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Therapy Sessions in Port Coquitlam

Counselling for Anxiety

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THERAPISTS SPECIALIZING IN THIS AREA:
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Shay

Carrie

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Suki

Zahra

Symptoms of Anxiety

Physical

Rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, fatigue, or stomach issues.

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Emotional

Constant worry, fear, irritability, or feeling on edge.

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Behavioural

Avoiding situations, difficulty concentrating, or restlessness.

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Cognitive

Persistent worrying, difficulty concentrating or a mind going blank, and anticipating worst-case scenarios

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Do You Spend More Time Worrying About Life Than Actually Living It?

You know the feeling. You get into bed and your brain decides that now is the perfect time to replay every awkward thing you said three years ago. Or run through everything that could go wrong tomorrow. Or spiral into a "what if" that started small and somehow turned into a worst-case scenario you can't stop thinking about.

You might tell yourself you're just a worrier. That this is just who you are. But it's more than that, isn't it?

It's lying awake at 2am with your heart racing and no clear reason why. It's cancelling plans because the thought of going felt like too much. It's spending an entire Sunday dreading Monday. It's saying yes when you mean no because conflict feels unbearable. It's the knot in your stomach that never fully goes away, even on good days.

You've probably tried to talk yourself out of it. You know logically that things will be fine. But knowing that doesn't make the feeling stop. And the fact that you can't just "calm down" the way people suggest makes it worse, because now you're anxious about being anxious.

This is what anxiety actually feels like. Not just stress. Not just overthinking. A constant low hum of dread that colours everything, takes up space in every decision, and leaves you exhausted in a way that's hard to explain to people who haven't felt it.

The good news is that anxiety is one of the most treatable things we work with. You don't have to keep living like this.

Read More: How Therapy Can Help You Conquer Anxiety

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Why Anxiety Feels So Hard to Control

Anxiety isn't a mindset problem. It's not something you can fix by thinking more positively or trying harder to relax.

At its core, anxiety is your nervous system doing what it was designed to do: protect you. The problem is that for a lot of people, that alarm system gets stuck in the on position. Your body responds to an awkward email or a disagreement with a friend the same way it would respond to an actual threat. And once that pattern is established, it's hard to break on your own.

A lot of women also carry anxiety that's been there so long it just feels like their personality. They've never known what it feels like to move through the world without that constant undercurrent of worry. So they cope. They stay busy. They avoid. They control what they can. And it works, until it doesn't.

Getting help isn't about eliminating anxiety entirely. Some anxiety is healthy and useful. It's about turning the volume down so it stops running your life.

Anxiety Counselling Can Help You Turn the Volume Down

At Serenity Counselling, we don't hand you a breathing exercise and call it a session.

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We work to understand where your anxiety is coming from, not just what it looks like on the surface. Sometimes that means looking at thought patterns that have been running on autopilot for years. Sometimes it means working through experiences from your past that taught your nervous system it wasn't safe to relax. And sometimes it means building practical skills for the moments when anxiety spikes and you need something that actually works.

The goal isn't to become a different person. It's to feel like yourself again, without the constant noise.

Read More: 10 Effective Strategies to Manage Stress and Anxiety

What to Expect in Anxiety Therapy Sessions at Serenity Counselling

At Serenity Counselling in Port Coquitlam, your first session is a conversation. We want to understand what anxiety looks like in your life specifically, where it shows up, what it stops you from doing, and what you're hoping feels different. You don't need to have it all figured out before you come in.

From there, we build a picture of what's driving your anxiety and start working on it from both directions. We work on the practical side, giving you real tools for managing anxious thoughts and calming your nervous system when things spike. And we work on the deeper side, because for a lot of people anxiety has roots that go beyond just stress, including past experiences, relationship patterns, or beliefs about yourself that have been running quietly in the background for a long time.

For clients whose anxiety is connected to trauma or difficult past experiences, our team is trained in EMDR and Brainspotting. These approaches help your brain process the experiences that are keeping your nervous system stuck, often more effectively than talk therapy alone.

We go at your pace. Nothing gets pushed. And most people start noticing shifts earlier than they expect.

We offer in-person anxiety counselling sessions in Port Coquitlam at Serenity Counselling, and virtual therapy across British Columbia.

