I’m Dr Sherry, and I work with a lot of people in Brooklyn whose minds won’t slow down. You know that feeling of always thinking three steps ahead, worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet? That exhaustion? That’s what I focus on, and I get it.
You’ve worked hard and thought carefully. You care about doing things well. Yet your mind is constantly running off and into the future, cooking up worst-case scenarios and trying to prepare you for them. You rarely let a decision rest. Conversations replay. Nervousness is a constant companion. Even after a win, you find yourself reviewing what could have been better and feel disappointed in yourself.
A mind that moves too quickly makes it hard for you to settle into the moment and consider your life clearly. When you learn to slow it down, it becomes easier to trust your own judgment and stop letting “what if” thoughts run the show.
Together, we begin to loosen anxiety’s grip at the root, not just manage it on the surface.
Confidence grows from insight and self-acceptance, not from forcing yourself to think differently. As that understanding deepens, calm carries into your work, your relationships, your health, and even the way you speak to yourself when no one else is listening.
Most people I work with aren’t falling apart. They’re just tired. Tired of their own thoughts running on a loop, tired of second-guessing everything, tired of feeling like their mind never really settles.
Anxiety therapy is often a fit if you:
In our time together, we pay close attention to habits that feel automatic and how they came to be. We notice how quickly you move to anticipate problems, how responsibility tends to expand in your life, and how self-criticism shows up as your first response to difficulty.
Rather than challenging thoughts on the surface, we slow them down and examine what they are trying to prevent or protect.
Using a relational and psychodynamic lens, we look at how these patterns took shape and why they have persisted, even when they exhaust you. With this understanding in mind, we will consider other ways to approach things that are more consistent with your values and living a meaningful life.
You begin to recognize when old mental loops are running, pause before acting from them, and make decisions with more clarity. The goal is not to remove ambition or caution, but to loosen the pressure so your judgment can feel steadier and more your own.
Much of my work focuses on anxiety in thoughtful adults who appear steady on the outside but live with relentless internal pressure. I am interested in how that pressure developed, what it protects, and why it remains so persistent even when it becomes exhausting. Rather than chasing symptoms, I pay attention to the underlying standards, fears, and responsibilities that quietly organize a person’s inner life.
Clients often tell me they appreciate that our work feels steady and thoughtful. I take ambition seriously, and I also make room for the parts that are tired of carrying so much alone. I am less interested in quick-fix techniques and more interested in understanding what shaped your inner pressure in the first place. That patience allows the work to be grounded and deep.
If this approach feels aligned, please reach out to begin the conversation.
There's a way to work with anxiety so it feels more manageable.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Among growth-minded adults, anxiety often blends into ambition. It moves through personal relationships, late-night worries, family responsibilities, and private self-evaluation, making daily life feel heavier than it appears from the outside.
Even during calm stretches, there can be a subtle readiness in the shoulders, the jaw, the breath, the stomach. It is not always dramatic, but it is persistent. The day is approached as something to get through rather than inhabit.
This tends to happen when prolonged cognitive vigilance spills into physical readiness. When the mind remains on alert, the body follows. Over time, anxiety becomes both mental and physical, reinforcing itself through that constant low-grade activation.
In sessions, one pattern appears repeatedly: a conversation with a partner or friend ends, and the mind keeps working. Something they said is replayed at midnight. A moment of tension is mentally rewritten on the way home. Even crossing the Brooklyn Bridge during a quiet moment can feel like preparation time rather than a pause.
This tends to happen when relationships feel high-stakes or when approval and connection have long been tied to getting things right. Over time, that protective review process becomes part of anxiety itself, extending far beyond the moment it was needed.
Compliments arrive. Recognition happens. Relationships deepen. Yet the first internal response is often, “That could have gone better,” or “They probably expected more.” The mind quickly searches for the flaw before allowing satisfaction to settle.
