Worry, panic and a mind that will not switch off
For racing thoughts, a tight chest, panic, or worry that follows you to bed. When your mind will not slow down, even rest can feel like work. Together we work on the body's alarm as well as the thoughts, make sense of what your anxiety is trying to protect you from, and build steadier ground, in person in North York or online across Ontario.
Free and confidential. You do not need the right words to begin, just a place to start.
Understanding it
Anxiety is your nervous system doing its job a little too well. It is the body's threat-detection system firing, scanning for danger, bracing for the worst, even when you are objectively safe. That is why "just relax" never works: you cannot reason your way out of an alarm that lives in the body.
For some people anxiety is a constant background hum of worry; for others it arrives in sharp waves of panic, or shows up first in the body as a racing heart, tight chest, or a stomach in knots. It can look like generalized anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety, panic, or the quiet, high-functioning kind that no one around you can see.
By working with the body and the patterns underneath, not just the surface worries, therapy aims to turn the volume down so anxiety takes up less room. We never push past what feels safe; your nervous system sets the speed.
How we work
What we work on is yours to name. How we work is tailored to you, usually weaving a few of these together.
Body-based tools to settle the physical alarm: breath, grounding, and noticing the early signals, so panic and tension can ease.
Gently untangling the anxious thought-and-avoidance loops that keep worry spinning, not "think positive," but loosening what keeps it running.
When today's anxiety is fed by past experiences, EMDR is designed to help your brain reprocess them, so they may set off the alarm less often in the present.
Space to make sense of what your anxiety is protecting you from, so you are working with it, not just fighting it.
Wondering if anxiety therapy is the right fit?
That is exactly what the free 15-minute consultation is for. No pressure, no commitment.
You might recognize
If any of this feels familiar, that is reason enough to reach out. You do not need a diagnosis or the perfect explanation first.
Racing or looping thoughts, especially at night. A constant sense of dread or being "on." Avoiding the things that feel too big. Overthinking conversations and decisions.
A racing heart, tight chest, or shallow breath. Restlessness, or trouble sitting still. Trouble falling or staying asleep. Stomach issues, tension, or panic attacks.
Not everything will fit, and some of it might. Either way, we can start wherever you are.
Our approach
We start by getting curious about your anxiety rather than fighting it, what it is reacting to, when it spikes, and how it shows up in your body. That understanding is where change begins. From there, we settle the nervous system in real, practical ways you can use between sessions, and gently loosen the grip of the thoughts and patterns that keep it running. If there are deeper roots, we tend to them only at a pace that never overwhelms.
What to expect
Starting therapy can feel like a leap. Here is the whole path, so nothing about it has to be a surprise.
We say hello, you share what is bringing you in, and you can ask us anything. No pressure to book.
In the first session or two, we map how anxiety shows up for you and build a couple of grounding tools you can use right away.
We work with the patterns and any roots underneath, body-aware, CBT-informed, or EMDR as it fits.
The aim is a quieter alarm, more room to breathe, and tools you can keep using for the long run.
Is this you?
Adults across Ontario navigating anxiety in all its forms, many coming to therapy for the very first time.
If your mind is always running worst-case scenarios and you cannot switch it off.
For racing hearts, tight chests, and panic attacks that come out of nowhere.
You look fine on the outside while holding it all together and running on empty.
When being around people, being seen, or being judged feels like too much.
For the spiral of bodily worry, reassurance-seeking, and constant checking.
Never tried therapy? No jargon, no blank stares, just a steady place to begin.
Who you would see
Book directly with whoever fits your situation.
Melissa, Sepideh and Katherine see clients in person in North York and online.
Anxiety and stress in children 10+, teens and adults, using CBT and ACT.
Accepting new clients this week
Book with Sepideh More about Sepideh
Overthinking and anxiety in adults, including school, work and family pressure.
Accepting new clients this week
Book with Katherine More about Katherine
Anxiety that lives in the body: racing thoughts, panic, and always being on alert. EMDR, IFS and EFT.
Book with Melissa More about MelissaNot sure who fits? Book the general free consult and we will help you choose.
Visit
Our office is at 1100 Sheppard Avenue East, Unit 407, North York, near Leslie and Sheppard. There is free parking on site and it is a short walk from Leslie subway station, with quick access from the DVP and the 401, so it is an easy trip from downtown, midtown, Scarborough, Etobicoke and the east end. Prefer to meet online? We also see clients by secure video across Ontario.
What it costs
Sessions are $170 for 50 minutes with our associate therapists, or $190 with Melissa Huang. Free 15-minute consultation. Direct billing to many extended health insurers (ask which at your consultation).
Ready to feel a little less on edge?
Free 15-minute consultation · In person in North York or online across Ontario · Direct billing to many insurers
Common questions
A few of the things people ask before booking. Anything else, just ask on your free call.
Explore more
Many people here are navigating more than one of these at once. We can hold the whole picture together.
Panic behind the wheel and highway avoidance.
Learn moreEMDR and trauma-informed care.
Learn moreWork with your brain, not against it.
Learn moreExhaustion that sleep does not fix.
Learn moreLoss, change, and the chapters between.
Learn moreThe emotional side of concussion and brain injury.
Learn moreMindful Connections Therapy
Book a free 15-minute call and we will see if we are a good fit, no pressure, no commitment.