Are You Ready to Move Past These Symptoms?

Living with anxiety can feel like carrying a heavy weight every day. But you don’t have to do it alone. At Serenity Counselling, we help you understand your anxiety, develop coping strategies, and reclaim your life.

Book a free consultation

LOOKING FOR MORE ANSWERS?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Anxiety is more than stress; it’s a mental health condition involving persistent fear that affects your body, thoughts, and daily life. It can show up as racing thoughts, panic, tension, or avoidance, often rooted in deeper emotional or cultural pressures. Learn more in our blog on conquering anxiety with therapy or more about Trauma Counselling in Port Coquitlam.

  • You can tell if your anxiety is "normal" or if you need help by looking at how it affects your daily life. Normal anxiety comes and goes with specific situations, like before a big test. But if you need help with anxiety, it's usually because it's showing up every day, making you avoid things you used to enjoy, or if your body feels constantly "on alert." When anxiety starts controlling your choices instead of just being a temporary feeling, that's when anxiety therapy can really help.

  • The difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder is all about how much it takes over your life. Everyone feels anxious sometimes - that's totally normal! But having an anxiety disorder means those worried feelings stick around even when there's no real danger, and they start messing with your daily life. If you're wondering about the difference, ask yourself: are you skipping school, avoiding friends, or does your body feel like it's in panic mode most days? That's when feeling anxious has crossed into anxiety disorder territory.

  • What you should expect in your first anxiety therapy session is a relaxed conversation focused on understanding you and your anxiety. Your first session is all about getting to know you and understanding how anxiety shows up in your life. We'll talk about what's been happening, when you feel most anxious, and what you're hoping to change. Don't worry about what to expect in your first anxiety therapy session , you won't have to dive into anything scary right away. It's more like having a conversation with someone who really wants to get to know you.

  • Yes, anxiety therapy can definitely help with panic attacks! Panic attacks feel terrifying, but anxiety therapy can teach you exactly what to do when one hits. You'll learn grounding techniques that actually work (not just "breathe deeply") and understand why panic attacks happen in the first place. Once you know how to handle them through anxiety therapy, panic attacks lose a lot of their power over you.

  • If you're too anxious to even start therapy, you're definitely not alone, feeling anxious about anxiety therapy is super common and makes total sense! When you're already feeling overwhelmed, starting therapy can seem scary. But here's the thing about being too anxious to start therapy: we completely get it and start slow, letting you go at your own pace. You're in control of what we talk about and when. Many people find that just taking that first step of booking a session actually helps their anxiety a little bit.

  • Yes, it's totally normal for anxiety to make you feel sick or tired all the time. When people ask "is it normal for anxiety to make me feel sick," the answer is absolutely yes. Anxiety doesn't just mess with your thoughts, it affects your whole body. When you're anxious, your body thinks it's in danger, so it pumps out stress hormones that can make you feel nauseous, exhausted, or like your heart is racing. In anxiety therapy, you'll learn why this happens and how to help your body feel safer and calmer.

  • Yes, EMDR can definitely help with anxiety. When people ask "what is EMDR," I explain it as a type of therapy that helps your brain process stuck memories or experiences that might be feeding your anxiety. EMDR for anxiety works by using eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation) while you think about what's bothering you. It sounds weird, but it's like helping your brain "digest" experiences that are keeping you anxious. Many people find EMDR helps their anxiety faster than traditional talk therapy alone.

  • EMDR for anxiety doesn't hurt, it's actually designed to make difficult feelings more manageable, not worse. When people worry "does EMDR feel scary," I understand that concern because anxiety already makes everything feel scary. During EMDR sessions, you stay in control the whole time. We go at your pace, and if anything feels too intense, we can slow down or stop. Most people find EMDR for anxiety feels more like watching a movie of their memories rather than reliving them - it creates distance so things feel less overwhelming.

  • Finding the right therapist means looking for someone who specializes in culturally responsive care and has experience supporting clients through anxiety. Therapists like Zahra Lakhdhir and Suki O’Huallachain offer tailored counselling services that honour the lived experiences of BIPOC women, providing a safe and empathetic space for healing and growth.