When worth becomes closely tied to performance or being seen as capable, this pattern develops because external validation feels temporary. As expectations accumulate and standards rise, the system prioritizes scanning for weaknesses over absorbing success. In practice, this is one of the quieter ways anxiety sustains itself.
The day ends, but scenarios continue internally. Future conversations with a parent or partner are outlined in detail. Possible conflicts are drafted and redrafted. The walk through Prospect Park on the way home becomes another chance for the mind to rehearse tomorrow’s conversations instead of noticing the trees.
This tends to happen when the mind equates anticipation with safety. When important relationships require careful navigation, repeated mental rehearsal begins to feel necessary. Over time, the nervous system stays active deep into the night, keeping you in preparation mode long after you need to be.
In my office, this frequently shows up as an unspoken rule: if something goes wrong in a relationship or family dynamic, it must have been preventable. Tensions between others, a friend’s mood, even a partner’s stress, begin to feel like personal assignments.
When someone spends years being the person others rely on, responsibility naturally grows because care and competence have been rewarded. Over time, that expansion rarely shrinks on its own. Anxiety takes root in the belief that vigilance and control prevent harm, even when the burden becomes disproportionate.
Free time appears on the calendar, yet it feels misplaced. Relaxing can trigger the thought, “There’s probably something more productive to do.” A moment on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade should feel restorative, but instead becomes time to mentally rewrite an earlier conversation.
This tends to happen when worth has repeatedly been linked to output or being useful. When stability and approval have long depended on doing, slowing down can register as a risk. Over time, anxiety associates rest with falling behind, making stillness difficult even in safe environments.
A minor oversight in communication can overshadow an entire week of steady connection. A brief misstep in a conversation can linger far longer than the dozens of thoughtful interactions surrounding it.
Because high standards are reinforced repeatedly, the mind becomes highly efficient at detecting deviation. When this happens over and over, attention narrows toward error detection. Anxiety strengthens not through catastrophe, but through the steady magnification of small imperfections.
Disagreement with a partner or tension with a friend can activate hours of internal analysis. “Was that too direct?” “Should that have been softer?” Walking past Barclays Center after work, the crowds mirror the internal noise, too many thoughts competing for attention at once.
When maintaining closeness has long depended on careful communication, this reaction develops because relational friction feels consequential. Repeated exposure to high-stakes dynamics trains the system to treat conflict as something to be carefully managed and dissected. Anxiety often embeds itself in that prolonged review process.
Anxiety in thoughtful adults often reflects long-standing internal patterns rather than isolated stress. The approaches used in this practice are selected based on how pressure operates internally, and are adapted to the depth, pace, and readiness of each person. Anxiety rarely fits neatly into one framework, so treatment draws from multiple modalities as needed, shifting between insight-oriented exploration, relational attention, mindfulness-based approaches, and structured interventions based on what emerges in the room.
Anxiety does not exist in isolation. It activates most clearly in moments of evaluation, closeness, disagreement, or perceived disappointment. The mind begins insisting, “Handle this carefully,” or “Do not get this wrong.” Interpersonal stakes quietly heighten internal pressure.
Relational psychotherapy pays attention to how anxiety unfolds in real time between people, including within the therapeutic relationship itself. Early relational experiences shape expectations about safety, approval, and reliability, creating templates that continue to organize present-day responses. Subtle shifts in tone, expectation, or perceived approval often mirror dynamics outside the room.
In practice, this often looks like exploring how sensitivity to others’ reactions shapes decision-making and self-evaluation. Working relationally allows anxiety to be understood not just as a private problem, but as something shaped by repeated interaction patterns that can be examined and softened directly.
Long-standing anxiety often grows from patterns that feel automatic but have deep roots. Certain reactions become predictable: self-criticism arrives quickly, responsibility expands without limit, and success rarely settles. Over time, these responses begin to feel like personality rather than learned adaptations.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy works with the layers beneath those patterns. Instead of correcting surface thoughts, attention is given to how early expectations, internalized standards, and unspoken fears continue to organize present-day experience. In sessions, anxiety frequently reflects older relational templates still operating under current pressure. By making those templates visible, the grip of anxiety begins to loosen in a way that feels steady rather than forced.
