Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves excessive worry about a broad range of issues (e.g., finances, health, grades, relationships) that can take up a lot of time and can be very difficult to control or disconnect from. GAD often feels like you have persistent physical symptoms like heart racing, muscle tension, restlessness, fatigue, concentration difficulties, irritability, sleep disturbance, tension in your head, chest or shoulders and stomach aches.

Anxiety often feels especially intense in young adulthood because it's a time packed with major life transitions and uncertainty.

In your twenties and thirties you’re figuring out your career, relationships, identity, finances, and future all at once. Often you’re finding your way without a clear roadmap or much emotional support. Social comparison, pressure to “have it together,” and the fear of making the wrong choices can create a constant undercurrent of stress.

On top of that, as men we are often later to learn how to name and manage difficult emotions, which can make anxiety feel even more overwhelming and isolating.

Mild-to-moderate, situational anxiety is an appropriate and adaptive response to a higher-stakes event (think public speaking or a presentation at work, losing a job and becoming unemployed, going out with a new group of friends).

Moderate anxiety to severe anxiety that occurs spontaneously, regularly and persists for longer periods of time are more characteristic of an anxiety disorder.

I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients interrupt and reframe unhelpful thought patterns, while also learning to relate differently to anxiety rather than getting stuck in it.

CBT helps you change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns that fuel anxiety, while ACT teaches you to relate to anxious thoughts without getting stuck in them. In therapy, we’ll use practical tools like scheduled “worry time,” relaxation strategies, and meaningful activities to help you feel more focused and in control.

I have extensive experience working with men in their twenties and thirties with anxiety disorder. I’ve had years of training and supervision from experts in generalized anxiety disorders in Arlington, Virginia and the DC area