Online Therapy and In-Person Counseling in Petaluma, CA for Anxiety, Panic Attacks, and Chronic Stress

Anxiety is more than just worry.

It shows up in your body, your sleep, your relationships, and your ability to just get through the day. It’s the 3am spiral that won’t stop. The meeting you dreaded for a week beforehand. The panic attack that came out of nowhere and left you shaken and scared of when the next one might hit. The constant low hum of dread that makes ordinary life feel like an endurance test.

If anxiety is running the show, you already know how exhausting it is.

You don’t have to keep white-knuckling your way through it.

What Anxiety Actually Feels Like

Anxiety shows up differently for different people. You might recognize some of these:

Constant nervousness, restlessness, or feeling on edge
A sense of dread or panic that seems to come out of nowhere
Panic attacks including racing heart, rapid breathing, chest tightness, or feeling like something terrible is about to happen
Trouble sleeping no matter how tired you are
Difficulty concentrating on anything except what you’re worried about
Digestive issues like nausea, constipation, or stomach upset
Avoiding people, places, or situations that trigger your anxiety
Repeating certain behaviors or thoughts just to feel temporarily safe
Muscle tension, trembling, or feeling physically worn down
Withdrawing from relationships or activities you used to enjoy

If this is your daily experience, you’re not overreacting and you’re not weak. Your nervous system is stuck in a pattern it learned for a reason. And patterns that were learned can be changed.

Understanding Panic Attacks

Panic attacks deserve their own mention because they’re one of the most frightening anxiety experiences a person can have, and one of the most misunderstood.

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes and can include a racing or pounding heart, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, numbness or tingling, sweating, trembling, and an overwhelming sense that something is terribly wrong or that you might be dying.

If you’ve had one, you know how real and how terrifying it feels. And if you’ve had more than one, you may have started organizing your life around trying to avoid the next one, which is exhausting in its own right.

The good news is that panic attacks are highly treatable. Understanding what’s driving them and working at that level, rather than just managing symptoms in the moment, can significantly reduce their frequency and intensity and in many cases eliminate them entirely.

Anxiety This Persistent Usually Has Roots

Anxiety that shows up this consistently is rarely just about the thing you’re anxious about right now. Often there are deeper patterns, past experiences, or beliefs underneath that have been quietly driving the bus for years.

Maybe you grew up in an unpredictable environment where hypervigilance kept you safe. Maybe something happened that your nervous system never fully processed. Maybe the pressure you’re under now has activated something old that’s been waiting beneath the surface.

That’s where therapy comes in. Not just to help you cope better with anxiety, but to understand what’s actually fueling it and address it at the root.

Types of Anxiety Therapy Can Help With

Anxiety takes many forms and therapy can help with all of them, including:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Social anxiety and fear of judgment
Health anxiety and hypochondria
Performance anxiety
Phobias and avoidance patterns
Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
Anxiety connected to trauma or PTSD
Anxiety driven by major life transitions or chronic stress

What We’ll Work on Together

Rather than just teaching you to manage symptoms, therapy will help you understand what’s actually fueling your anxiety and build tools that create lasting relief. Not just coping strategies, but real change in how you feel, think, and move through the world.

Depending on your situation, your therapy may draw on:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) CBT is one of the most well-researched approaches for anxiety and panic attacks. It helps you identify the thought patterns and behavioral cycles that keep anxiety going and develop more accurate, balanced ways of responding to what triggers you.

EMDR Therapy For anxiety connected to past trauma, distressing experiences, or panic that seems to come from nowhere, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be especially effective at getting to the root quickly. Rather than working primarily through insight and conversation, EMDR works at the level where anxiety and panic often actually live, in the nervous system and the body.

Marty is EMDR Certified through EMDRIA and has more than 30 years of experience helping people find lasting relief from anxiety and panic. [Learn more about EMDR therapy →]

Emotionally Focused Work Sometimes anxiety is rooted in relational patterns and attachment wounds. Emotionally focused approaches help you understand the connection between how you learned to relate to others and how anxiety shows up in your relationships and your sense of safety in the world.

Insight-Oriented and Experiential Therapy Understanding the deeper story beneath your anxiety can be genuinely transformative. Insight-oriented work helps you connect the dots between your history, your patterns, and what your nervous system is doing right now.