For many thoughtful adults, anxiety feels internally divided. One part pushes for excellence and vigilance. Another grows tired and resentful. A quieter part may carry fear that slowing down would lead to loss or failure. These internal positions can conflict sharply under stress.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) approaches anxiety as a system of protective parts rather than a single flaw. Over time, a pattern becomes visible: the harder one part works to prevent mistakes, the more another part feels overwhelmed. By helping these parts be understood rather than suppressed, the internal battle softens. Anxiety is approached as an effort to protect, even when that protection has become rigid. This shift allows internal leadership to emerge with more steadiness and less urgency.
When anxiety intensifies around closeness or approval, it can sound like, “Do not disappoint,” or “Stay needed.” Early attachment experiences often shape how safety, conflict, and independence are interpreted later in life. Even highly capable adults can feel disproportionate fear in moments of relational uncertainty.
Attachment-based psychotherapy examines how early bonds inform present expectations. Patterns of over-functioning, emotional self-reliance, or heightened sensitivity to distance often make sense in light of earlier adaptations. In sessions, anxiety frequently reflects attachment strategies that once ensured stability. Bringing these strategies into awareness allows relationships to feel less like tests and more like collaborative spaces.
Anxiety often narrows life around avoidance and control. Decisions are delayed to prevent error. Conversations are rehearsed to prevent discomfort. Situations that trigger unease are sidestepped. Reassurance is sought. Mental checking becomes routine. The mind begins insisting that certainty must come before action. Over time, flexibility shrinks as control becomes the primary strategy.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) addresses this narrowing directly. Instead of trying to eliminate anxious thoughts, the focus turns toward changing the relationship to them and reconnecting with personal values. Mindfulness practices help create distance from anxious thoughts without fighting them. Rather than fueling the cycle of resistance, this approach addresses how anxiety maintains itself through avoidance and over-control.
In practice, this often looks like recognizing when the mind is generating threat-based predictions and choosing action aligned with values rather than fear. When avoidance patterns are particularly strong, gradual exposure work may be woven in, helping the nervous system learn through repeated experience that feared outcomes are tolerable and uncertainty can be endured.
For some individuals, anxiety remains entrenched despite insight and effort. Rigid patterns persist, and internal pressure feels difficult to access or shift through conversation alone. The experience can be one of knowing the pattern intellectually while still feeling trapped within it.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is offered in appropriate cases as a structured process that includes careful preparation and integration. The altered state can temporarily loosen rigid cognitive and emotional patterns, allowing new perspectives to emerge. In practice, the emphasis remains on meaning-making and integration rather than the experience itself. When used thoughtfully, KAP can support work with anxiety by creating space for deeper reflection and flexibility within longstanding internal structures.
The first session is conversational and unhurried. There is no expectation to present a perfectly organized account of anxiety. We begin with what feels most immediate and allow the pace to settle.
Many people are used to preparation and protocols, so part of our early work involves setting that aside and speaking more freely. As themes emerge, attention is given less to isolated events and more to patterns: how responsibility has grown over time, how self-evaluation shows up, how anticipation becomes automatic.
By the end of the meeting, there is usually a clearer sense of what maintains the internal pressure and how future sessions will approach it.
The first step is a conversation.
A free consultation is how we begin. We’ll talk about what you’re carrying, I’ll share how I work, and together we’ll figure out whether this is the right next step for you. No pressure. No commitment. Just an honest conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety therapy is a form of mental health treatment designed to help people understand and address patterns of excessive worry, fear, and avoidance that interfere with daily life. Rather than simply managing symptoms, therapy explores the underlying factors that sustain anxiety over time.
