my story
In 2012, I had my first panic attack.
It was one of the scariest moments of my life. I had no idea what was happening inside my body.
At the ER, they ran multiple tests to make sure I wasn't suffering from a serious medical condition. Everything came back negative; but I wasn't fine.
I felt like I was being strangled. Like carbonation was surging through my veins. Like my heart was going to explode. And somehow, I was supposed to believe I was perfectly healthy?
I wanted the anxiety to go away. I wanted to numb it out. I wanted to feel normal again.
When I told my doctor what was happening, he asked if I had ever tried yoga or meditation.
I was almost offended.
I had come to him for real help—and he was suggesting something that sounded, to me, a little too fluffy and woo-woo. I had no idea then how much that conversation would shape the rest of my life.
A wise therapist eventually changed my life when she taught me to pay attention to what was happening inside me instead of constantly trying to escape it. She helped me see that anxiety didn't have to be the enemy. It could become a catalyst for growth.
Years later, I began a regular yoga practice. Then I discovered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Little by little, I learned skills that helped me meet stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions differently.
Not by making them disappear.
But by learning how to respond to them.
Today, I'm a psychotherapist helping teens and their parents navigate many of those same challenges.
Because when your child is anxious, overwhelmed, shutting down, avoiding things, or constantly caught in a cycle of worry, it can be hard to know what to do. You may find yourself walking on eggshells, trying to reassure them, solve the problem, or make the anxiety go away—only to find that the worry keeps coming back and that as the parent, their anxiety feels like it is controlling you.
You and your teen may desperately want to feel better while having no idea how to feel better.
There is a way forward.
Therapy can help teens understand what is happening inside them, build the skills to navigate difficult emotions, and move toward the life they actually want to live. And it can help parents learn how to support their child without becoming consumed by the anxiety themselves.
My goal isn't to teach you or your child how to never feel anxious.
It's to help you become more confident in what to do when anxiety shows up.
That is what settled within means to me.
Not a life without stress, uncertainty, or uncomfortable emotions—but learning how to find steadiness in the middle of them.