What to Expect in Anxiety Therapy

Step 1: A Free Consultation Call A brief, no-cost phone call to talk through what you’re experiencing and whether therapy is the right fit. No pressure and no commitment required. Just an honest conversation about where you are.

Step 2: Understanding Your Anxiety The first phase of therapy is about understanding your specific anxiety, where it shows up, what triggers it, what it’s connected to, and what it’s costing you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here.

Step 3: Active Therapeutic Work This is where the real change happens. Drawing on the approaches best suited to your specific situation, you and Marty will work together to address anxiety at its roots rather than just its surface.

Step 4: Building Lasting Tools and Relief As therapy progresses, you’ll develop a genuine toolkit for managing anxiety when it arises and a deeper understanding of yourself that makes you less vulnerable to it over time. The goal is a life that feels genuinely calmer and more grounded, not just a life where you’re better at white-knuckling through.

Ways to Work Together

Anxiety therapy is available in several formats depending on your needs and how quickly you want to create change.

Weekly Individual Therapy Online throughout California and Texas, or in person at Marty’s private office in Petaluma, California. Consistent weekly sessions that build understanding and momentum over time.

Therapy Intensives For those ready to do concentrated work in a shorter period of time, a therapy intensive can compress significant therapeutic progress into one or two focused days. Particularly effective when anxiety is connected to trauma or specific experiences that need sustained processing time. [Learn more about Therapy Intensives →]

Weekend Therapy Retreats at Wildwood Ranch A private Friday through Sunday retreat at Wildwood Ranch in Garden Valley, California. For those carrying significant anxiety or trauma who want to step fully out of daily life and do immersive, sustained therapeutic work in a peaceful natural setting. Lodging and meals included. [Learn more about Weekend Retreats at Wildwood Ranch →]

Work With Someone Who Gets It

Marty is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with more than 30 years of experience helping thoughtful adults find genuine, lasting relief from anxiety and panic. His approach is warm, practical, and completely nonjudgmental.

He is EMDR Certified through EMDRIA, which means he is specifically trained to work with the nervous system level of anxiety and trauma, not just its surface symptoms.

[Learn more about Marty and his approach →]

Common Questions About Anxiety Therapy

How do I know if what I'm experiencing is anxiety or something else?

Anxiety can mimic a lot of other conditions, including medical ones. If you haven't already, it's worth ruling out physical causes with your doctor. That said, the symptoms listed on this page are very consistent with anxiety disorders, and a consultation call is a good place to start sorting through what you're experiencing.

What's the difference between anxiety and a panic attack?

Anxiety is generally a more sustained state of worry, tension, and apprehension. A panic attack is a more acute, intense episode that peaks quickly and involves significant physical symptoms. Many people experience both. Therapy can address both effectively.

Can therapy actually help with panic attacks?

Yes, significantly. Panic disorder and panic attacks are among the most treatable anxiety presentations. Understanding what's driving them and working at that level rather than just managing symptoms in the moment can dramatically reduce their frequency and intensity.

Is medication necessary for anxiety treatment?

Not always. Many people find significant relief through therapy alone, particularly approaches like CBT and EMDR. Some people benefit from a combination of therapy and medication. This is a conversation worth having with both your therapist and your prescribing physician if relevant.

How long does anxiety therapy take?

This varies depending on the nature and complexity of what's driving your anxiety. Some people experience meaningful relief relatively quickly, particularly with focused approaches like EMDR. Others with more complex or long-standing anxiety benefit from a longer course of treatment. Marty will give you an honest sense of what to expect during the consultation.

Is online anxiety therapy effective?

Yes. Research consistently supports the effectiveness of online therapy for anxiety disorders. Many people find that working from a familiar, comfortable environment actually supports the therapeutic process. Online therapy is available to adults throughout California and Texas.

What if I've tried therapy before and it didn't help?

Different approaches work differently for different people. If previous therapy focused primarily on talk and insight without addressing the nervous system level of your anxiety, EMDR or a different therapeutic approach may reach what earlier treatment couldn't.

A Calmer, More Grounded Life Is Possible

You deserve more than a life organized around avoiding the things that scare you.

Anxiety has a way of shrinking your world gradually, quietly, until you’re managing rather than living. Therapy can help you expand it again, not by eliminating all discomfort, but by making you so much less afraid of it that it stops running the show.

Schedule a Free Consultation