An anxiety therapist works to identify how anxiety operates in your life, including the thoughts, physical responses, and behaviors that maintain it. Sessions provide a space to examine these patterns without judgment and to develop a clearer understanding of what keeps anxiety in place.
Support for anxiety typically involves:
Anxiety becomes a concern when it persists beyond temporary stress and begins affecting daily functioning relationships, or overall quality of life.
Therapy can address a wide range of anxiety presentations, from generalized worry to specific phobias. While this practice focuses on relational and psychodynamic approaches to anxiety, it’s helpful to understand the different ways anxiety can show up.
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent, excessive worry about multiple areas of life. The worry feels difficult to control and is often accompanied by physical symptoms like muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
Panic disorder involves recurring panic attacks, sudden episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms like shortness of breath, racing heart, and a sense of losing control. Treatment helps identify triggers and reduce avoidance patterns.
Social anxiety involves intense fear of evaluation or judgment in social situations. This can lead to avoidance of social interactions, work presentations, or any situation where scrutiny feels likely.
Phobias involve intense fear of specific objects or situations, while agoraphobia centers on fear of places or situations where escape might be difficult. These conditions often respond well to therapy that addresses the underlying patterns maintaining the fear.
While OCD is classified separately from anxiety disorders, it shares features of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors aimed at reducing discomfort. Treatment often involves understanding what the rituals are protecting against.
Different therapeutic approaches address anxiety from different angles. The choice depends on the nature of the anxiety, personal preferences, and what has or has not worked in the past.
Research supports several approaches to anxiety treatment:
Individual therapy provides a private space to explore patterns, process experiences, and develop new ways of responding. This practice offers individual anxiety therapy using relational and psychodynamic approaches.
Group therapy can offer community and shared understanding for people managing anxiety. While not offered in this practice, group formats are available through other Brooklyn providers and can complement individual work.
Psychotherapy for anxiety provides a structured space to examine patterns, understand their origins, and develop new ways of responding. Rather than offering quick fixes, the process focuses on sustainable change.
Early sessions typically focus on understanding how anxiety operates in your life, what triggers it, and what patterns maintain it. From there, treatment shifts toward addressing those patterns directly, whether through insight, behavioral change, or both. Progress often involves recognizing when old loops are running, developing the capacity to respond differently, and gradually expanding what feels manageable.
Part of therapy involves recognizing what activates anxiety and developing healthier coping strategies. This includes stress management techniques, emotional regulation skills, and ways to ground yourself when anxiety intensifies.
The timeline varies based on the depth of anxiety, how long it has been present, and what approach is being used. Some people notice shifts within weeks, while others find that meaningful change takes months.
Early relief often comes from feeling understood and having a clearer framework for what’s happening. Sustained change typically requires addressing the patterns beneath the anxiety, which takes time. Therapy is not about removing anxiety entirely but about changing its intensity, frequency, and the degree to which it controls decisions.
The goal extends beyond symptom reduction to building lasting capacity for managing stress, maintaining relationships, and living a fulfilling life. Long-term support helps sustain progress and prevent relapse.
Sessions are conversational and tailored to what’s most pressing. There is no rigid format. Some sessions focus on current stressors, others on patterns from the past, and still others on practicing new responses.
Topics typically include triggers, recurring thoughts, physical symptoms, relational dynamics, and how anxiety shows up in daily life. The focus is less on simply talking through worry and more on understanding the mechanisms that keep it active.
Research supports the effectiveness of therapy for anxiety, particularly when the approach is well-matched to the person and the nature of the anxiety. Therapy is not a cure, but it can significantly reduce symptom intensity and improve functioning.
Effectiveness depends on several factors: the therapeutic relationship, the person’s readiness to engage, and whether the approach addresses the specific patterns maintaining anxiety. When these align, meaningful change is possible.
