back to earlier experiences that taught your nervous system the world wasn’t safe. Maybe connection wasn’t safe. Maybe being seen wasn’t safe. Maybe being yourself wasn’t safe. Your system adapted to protect you, understandably so, and those protective mechanisms are still running in the background.
Using EMDR, IFS, and DBR, we work with your brain and nervous system to process the experiences where anxiety took root. EMDR helps reprocess memories where connection felt unsafe — criticism, rejection, shaming, neglect — so your system can stop reacting as if the past is still happening. IFS helps you work with the conflicting parts of yourself — the part that craves connection and the part that wants to hide — so you’re no longer at war with yourself. DBR works gently at the nervous system level, helping your body feel safer before the fear even has a chance to take over.
I don’t just sit back and listen. I’m attuned, active, and intentional — helping you understand why your system does what it does, and guiding you toward the kind of lasting relief that talk therapy alone can’t reach.
Hi, I'm Amy
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor (MA, LPC) and Certified EMDR Therapist with over 20 years of experience — but more than that, I'm someone who knows what it feels like to struggle in silence.
My own journey through depression and anxiety is what led me to this work. I know what it feels like to carry quiet pain that no one around you sees — and I know how transformative it is when you finally get the right support.
I'm not the therapist who just nods along. I help you see the patterns you can't see on your own, notice what's happening beneath the words, and walk with you into the places that feel too scary to go alone.
My clients tell me they feel seen in a way they haven't before — that there's a safety in our sessions that lets them finally let the walls down.
And that's where the real healing begins.
Questions you might be holding onto.
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Social anxiety puts you in a difficult spot — you know talking to someone could help, but the thought of it feels overwhelming. That’s actually a normal part of the process. If you can notice the fear and still take a small step toward connection, that’s already rewiring your brain. The fact that you’re reading this right now? That’s a step. Maybe the next one is sending me a message to schedule a phone consultation so we can chat and see if my approach feels right. You’ve got this — and you don’t have to do it alone.
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These get conflated a lot. Introversion is about energy — introverts prefer quieter settings and recharge alone, but feel comfortable when they engage. Shyness involves wanting connection but fearing judgment. Social anxiety goes deeper — it’s a nervous system response. If your heart races, you sweat, you avoid situations because of fear, or you feel on high alert around others even when they’re welcoming — that’s more than a personality trait. That’s your nervous system telling you it learned somewhere that people aren’t safe.
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First off — congratulations on being human! Talking about deeply personal things with a stranger? Awkward? Absolutely. And also — it can be tremendously healing to have your vulnerability met without judgment. If you don’t know what to say, I’ll guide the conversation. If you feel anxious, you can name that — and it might become a doorway into the very work that brought you here.
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Anxiety happens. If you’re scheduled in person, we can switch to an online session. I do have a cancellation fee for no-shows and sessions cancelled within 24 hours, but showing up with anxiety can actually be a powerful opportunity to work with what’s activated in your system.
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No. Anxiety feels permanent when you’re in it, but that’s because your nervous system is stuck in a loop. When we address what’s driving the anxiety at the root — not just the symptoms — your system can finally learn that it doesn’t need to be on guard all the time. The noise quiets. The vigilance softens. And life starts to feel less like something you have to survive and more like something you can actually be present for.
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Nope. Eye contact can feel overwhelming — no need to force it. I have plenty of things in the office you can look at instead. And you don’t need to talk the whole time. A lot of the deeper inner work I guide you through doesn’t rely heavily on talking.
Let’s start with a conversation.
Maybe you’re not even sure therapy is the right step. Maybe you’ve been sitting on this for a while. That’s okay. Starting is the hardest part, and you’re already here.
Complete this form to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment — just a conversation to see if we’re the right fit.
All Identities. All Abilities. Always.
