WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Anxiety can make even ordinary days feel exhausting. Your mind jumps ahead to everything that could go wrong. You replay conversations, second-guess decisions, or struggle to relax even when nothing is actually happening.
Maybe anxiety shows up as panic, racing thoughts, irritability, trouble sleeping, or a constant knot in your stomach. Maybe you avoid situations that feel overwhelming, rely on reassurance from other people, or push yourself harder and harder because slowing down somehow feels unsafe.
Over time, your world can start getting smaller.
At Pathways Family Therapy, our San Diego anxiety therapy helps children, teens, adults, couples, and families understand what’s underneath anxiety and develop healthier ways to respond to it. We don’t follow a script. We get to know what anxiety looks like in your life, then build therapy around what you actually need.
WHERE WILL YOU GO?
The goal isn’t to never feel anxious. It’s to trust yourself when you do.
Anxiety is part of being human. Therapy isn’t about eliminating every uncomfortable thought, feeling, or uncertainty.
It’s about getting to a place where anxiety no longer makes the decisions for you.
You might learn how to notice an anxious spiral without immediately getting pulled into it. You may become more comfortable setting boundaries, speaking up, taking reasonable risks, or handling uncertainty without needing to know exactly how everything will turn out.
Over time, the goal is to feel steadier in your own life; more connected to yourself, more present with the people around you, and more confident that you can handle difficult moments when they come.
HOW WILL YOU GET THERE?
Understand the alarm, then learn how to turn down the volume.
Anxiety can involve thoughts, relationships, past experiences, and the nervous system. That means there isn’t one type of anxiety therapy that works for everyone.
Depending on what’s bringing you in, therapy at Pathways may include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to recognize anxious thought patterns and develop more flexible ways of responding
- DBT and emotion regulation skills to manage intense emotions and stay grounded when anxiety spikes
- Mindfulness and body-based strategies to recognize tension, slow down, and reconnect with the present
- Art and expressive therapy when emotions are difficult to explain through words alone
- Trauma-informed therapy when anxiety is connected to painful, frightening, or overwhelming experiences
- Family or couples therapy when anxiety is affecting relationships or becoming part of a larger family pattern
- Strengths-based and relational work to build confidence, self-understanding, and greater trust in yourself
Our anxiety therapists in San Diego draw from different approaches because anxiety rarely fits neatly into one box. Together, we can figure out what keeps your anxiety going-and what helps you begin moving differently through it.
Jump to a Therapist
Breanne Dargon, LMFT
Good fit for complex anxiety, trauma, and long-standing mental health needs
I spent 15 years working in residential mental health treatment before moving into private practice, so I’m comfortable supporting anxiety that comes alongside trauma, depression, major life transitions, or more complex mental health concerns. I use a systems perspective to look beyond symptoms and understand how relationships, environment, and past experiences may be keeping anxiety stuck. Clients often choose me when they’re looking for a steady therapist who can hold a lot of complexity without losing sight of the person underneath it.
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #99204
- Specialty Areas: Anxiety, trauma, depression, life transitions, relationship concerns, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, family support
Jeff Williams, LCSW
Good fit for anxiety tied to relationships, identity, or family patterns
I’ve worked in mental health care since 2002 and bring more than 300 hours of advanced Structural Family Therapy training to my work with individuals, couples, and families. If anxiety is tangled up with relationships, identity questions, family conflict, trauma, or feeling stuck in the same patterns, I’ll help you look at the bigger picture while also building practical ways to move forward. My style is warm and sensitive, but also direct-something clients may appreciate when they want support that doesn’t dance around the difficult stuff.
- Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker #28894; 300+ hours of advanced training in Structural Family Therapy
- Specialty Areas: Anxiety, trauma, depression, identity and existential concerns, relationship issues, substance use, couples and family therapy
Jennifer Phelps, LMFT
Good fit if traditional talk therapy doesn’t quite fit
I’m a Registered Art Therapist who integrates creativity, mindfulness, humor, and a down-to-earth approach into anxiety therapy. For people who struggle to put everything into words, or who have tried traditional therapy and still feel stuck, art and expressive work can offer another way to understand what’s happening beneath the anxiety. I’m also a good fit for first-time or hesitant therapy clients who want sessions to feel collaborative, approachable, and a little less clinical.
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #138186; Registered Art Therapist #21-224
- Specialty Areas: Anxiety, trauma, depression, identity, relationships, schizophrenia, addiction, first-time or reluctant therapy clients
Connor Seidler, LMFT
Good fit for anxiety fueled by self-criticism and low self-esteem
I work especially well with people whose anxiety sounds like constant second-guessing, comparison, fear of getting things wrong, or an inner voice that never seems satisfied. I draw from Narrative Therapy, Internal Family Systems, CBT, and DBT to help you understand where those patterns came from while learning more compassionate, practical ways to respond to them. My experience in residential and high-crisis settings also helps me stay steady when anxiety feels intense, complicated, or connected to deeper emotional struggles.
