Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety therapy is a structured form of psychotherapy specifically designed to address anxiety: its triggers, its patterns, and the ways it interferes with daily life. While general talk therapy may explore a wide range of concerns, anxiety therapy uses targeted evidence-based approaches that have strong clinical research behind them for anxiety specifically. The focus is not just on understanding your anxiety but on changing your relationship to it.

The honest answer is: it depends on the nature of your anxiety and where it comes from. For anxiety without a clear traumatic root, CBT is the most studied and most effective starting point. For anxiety rooted in traumatic experience, including birth trauma, EMDR offers targeted processing that talk therapy alone often cannot replicate. Many effective therapists draw on multiple modalities rather than adhering strictly to one. What matters most, consistently across all research on psychotherapy, is the quality of the therapeutic relationship: whether you feel safe, understood, and able to engage honestly.

Birth Feelings specializes in anxiety that arises during and after the transition to parenthood. This includes anxiety during trying to conceive, pregnancy, pregnancy and infant loss, postpartum anxiety, fear of childbirth (tokophobia), anxiety related to a traumatic birth experience, and the generalized worry that often accompanies early parenthood. We work with the full spectrum, from subclinical stress and worry to clinically significant anxiety, always within the context of perinatal mental health.

The length of treatment varies depending on the type and severity of anxiety, your personal goals, and how frequently you attend sessions. Many clients notice meaningful change within 8 to 12 sessions. Others benefit from longer-term support, particularly when anxiety intersects with birth trauma, major life transitions, or complex perinatal mood concerns. In your first session, your therapist will discuss what a realistic timeline looks like for your specific situation.

Reaching out for professional support is not a sign of weakness. It is a recognition that anxiety has grown beyond what you should be managing alone. Five signs that it may be time: anxiety is present most of the time, not just in response to specific stressors. You are avoiding meaningful activities, relationships, or decisions because of anxiety. Physical symptoms like insomnia, tension, or heart pounding are frequent and distressing. Intrusive or frightening thoughts are occurring regularly and feel hard to dismiss. Anxiety is affecting your relationship with your baby, your partner, or yourself.

Dr. Branda is an out-of-network provider. A superbill is provided at the end of each month for you to submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Many PPO plans offer out-of-network mental health benefits. We recommend calling the member services number on your insurance card and asking about your out-of-network coverage for psychotherapy before your first appointment.

No referral is required. You can reach out to Birth Feelings directly to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. If your physician or midwife has recommended therapy and you would like to coordinate care, we are also happy to collaborate with your healthcare team.

Telehealth sessions via a secure video platform are available for clients in California and Illinois. In-person sessions are available at our office in Santa Monica. Many clients find telehealth particularly accessible in the early postpartum period, when leaving the house with a newborn presents its own logistical challenge. Both formats offer the same depth of care.

The 3-3-3 rule is a simple grounding technique: name 3 things you can see, 3 sounds you can hear, and move 3 parts of your body. This activates present-moment sensory awareness, which can interrupt an anxious thought spiral long enough to create a moment of relief. Grounding techniques like this are useful tools. They help you manage anxiety in the moment. Therapy helps you understand and change the patterns that generate the anxiety in the first place, but these tools are very helpful in the moment to decrease symptoms.

Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression are distinct conditions, though they can occur together. Postpartum depression typically involves persistent sadness, low motivation, and withdrawal. Postpartum anxiety is characterized by excessive worry, racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping beyond newborn-related disruption, physical tension, and sometimes intrusive thoughts about harm coming to the baby. Postpartum anxiety is significantly underdiagnosed because it can look like being a nervous new parent. If worry feels constant, overwhelming, or out of proportion to the situation, it is worth speaking with a professional.

Some degree of worry during pregnancy is normal. But anxiety that is persistent, intense, interferes with sleep or daily functioning, or involves intrusive thoughts about the baby's health or your ability to parent is worth taking seriously. Perinatal anxiety is common and very treatable, and addressing it during pregnancy can support your wellbeing, your birth, and your postpartum experience. You do not need to wait until postpartum to seek support.

The first session is primarily a conversation. Your therapist will ask about what brings you in, what you have been experiencing, and what you are hoping to get from therapy. There is no pressure to share more than you are comfortable with. By the end of the session, you should have a sense of whether the fit feels right, an initial understanding of what the work might look like, and a clear next step. You do not need to prepare anything in advance. Just come as you are.