Online therapy across Ontario
Anxiety Therapy
Is your mind always a few steps ahead, bracing for what might go wrong? Therapy can help you worry less and feel more in control, so you can enjoy your days again.
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Signs of anxiety
Is the overthinking wearing you out?
Some worry is normal. Anxiety becomes a problem when it feels hard to control and starts getting in the way of sleep, work, relationships or the things you enjoy.
It often shows up in your body as much as your mind: a racing heart, tight shoulders, headaches, an upset stomach or feeling tired but wired. Many people look calm on the outside while their mind is racing.
Anxiety is very treatable.
Why it happens
Anxiety is your alarm system working overtime
About 1 in 20 Canadians aged 15 and older met the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder in 2022, double the rate of 10 years earlier.[1] (source, opens in a new tab) Anxiety is your nervous system trying to keep you safe, and sometimes the alarm gets stuck on.
Stress has piled up
Work pressure, money worries, health scares or big life changes can keep your body on alert.
Past experiences
Hard experiences from the past can teach your brain to watch for danger, even when you’re safe now.
Avoidance keeps it going
Avoiding what makes you anxious brings quick relief, but over time it can make the fear grow.
How therapy helps
Feel in control of your anxiety again
Therapy helps you understand what sets your anxiety off and gives you practical tools to calm it. We start with whatever feels most pressing, and build from there.
Calm your body
Learn simple ways to slow a racing heart and tense muscles, so you can settle when anxiety spikes.
Untangle worries
Notice anxious thought patterns and loosen their grip, so the what-ifs take up less of your day.
Face what you avoid
Take small, manageable steps toward the places and plans anxiety has been keeping you from.
Sleep better
Quiet the racing thoughts at bedtime, so you can fall asleep and stay asleep more easily.
Heal the roots
Work through past experiences that quietly feed the anxiety, so it has less and less to hold onto.
Our approach
Well-studied therapy, at a pace that feels manageable
Sessions are warm and practical, and we work at your pace. We draw on CBT to shift anxious thinking, ACT to make room for hard feelings while you live by your values, and DBT skills for calming down in the moment.
Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C)
Postpartum Support International
EMDRIA Certified Therapist
EMDR International Association
A plan built around you
We draw from several approaches and shape a plan around your goals, rather than a one-size-fits-all program.
Help with what’s underneath
If past experiences are feeding how you feel now, EMDR can help those memories settle and lose their charge.
Sessions anywhere in Ontario
Sessions are by secure video, so you can join from home or another private space. Saturday appointments are available too.
Nicole Graff-Rowe
MSW, RSW · PMH-C · EMDRIA Certified Therapist
- Online sessions, anywhere in Ontario
- Based in Waterloo Region
- No referral needed
About your therapist
Hi, I’m Nicole, a Registered Social Worker and EMDR Certified Therapist
I started Nurtured Family Counselling so people have somewhere to say the hard things out loud without being judged. Here, you can stop holding it all together for an hour.
I want to understand your history, your struggles and your story, and help you move forward in a way that’s rooted in your own values and goals.
Together, we’ll figure out why your anxiety shows up the way it does, and I’ll give you tools you can use right away, whether you’re at work, at home or awake at 3 a.m.
FAQ
Questions people ask before booking
It’s normal to have questions before reaching out. If yours isn’t here, you can send us a message.
Is my anxiety bad enough for therapy?
If worry is getting in the way of your sleep, work, relationships or enjoyment, that’s reason enough. You don’t need a diagnosis to start.
What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?
Stress usually comes from a clear pressure and eases once it passes. Anxiety tends to linger, even when there’s no obvious reason, and often brings worry about what might happen next.
Can therapy help with panic attacks?
Yes. Therapy can help you understand what’s happening in your body during a panic attack, calm it more quickly and feel less afraid of the next one.
Do I have to take medication?
No. Many people work on anxiety in therapy alone. If you’re considering medication, that decision is made with your family doctor, nurse practitioner or psychiatrist, and therapy can work alongside it.
Do you help with anxiety during pregnancy or after a baby?
Yes. Anxiety in pregnancy and after birth is a big part of our practice. You can read more about postpartum anxiety.
Is therapy covered by insurance?
Many workplace health plans cover therapy with a Registered Social Worker, and you don’t need a referral to book. Fees, receipts and how to check your coverage are on the Fees and insurance page.
Get started
You can feel calmer than this.
You don’t have to keep white-knuckling through every day. We can talk about what’s been happening and what might help.
Book a Free Consultation (opens in a new tab)