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #146060
- Specialty Areas: Anxiety, self-esteem, self-criticism, depression, trauma, complex family relationships, high-crisis support, personality disorders, schizophrenia
Victoria Perez, LCSW
Good fit for children, teens, and young adults navigating anxiety and change
I specialize in supporting kids, teens, and young adults whose anxiety may be showing up around school, relationships, family changes, trauma, or the transition into adulthood. I use CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, and strengths-based approaches while keeping therapy approachable and connected to what matters in everyday life. I also provide therapy in both English and Spanish and bring a culturally responsive perspective for families who want emotional support without leaving culture, identity, or family relationships outside the room.
- Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker #137980
- Specialty Areas: Anxiety, children and teens, young adults, trauma, school stress, family transitions, relationship challenges
What sets our San Diego anxiety therapy apart
- We treat more than the symptom. Anxiety doesn’t happen in isolation. We look at relationships, family patterns, past experiences, identity, environment, and the nervous system to understand the fuller picture.
- Our therapists bring different specialties. From art therapy and body-aware work to CBT, DBT, family systems, and trauma-informed care, we can help match therapy to the way you experience anxiety.
- We’re comfortable with complexity. Our team includes clinicians with extensive experience in residential treatment and higher-acuity mental health care, including support for people whose anxiety exists alongside trauma or other mental health concerns.
- We can involve the people who matter. When anxiety is affecting a relationship or the entire household, couples or family therapy can become part of the work.
- We offer bilingual, culturally responsive care. Therapy is available in both English and Spanish.
- You have flexible ways to meet. Pathways offers in-person therapy at our San Diego and Chula Vista offices as well as telehealth for clients throughout California.
FAQs about anxiety therapy
How do I know if I need therapy for anxiety?
You don’t have to wait until anxiety becomes unbearable to ask for help. Therapy may be worth considering if worry, fear, panic, avoidance, overthinking, or physical tension are interfering with sleep, work, school, relationships, or your ability to enjoy everyday life. You may also benefit from therapy if you’re functioning well on the outside but feel like it takes enormous effort to keep everything together on the inside.
What kind of therapist is best for anxiety?
The “best” anxiety therapist is someone who understands the kind of anxiety you’re experiencing and whose approach feels comfortable enough for you to be honest. Some people benefit from structured approaches like CBT or DBT, while others need trauma-informed, body-based, expressive, relational, or family systems work. At Pathways, our therapists bring a wide array of specialties and clinical experiences, so treatment can be shaped around the person rather than forcing every client through the same process.
What happens during anxiety therapy?
Early sessions usually focus on understanding what anxiety looks like for you, what tends to trigger it, how you currently cope, and what you want to change. From there, your therapist may help you identify thought patterns, understand emotional or relational triggers, develop coping and regulation skills, and gradually approach situations you’ve been avoiding. Boundaries and adjustments to life circumstances/relationships may be needed. Therapy can also go deeper into the experiences or patterns that may be keeping anxiety active.
How long does therapy for anxiety take?
There isn’t one timeline that fits everyone. Some people come to therapy for a specific anxiety problem and notice meaningful changes over a shorter period, while others want more time to address trauma, relationships, self-esteem, or long-standing patterns underneath the anxiety. Your therapist can talk with you about goals and progress as treatment develops rather than setting an arbitrary finish line.
Can therapy help with panic attacks?
Yes. Anxiety therapy in San Diego can help you better understand what happens before and during panic, become less frightened of your body’s alarm response, and build strategies for getting grounded when symptoms rise. Treatment may also explore whether stress, trauma, avoidance, or certain thought patterns are contributing to the cycle.
Do you provide anxiety therapy for children and teens?
Yes. We work with children, teens, young adults, and families dealing with anxiety, school stress, trauma, relationships, self-esteem, and major changes. Our San Diego anxiety therapy is adapted to the young person’s age, personality, and needs, and family involvement can be incorporated when it supports treatment.
Is anxiety therapy covered by insurance?
Many insurance plans include mental health benefits, but Pathways Family Therapy is an out-of-network provider. That means we don’t bill insurance directly, which allows us to make therapy flexible and fit your needs without insurance restrictions. If you have eligible PPO out-of-network benefits, we can provide you with monthly superbills you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Because coverage differs by plan, it’s best to ask your insurance provider specifically about your out-of-network behavioral health benefits.
It only takes 2 minutes to get started on a lifetime of change!
*Pathways is a private-pay, non-insurance-based practice.
Find Your Way Home
Locations
Central San Diego
5755 Oberlin Dr, Suite 108
San Diego CA 92121
Chula Vista
1415 Ridgeback Rd, Suite 2
Chula Vista, CA 91910