Anxiety COUNSELING
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
Anxiety is a normal and common human reaction to stressful situations. It is characterized by nervousness, apprehension, self-doubt, and can cause physical bodily responses like increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Anxiety disorders occur when an anxious reaction is out of proportion with the stressful situation that caused the reaction. An anxiety disorder will cause a person to feel anxiety on a much larger scale or for a larger period of time that what one would expect for the situation – so much so that the anxiety will interfere with daily life. Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive psychiatric disorders in the United States. There are many types of anxiety disorders. Some types of anxiety disorders are:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – The most common anxiety disorder. GAD is a chronic disorder involving long lasting, excessive anxiety about nonspecific life events, objects, or situations. People with GAD may not be able to identify the cause of their anxiety.
- Phobia – An irrational fear and avoidance of an object or situation.
- Panic Disorder – Panic attacks are brief and sudden attacks of intense terror. Panic attacks usually peak at about 10 minutes but can last for hours. Panic disorders usually occur after periods of prolonged stress or frightening experiences.
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – Anxiety that results from a previous trauma. PTSD often leads to lasting and severe memories or flashbacks of the trauma.
WHAT CAUSES ANXIETY?
Anxiety is a bodily response to anticipate danger. It is important for survival and allows people to protect themselves or avoid harm, much like the “fight or flight” response.
Anxious behavior can be both inherited and learned. For example, research shows that children can both inherit anxious behavior from their parents and learn anxious behavior that their parents model.
Beyond the normal occasional anxious behavior, research proves that anxiety disorders run in families. Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and exposure to stressful life events.
TREATMENT OF ANXIETY
There are many effective treatments for anxiety and anxiety disorders:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – The basic premise of CBT is that our thoughts affect the way we feel. CBT sessions include the practice of Cognitive Restructuring, commonly known as Thought Challenging. This is a process where the counselor helps a client challenge negative thinking patterns that contribute to their anxiety and replacing those thinking patterns with more positive thoughts.
- Exposure Therapy – A key component to anxiety is that it causes people to avoid the situations that cause them anxiety. Exposure therapy aims to expose those with anxiety to the situations or objects that cause them anxiety. Over time, they will feel like they have more control over the situation and their anxiety will diminish.
- Exercise
- Relaxation Techniques such as Mindfulness
WHY SEEK HELP?
If you are suffering from anxiety, know that there is no quick fix for your condition. However, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Many people with anxiety report that after seeking help from a qualified counselor, they see improvements with in the first few sessions.
Written by Kyle Dickerson, LMFT
If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, or traumatizing experiences, these can be complicated matters which take time and patience. I work with each person to develop an individual plan, considering where you come from, where you are now, and ultimately where you want to be.
Anxiety Therapists at Gibson Counseling

Whitney Briggs, LPC-S
Whitney's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Whitney
Location: Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna/Evernorth (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers) , Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO (Video Only) ADULTS, COUPLES & CHILDREN OVER 12
Expertise: Adults

David "Nathan" Evans, LPC
Nathan's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Nathan
Location: In Person Cedar Park and Video for Texas residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Humana, Sendero, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Yes-video only
Expertise: Adults and kids over 15 (no couples)

Ida MacDonald, LPC, CMHIMP
Ida's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Ida
Location: Video Only for Texas Residents
Evaluations Offered: Health Assessment
Insurances Accepted: Cigna/Evernorth, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers), Optum EAP, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Triwest-VA, Sendero, Self pay $110
Accepting New Clients: Yes (Video only)
Expertise: Adults, Couples, Kids (16 year and up)
- ADHD (Adult Only)
- Child and adolescent counseling (16 and up)
- Integrative Holistic Counseling
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Christian Counseling
- CBT
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- Marriage Counseling / Couples
- Premarital

Sheila Moore-Bunch, LCSW
Sheila's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Sheila
Location: In person and virtual in Cedar Park for Texas residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Cigna, Humana, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Self pay $150 COMING SOON: BCBS
Accepting New Clients: Yes
Expertise: Adults only, no couples and no kids
- Anxiety
- Addiction
- Anger
- ADHD
- Trauma
- CBT
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- DBT/Mindfulness
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Christian Counseling

