Anxiety therapy in Chicago & across Illinois

Understanding anxiety

What anxiety is, and what it isn’t

Anxiety is your body’s alarm system. It’s meant to protect you, and in the right amount it helps you prepare and pay attention. It becomes a problem when the alarm goes off too often or too loudly, or when there’s no real danger. Many people with anxiety look capable and high-functioning on the outside while feeling constantly on edge inside.

How anxiety shows up

Anxiety isn’t only worry. It can show up in your body as a tight chest, stomach trouble, tense shoulders, or poor sleep. It shows up in your thoughts as what-ifs, worst-case thinking, and replaying conversations. And it shows up in what you do: avoiding, over-preparing, seeking reassurance, or staying busy so you don’t have to feel. For some people it comes and goes with stress. For others it has been a steady hum in the background for years.

The kinds of anxiety we work with

General worry and overthinking, social anxiety, panic attacks, health anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and anxiety tied to perfectionism, work, relationships, or past trauma. Some of these have their own pages: panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD and intrusive thoughts, and perfectionism.

What sessions look like

Early sessions focus on understanding what sets off your anxiety and what keeps it going. From there we combine practical skills, like calming your nervous system and questioning anxious predictions, with deeper work on where the anxiety comes from. Between sessions you might try small experiments in your daily life. Progress is usually gradual: worry takes up less room, and you get back to the things you’d been avoiding.

Anxiety in relationships

Anxiety often shows up in close relationships as needing reassurance, overthinking messages, or avoiding conflict to keep the peace. Partners may not know how to help. We can work on this in individual therapy, and couples therapy can help if anxiety is putting strain on your relationship.

When to reach out

If anxiety is affecting your sleep, work, relationships, or the choices you make, or if you’ve been coping by avoiding more and more of your life, it’s a good time to reach out. You don’t need to wait until it feels unbearable. Many people start therapy simply because they’re tired of living on high alert.

Online anxiety therapy across Illinois

All sessions are by secure video, so you can meet from home or another private space anywhere in Illinois, from Chicago to Springfield. For many people with anxiety, skipping the commute and the waiting room makes it easier to take the first step. TCC is in-network with BCBS PPO and Aetna PPO, with UnitedHealthcare coming soon. Superbills are available for other plans, and each therapist holds a limited number of reduced-fee spots for clients without insurance. See fees and insurance →