Anxiety has a way of narrowing perspective. A therapist provides an outside view, helping identify patterns that are difficult to see from inside the experience. Therapy also creates space to examine what maintains anxiety without the pressure of managing it alone.
Speaking anxiety aloud in a structured setting makes it less overwhelming. Patterns become visible when described rather than just experienced. The process also builds the capacity to sit with discomfort rather than immediately avoiding or solving it.
There is no universal threshold. If anxiety is affecting your functioning, relationships, or quality of life, therapy can help. Waiting for anxiety to reach crisis level is not necessary.
Anxiety becomes a concern when it feels persistent, difficult to control, or begins to narrow life in ways that matter. If you are questioning whether therapy would help, that question itself is often a signal.
Finding the right fit involves considering both expertise and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. An effective therapist understands anxiety, but the connection between therapist and client is equally important.
Look for a therapist who specializes in anxiety and uses approaches that resonate with you. Many therapists offer free consultations, which can help determine whether the fit feels right. Trust your sense of whether the therapist seems to understand what you’re describing.
Not all therapeutic approaches work for everyone. If anxiety is not shifting, it may signal a need for a different approach, a different therapist, or additional support such as medication.
Bring this directly into sessions. A good therapist will explore what is not working and adjust accordingly. If the approach or fit is the issue, seeking a consultation elsewhere is reasonable.
Some anxiety shifts on its own with time, self-reflection, or life changes. Other anxiety persists despite effort. Therapy is not a sign of weakness. It is a tool for addressing patterns that are difficult to shift alone.
If anxiety feels stuck, overwhelming, or is narrowing life in ways that matter, professional support is worth considering. Therapy provides structure, perspective, and strategies that are hard to access independently.
Some increased awareness of anxiety is normal early in treatment. Paying attention to patterns that were previously automatic can make them feel more present. This is often temporary and signals that processing is beginning.
There may be periods where anxiety feels more visible or active. This does not mean therapy is failing. It means the work is bringing what was beneath the surface into view. Pacing is adjusted as needed to keep this manageable.
Weekly sessions are standard for ongoing therapy. More frequent sessions may be helpful during periods of heightened distress. Less frequent sessions work when anxiety has stabilized, and maintenance is the focus.
Consistency matters more than frequency. Weekly sessions allow for continuity and depth. The rhythm can shift over time based on progress and need.
Both in-person and online therapy can be effective for anxiety. The choice depends on accessibility, comfort, and personal preference. Online therapy offers flexibility, while in-person sessions provide a different quality of presence.
Anxiety and depression frequently co-occur. Many people experience both persistent worry and low mood, and therapy can address how these patterns interact and reinforce each other.
Anxiety can also co-exist with obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance-induced anxiety, and other mental health conditions. An integrated treatment approach addresses how these experiences overlap rather than treating them in isolation.
While this practice focuses on individual therapy, family therapy can be helpful when anxiety is connected to family dynamics or when family members want to understand how to provide support. Family therapy is available through other Brooklyn providers.
Children and teens can struggle with anxiety, including separation anxiety disorder and other developmental anxiety concerns. While this practice works with adults, specialized child and teen therapy is available through other Brooklyn providers.
Some people find therapy alone sufficient, while others benefit from combining therapy with medication to balance brain chemistry. A psychiatrist can evaluate whether medication might help manage symptoms while you work through underlying patterns in therapy.
While a formal diagnosis happens in medical or psychiatric settings, therapy begins with understanding how anxiety shows up in your specific life. Early sessions focus on identifying patterns, triggers, and the ways anxiety has narrowed daily activities or strained relationships.
Yes. In-person sessions are available at two Brooklyn locations: Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn.
The Park Slope office is located at 808 Union Street, Suite 3A, easily accessible to Prospect Heights, Carroll Gardens, and Gowanus. The Downtown Brooklyn office is located at 68 Jay Street, Office #528, accessible to Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and Fort Greene.
Yes. Online therapy is available for residents throughout New York State.
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