Anxiety Therapy for Women Who Find It Hard to Switch Off
When keeping everything under control is taking too much out of you.
Anxiety therapy at Inner Balance supports women in Calgary who are worn out by persistent worry or impossible standards. We’ll help you understand the patterns involved and work out what to practise when anxiety shows up in everyday life.
Individual anxiety therapy with clinical psychologists who specialize in anxiety.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.
Anxiety Can Take Up More Space Than Other People See
You may be meeting deadlines and taking care of everyone who relies on you. The effort it takes can be harder to explain.
Perhaps you recognize some of these patterns:
You edit a message several times, then replay it after sending it.
You put off a task because getting it wrong feels costly.
You’re exhausted at bedtime, yet your mind starts reviewing everything you need to handle.
You ask for reassurance, feel better briefly, then find yourself questioning the same thing again.
You avoid plans or situations because you’re worried about how you’ll feel or what others might think.
Anxiety may involve ongoing worry, sudden panic, social fears or concerns about your health. Perfectionism can add pressure by making everyday decisions feel like tests you have to pass.
We treat:
Generalized anxiety disorder
OCD
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Specific phobias
Agoraphobia
Panic disorder
Perfectionism
Anxiety related to food allergies
You can bring these experiences to therapy even if you’re unsure what to call them. Your psychologist will help you understand what is happening and whether our services fit your needs.
Why Checking and Avoiding Can Keep the Worry Going
Think about rereading an ordinary email because you’re worried about how it will land. Checking it again may bring a moment of relief. The next uncertain message can bring the same urge to check.
When you repeatedly rely on checking, reassurance or avoidance to feel safe, you may get fewer chances to learn that you can handle uncertainty. Over time, anxiety can start setting more of the rules.
It makes sense that you reach for what helps in the moment. Together, we’ll look at when preparation is useful and when it has become a way of trying to feel completely certain.
Therapy gives you a place to understand that pattern and practise responding with more flexibility.
Practical Work That Connects to Your Everyday Life
We’ll spend time understanding what brings you to therapy, including the experiences that shaped how you cope. We’ll also look closely at what happens now: what sets anxiety off, how you respond and what those responses cost you.
From there, you and your psychologist will choose specific things to work on. That might mean sending an email without another round of checking, making a decision with some uncertainty still present, or returning to something you’ve been avoiding.
Dr. Kristin Calverley’s clinical work may draw on the therapy approaches below. Your psychologist will explain what they recommend for you; approaches vary by clinician and concern.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT explores how thoughts, feelings and actions influence one another. You may examine predictions you’ve been treating as facts and practise different responses to situations that bring up anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you notice difficult thoughts without automatically following their instructions. You’ll explore what matters to you and practise acting on it while making room for uncomfortable feelings.
Where appropriate, exposure work involves approaching feared situations in planned steps, with your psychologist’s guidance. If intrusive thoughts and compulsions are part of your experience, assessment can help clarify whether OCD-focused care, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), is appropriate.
What Responding Differently Could Look Like
Your goals will reflect what anxiety is getting in the way of in your life. You might work toward:
Making a decision without needing complete certainty first.
Spending less time reviewing conversations or seeking reassurance.
Taking part in something meaningful even when anxiety comes along.
Recognizing an impossible standard and choosing a more workable response.
Responding to a difficult moment without turning it into a judgment about your worth.
You and your psychologist will review what is changing and adjust the work when needed.
Which psychologist provides this treatment?
Both Dr. Kristin Calverley and Dr. Leah Chadwick provide this treatment. Inner Balance is a Calgary psychology practice specializing in anxiety and women’s mental health. Our doctors bring more than two decades of clinical experience, with a focus on anxiety, OCD and related conditions.
You’ll work with a psychologist whose approach and areas of experience fit what you’re seeking help with. You can ask direct questions about how they work, what practical direction might look like and how progress will be reviewed.
Our team profiles describe each psychologist’s background and areas of focus.
What to Expect When You Reach Out
Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation. Briefly explain what has been happening, ask questions and discuss whether a psychologist at Inner Balance may be a fit.
Clarify what you need. If you begin therapy, your psychologist will explore your concerns and history with you, then agree on what to work on. You don’t need to arrive with a diagnosis or a perfectly organized explanation.
Connect the sessions to your life. You’ll discuss practical ways to apply the work between appointments, with room to talk about what felt difficult or didn’t help.
Review the plan together. Appointment frequency and the length of therapy depend on your needs. Your psychologist will discuss progress and next steps with you.
Sessions are primarily virtual through secure Jane video. Standard therapy appointments are 50 minutes; initial assessment appointments may have a different length, which will be confirmed when booking.
Your psychologist must be able to provide services where you are located during each appointment. We’ll confirm eligibility and availability before you begin.
Questions About Starting Anxiety Therapy
How do I know whether my anxiety needs therapy?
Therapy may be worth considering when worry or avoidance keeps interfering with your well-being, or when coping takes more energy than you want to keep giving it. You can discuss what you’ve noticed during a consultation.
Do I need an anxiety diagnosis before booking?
You can ask for help without an existing diagnosis. Your psychologist will explore your experiences with you and discuss what kind of support may be appropriate.
What if previous therapy mostly involved talking?
Tell your psychologist what felt useful and what was missing. At Inner Balance, understanding your experience is connected to practical work. You can ask how goals are chosen and what you might practise between appointments before deciding to begin.
How many appointments will I need?
The number of appointments varies. It depends on your concerns and goals, how the work develops and what is realistic for you. Your psychologist will discuss a plan with you and revisit it as therapy progresses.
What does anxiety therapy cost, and can I use insurance?
Current fees, payment information and cancellation details are listed on our Fees & FAQs page. Insurance coverage depends on your plan and the psychologist you see, so check directly with your insurer before your appointment. The initial 15-minute phone consultation is free.
Start With a Conversation About What You Need
You can use the consultation to ask how we work and explain what you’d like help with. A free 15-minute phone conversation can help you decide whether Inner Balance feels like a useful next step.
Free 15-minute phone consultation.