• Do you constantly feel on edge or find yourself mentally rehearsing how to respond to unlikely, yet distressing what-if scenarios?
  • Are you so caught up in your head, consumed by these thoughts and fears, that you can’t focus on anything else?

Perhaps you’re a high-achieving professional, and despite your success, deep down you worry you’re not really as capable as everyone thinks.

Or maybe you struggle with panic attacks or social anxiety disorder, and you’re hoping therapy can help you get through uncomfortable situations without the overwhelm.


Is There A Part Of You That Just Can’t Seem To Find Peace? 

Internally, you probably feel like a wreck: Your brain’s stuck on high alert, endlessly scanning your environment and other people for danger. The emotional drain from worrying all the time leaves you mentally and physically depleted—but you can’t let your guard down—so you oscillate between hypervigilance and exhaustion in a vicious cycle.

You might have trouble concentrating or sleeping, or you’re losing weight just from the stress alone. Maybe you overwork yourself to compensate for a sense of inadequacy—or maybe you avoid activities or social situations that leave you feeling vulnerable, so you’re increasingly isolated from others.

Although it probably feels like anxiety has thrown you for a loop, therapy truly can help you tend to that part of you so it no longer controls the whole of you. If you’re motivated to change and feel better about yourself—if you’re ready to do the work and regain control—I’m Michèle Vincent, LCSW, and I want to help you discover a greater sense of calm and confidence in your life.

Anxiety Can Compromise Your Health On So Many Levels

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For one, we’re immersed in a culture that’s obsessed with achievement and perfection—the perfect house, the perfect family, the perfect body—so no stress there! We’re also fed implicit and even explicit messages to outperform, out-produce, and outshine everyone, which pushes us to our breaking points.

Sometimes, difficult life transitions, like going to college or starting a new job, can stoke fears of inadequacy or failure, while other times, anxiety is a response to trauma or adverse childhood experiences. All of these elements can cause stress, self-doubt, anxiety, and fear that ultimately shape how we think, feel, and experience the world.

Why Are Stress And Anxiety Such Common Parts Of Daily Life Now?

Did you know that nearly 20 percent of the US adult population—40 million people—struggle with some type of anxiety disorder every year, yet only one in four ever seeks treatment. Why?

Oftentimes, Those With Anxiety Naturally Overlook Counseling

It’s Not All In Your Head

Physiologically speaking, anxiety is a reflection of an activated sympathetic nervous system, aka the fight, flight, or faint response. It’s wired in us for survival. Therefore, avoiding anything that could be perceived as stressful—even starting therapy—is a response that’s ingrained in your DNA. Plus, a lot of the folks I see are so independent, intelligent, and self-reliant that they’re naturally inclined to go at things alone, even if it limits them.

But that’s the thing about anxiety: when your mind is stuck on high alert, it’s like you can’t see the forest for the trees. You’re too close to the problem. Did you know that continually avoiding the thing that gives you anxiety can keep you stuck in an anxiety loop? Working with an anxiety counselor helps you take a step back and look at your situation objectively while equipping you with valuable tools and insight needed to put your motivation to work in ways that will actually make a difference. 
Anyone who has lived with anxiety long enough can tell you how helpless it feels to watch it take over. Relationships struggle. Careers stall. Friendships fade. Dreams defer. It’s enough to make many people wonder if they’re simply broken, but it’s just not true.

The mere fact that you are here considering anxiety counseling speaks to your strength. It takes tremendous courage, wisdom, and presence of mind to say Hey, I could use some tools to figure this thing out. And that’s what I’m here for: not to fix you, but to support you in gaining control over your anxiety.

My job is to help you see what I see—an incredible human being with an amazing story of survival, perseverance, and triumph. Together, we’re going to continue that story by taming your fears, healing hidden wounds, and finding what you can do to make the most out of this life. 

Therapy For Anxiety Is About Reintegrating Yourself Back Into Life

What Can You Expect In Anxiety Treatment?

I understand that you’re coming into therapy already feeling stressed out, so the first thing I want to do is make you feel welcome and put you at ease. In a lot of ways, the first few sessions are about giving you a chance to tell your story without holding back. It’s about having someone truly listen to you—someone who can bear your pain, validate your experience, and offer insight into how to manage it all.

