page rutledge lcsw chtWHY CHOOSE ME?

Because you have anxiety.

Ooof. I know what anxiety feels like. I have experienced chronic illness with a parent, being the child of an alcoholic, being the mother of two gifted children (that has its own issues!), losing a business, changing careers in a changing economy, as well as tending to my 30+years-long marriage. And then we got a worldwide pandemic!

Here’s a sample of the “What if’s?”

When you constantly anticipate dire outcomes, it can be paralyzing. From a scary job interview to a relationship you really want to work, increasing your awareness of how you approach getting what you want matters. A lot.

  • What if my boss/peers find out I really don’t know what I’m doing?
  • What if I have nothing to say to the person I’m dying to attract?
  • What if I can’t make it out of the grocery store before another panic attack?
  • What if I lose my lover or partner because I can’t please them?

These are the stories we tell ourselves. When we are anxious, our brains tell us these stories are cold, hard facts when they are simply masquerading as the truth. The energy panic creates in you will shoot you into the future, pulling you from the present moment, which leads to fight, flight or freeze. That means the ability to think clearly flies out the window.

I can help you manage that inner bully

I am a licensed therapist (NC) who spends a lot of time with the latest research on treating anxiety. Clients like my direct, compassionate (and sometimes irreverent) approach. I am not a believer in sitting around crying with clients, nor do I spend precious time digging incessantly in your past. When you work with me, we are looking for the way forward.

I see no point in going at it alone when a little help will shorten the time you spend struggling. Smart people realize that, and seek the therapy they need.

Here are the techniques I use to help you manage your anxiety

  • I teach you how to down-regulate your panic/anxiety
  • I skip the psychobabble, and teach you to question unhelpful thinking styles
  • I don’t dwell too much in your past, keeping you future-focused on better choices
  • I assign helpful outside-the-session experiments or homework (it’s really not a bad word!)

On to the professional credentials…

I am an education geek. Flat out. I hold two Masters Degrees, one in Public Health & Policy, and another in Clinical Social Work. I am licensed in North Carolina. I also hold Graduate Specialist Certification in Gerontology (the study of aging) and have undergone in-depth training with the Institute for Relational Intimacy. I am certified in Clinical Hypnosis, and have over 200 hours of additional training in this therapeutic mode. I am a contributor to the Star News Community Bloggers and have published a number of articles in the Star News and the NC National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Newsletter. And I constantly read in my field and attend the latest findings in workshops simply because I love to learn.