“I have struggled with anxiety for as long as I can remember, but I’m happy to say I’m in a place where it rarely shows up anymore.
Anxiety for me usually means racing thoughts, rapid heart beat, upset stomach, and the occasional panic attack when things get really bad. Sometimes, when I am experiencing anxiety, I only have physical symptoms. My mind isn’t aware of the subconscious thoughts that are fuelling my anxious mood. But, I know something is going on based on the sensations I am experiencing in my physical body. It can be hard to work with our thoughts when the body is already so flooded with emotion. I know for me it felt almost impossible. Being aware of what anxiety feels like in my body AND my mind was truly transformational and the foundation of my healing process.
I have used and continue to implement things like breathing, exercise, spending time outdoors, community, nutrition, and therapy to help with my anxiety. Each of these interventions is uniquely helpful and influential. Whenever I’m feeling off, I go back to each of these resources and see what I may need more of. I’m flexible with what I need and try to stay in tune with my mind and my body.
My journey to becoming a therapist started with my anxiety. I was an adolescent, in coke-bottle thick glasses, breathing into a paper bag on a therapist’s couch. I think this therapist changed my life. Through this experience I learned the importance of holding space for yourself and how to express my feelings. Therapy was a place where it was all about me and I could fully be myself. I really don’t think we have access to this type of support anywhere else and I strive to recreate that experience for every one of my clients.
Over the years, I have worked with so many different types of people, including cancer patients and those with chronic illness, couples recovering from affairs and addiction, people with anxiety or depression, and adults addicted to substances or in early recovery from addiction.
My style is direct and I fully integrate mind and body throughout the therapeutic process. I use components of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Somatic Experiencing. I love helping people connect what they’re experiencing in their mind with the sensations in their body. Lifestyle interventions like nutrition, movement, sunlight, and drinking enough water are at the core of my treatment. I use things with my clients that I know work because they have worked for me and other around me. But, I am also acutely aware that each person who steps into my office is unique and needs a unique approach.
I work with clients online throughout the entire state of Florida and in my Miami office at The CCC. The CCC is a co-working space for wellness professionals where we provide clinicians with everything they need to run a successful practice, all under one roof. I am passionate about making private practice more accessible for clinicians and believe that the best clinicians are those who are fully supported in their work. We provide things like business trainings and peer supervision at The CCC and are home to a diverse group of mental health and wellness professionals.
I love to meet other people off and online! Feel free to send me an email (whitney@collabcounseling.com) or follow me on Instagram. “