Once you’re comfortable, I’ll start gathering background information and asking questions like: What do you like about yourself? What gives you joy and purpose? What were your early years like? What are some of the things you feel anxiety has cost you? I’ll also equip you with distress tolerance skills, such as creating a hierarchy of fears, triggers, and anxiety-inducing stressors that we can directly target for treatment on a timeline that works for you.

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Each person’s experience with anxiety and their goals for therapy are unique, so I use a combination of strategies to customize treatment for each individual:

  • Psychoeducation is like Physical Education except you don’t have to do laps. Instead, you learn how the brain works, how anxiety affects the mind and mobilizes our bodies to take action. Finally, you’ll learn deactivating strategies to put yourself in command of the situation.
  • Mindfulness, though an overused buzzword, teaches you how to stay in the here and now, so you can remain in control, even in situations that make you nervous, uncomfortable, or panicked.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety helps you recognize and challenge underlying self-concepts, like I can’t do this or I’m going to fail, so those negative thoughts no longer control you.
  • Distress Tolerance involves building effective skills for tolerating discomfort and taking conscious action to mitigate fears, panic attacks, and suffering in general.
  • Exposure Hierarchy focuses on desensitization, that is, learning how to stay calm, cool, and collected when your internal dialogue is screaming: Let’s Get the Hell out of Dodge! It’s an action-based, step-by-step approach to safely and confidently reintegrating yourself into life. 

Some Of The Tools I Use In Anxiety Counseling

Imagine what you could achieve if you weren’t held hostage by your worst doubts and fears. Imagine what it would be like to feel free? Imagine you finally had the ability to not just manage symptoms but really tend to that part of yourself and heal the roots of your suffering. Imagine if you could actually change the way your mind works and start participating in life instead of watching it pass you by. What if all it takes to start building that world you’ve imagined is reaching out for help? 

Just Imagine What Your Life Could Be Like

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Still Having Anxiety About Anxiety Therapy?

While I might advise clients to talk with their doctor about anti-anxiety medications to aid their goals in therapy, I have no personal agenda. I simply want to help you find what works best for you. I do think that in the interest of your safety and health, working with a doctor is wiser than “going organic” with substances, such as weed, herbal supplements, and other OTC substances, without medical supervision. That said, I specialize in the provision of psychotherapy, not medicine. Therapy is about you, your needs, and what you want, meaning your choice to pursue medication, or not, is yours and yours alone. 

Is it necessary to take anxiety medication while I am in therapy?

I welcome skeptics! Ask questions! Be critical, be curious! I love sharing information, especially information about who typically goes to therapy and who it's for (Everyone!). I can also familiarize you with the evidence-based treatment options I provide, including why they’re effective and how their efficacy is measured.

If you’re worried you won’t be able to co-regulate or “share the vibe” with your anxiety counselor in a virtual setting, studies have shown that meeting with a therapist online is just as effective, if not more so, than in-person therapy. So why not give it a try?

I’m a little skeptical of counseling for anxiety disorders, especially virtual therapy.

It takes a lot of courage to even consider therapy, so give yourself props for taking action! I want my clients to feel empowered to manage their lives on their own as quickly as possible. In fact, I believe my job is to work myself out of a job by helping you build skills, develop insight, and tap into the internal strengths and resources that have helped you survive this far. My goal is to put you in touch with everything you need to manage whatever challenge you face in life with fortitude.

I’m pretty self-sufficient, so relying on an anxiety therapist long-term feels wussified.

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You are not doomed to struggle with anxiety forever. You can do something about it. You’ve already shown a motivation and capacity to change by visiting this page, so let’s put that to work. Start building a life you’ve only imagined was possible, using the contact button below to set up your free, 15-minute consultation. You can also call or text me at 843-380-9949.

Michèle M. Vincent, LCSW, offers in-person and online anxiety counseling for clients in the Charleston area and throughout South Carolina as well as virtual therapy for clients in Colorado.

Let Me Help You Realize A Life You’ve Only Imagined Possible