Sheryl Stiffler, LMFT
Sheryl's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Sheryl
Location: Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), BCBS, Beacon, Cigna/Evernorth (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO (Video only) Daytime availability only
Expertise: Kids (6 yr and up), Adults and Couples

Mary Ellen Martin, LMFT
MaryEllen's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about MaryEllen
Location: In person South Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: No
Expertise: Kids (6 yrs and older), Adults, Couples

Sasha Sharp, LPC
Sasha's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Sasha
Location: In person and virtual in Cedar Park for Texas residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Monday and Friday appointments Virtual only available. All in person days are booked. Please call 512-633-7839 if you can do virtual only Monday and Friday and we will send you a registration link.
Expertise: Adults and Children 7 and up
- Anxiety
- Addiction
- Anger
- ADHD
- Children 7 yrs and up
- CBT
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- Mindfulness
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Christian Counseling
- Marriage Counseling

Ana "Rebeca" Ramirez, LPC
Rebeca's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Rebeca
Location: In person in Cedar Park or Video for Texas residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Humana, Sendero, Triwest, Tricare, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Yes- but adults only at this time. All evening and late afternoons are booked. Morning availability only.
Rebeca speaks both English and Spanish. Rebeca habla español.
Expertise: Adults and Children 7 and up

Amy Venn, LCSW-S
Amy's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Amy
Location: Video Only for Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna/Evernorth, Humana, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Triwest, Self pay $110
Accepting New Clients: No (Video only)
Expertise: Adults and Children (12 and up), No Couples
- ADHD
- Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Parents of kids/adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Anxiety
- Autism
- CBT
- Child and adolescent counseling (12 and up)
- Christian Counseling
- Depression
- Grief/Loss
- Life adjustment
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Trauma
- Chronic illness

Rhonda Mack, LPC
Rhonda's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Rhonda
Location: In person Cedar Park and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Humana, Cigna/Evernorth (no EAP), Aetna (no EAP) , Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: YES
(Video and in person)
Expertise: Adults , Couples and Adolescents ages 14 and up
- Military Veterans and/or family
- BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)
- Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
- Self Esteem
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Trauma
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- LGBTQ
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Marriage Counseling

Danielle Linders, LPC, LCDC
Danielle's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Danielle
Location: In person South Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna/Evernorth (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers) , Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO
Expertise: Adults -Individuals only

Paulina Pina, LPC
Paulina's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Paulina
Location: In person South Round Rock and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Beacon Options, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna/Evernorth (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Optum, Oscar, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: NO
Expertise:Kids (8 yrs and older), Adults and Couples

Sally Guerra, LPC
Sally's Patient Portal / New Client Registration Read more about Sally
Location: Video Only for Texas Residents
Insurances Accepted: Aetna (NO AETNA EAP), Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna/Evernorth (NO CIGNA EAP), Humana, Multiplan/PHCS, Sendero, Tricare, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Triwest-VA, Self Pay $150
Evaluations Offered: ADD, ADHD, Mood Disorders, Anger Issues and PTSD
Accepting New Clients: YES (VIDEO ONLY)
Video only (Children age 12 and up)
Expertise: Kids (5yr and up), Adults and Couples
- Addiction
- ADHD
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Child and adolescent counseling (12 years and older)
- Depression
- Geriatric/Elderly concerns
- LGBTQIA
- Life adjustment
- Marriage Counseling
- Mindfulness
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Trauma
- Dissociative Disorder

Eleny Guerrero Pena, LPC, LCDC
Eleny's Patient Portal / New Client RegistrationRead more about Eleny
Location: In person Cedar Park and Video Therapy for residents in Texas
Insurances Accepted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Sendero, United Health Care (UMR, Oscar, Optum, Allsavers), Multiplan/PHCS, Self pay $150
Accepting New Clients: Yes (no children)
Video and In person : Daytime hours only at this time ( 9am-1pm)
Expertise: Adults , Couples
- Military Veterans and/or family
- BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous and People of Color)
- Sexual Assault
- Self Esteem
- Addiction
- Anger
- Anxiety
- CBT
- Trauma-EMDR
- Depression
- Life adjustment
- LGBTQ
- Solution Focused Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Marriage Counseling-Gottman Trained