When worry starts running your life.
COUNSELLING FOR ANXIETY & OVERTHINKING · IN-PERSON IN CALGARY & ONLINE ACROSS ALBERTA
It can help us prepare for something important or notice a real problem. But worry can become exhausting when it follows you from one situation to the next, even after you have done what you reasonably can.
You might recognize some of these moments:
Anxiety is part of being human.
- You reread a message several times, trying to make sure it cannot be misunderstood.
- You ask someone for reassurance, feel better briefly, and soon need to ask again.
- You put off a conversation or decision because you cannot be sure how it will go.
- You hold yourself to a standard you would never expect of someone else.
- Your shoulders stay tense, your stomach feels unsettled, or you find it hard to switch off at bedtime.
- You spend so much time preparing for a possible problem that there is less room for the rest of your life.
These experiences do not, by themselves, mean you have an anxiety disorder. They can be a useful starting point for a conversation about what is happening and what you would like to change.
Why does the worry keep coming back?
For some people, anxiety follows a cycle:
- 01 Something feels uncertain
- 02 you try to get certainty, avoid the situation, or seek reassurance
- 03 you feel relief for a while
- 04 the worry returns when uncertainty shows up again.
Imagine you are worried that you made a mistake at work. Checking your email once may help you address a real concern. Checking it repeatedly, asking several people whether everything is okay, and mentally reviewing the day might bring relief too—but only until the next doubt appears.
This is one possible pattern, not an explanation for every anxious experience. Sleep, health, relationships, past experiences, and current pressures can also matter. In counselling, we would get curious about your pattern before deciding what might help.
What anxiety counselling at Parable may look like
There is no script that fits everyone. I bring a warm, practical approach to the work, and we decide together what deserves attention.
In counselling, we’ll work together to understand how anxiety shows up for you—what tends to trigger it, what your mind predicts, how your body responds, and what you find yourself doing next.
From there, we’ll set practical goals that matter in everyday life, whether that means making decisions with less second-guessing, being more present with your family, speaking up at work, or approaching something you’ve been avoiding. We may practise new ways of responding to anxious thoughts and feelings, challenge unhelpful assumptions, and take manageable steps toward situations that feel difficult. Along the way, we’ll regularly check what is changing, what still feels stuck, and whether our approach needs adjusting so that progress is measured not only by feeling less anxious, but by having more freedom and choice in how you respond when anxiety shows up.
How ACT and CBT can help
My work with anxiety is informed primarily by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), attachment-informed approaches, and trauma-informed practice. These give us useful ways to understand anxiety; they are not a template I apply identically to every person.
ACT: Make room for uncertainty and move toward what matters
ACT can help you notice an anxious thought without treating it as an instruction you must obey. If your mind says, “Don’t go unless you know it will go well,” we might practise recognizing that prediction and deciding whether going still matters to you. The aim does not have to be feeling completely calm first.
CBT: Examine the thought-and-action pattern
CBT can help us look at how predictions, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviours affect one another. If one small mistake leads to “I’ve ruined everything,” we might examine the evidence for that conclusion and what happens when you respond to it differently. Sometimes the work includes trying a manageable change in real life and seeing what you learn.
What to expect when you begin
Your first session
We will review the counselling process and talk about what brought you in, what you have already tried, and what you hope could be different. You do not need a diagnosis or a neatly organized explanation. The first session is also a chance to see whether working together feels like a good fit.
The sessions that follow
We will build a clearer picture of the pattern and choose a direction together. Some sessions may focus on a recent situation; others may explore a longer-standing belief or response. We can practise skills, consider small changes between appointments when useful, and revisit whether counselling is helping. There is no fixed number of sessions promised at the outset.
In person or online
Individual appointments are 50 minutes and cost $120. You can meet me in southwest Calgary or attend by secure video while you are in Alberta. For an online session, choose a private place where you can speak freely.
Anxiety Counselling in Calgary & Online Across Alberta
Parable may be a fit if you are an adult dealing with persistent worry, overthinking, perfectionism, avoidance, or difficulty living with uncertainty, and you want to explore those patterns in collaborative counselling.
If you are a parent, we can also discuss how you respond to worry and uncertainty in family life.
Parable Counselling offers in-person individual counselling in Calgary, Alberta, as well as secure online counselling for clients throughout Alberta.
Session Length: 50 minutes
Format: In-person or virtual
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Online: Available across Alberta
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. You might have a clear trigger, several possible contributing factors, or only the sense that worry is taking too much of your attention. We can start with what you notice and make sense of it together.
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It might involve trying something manageable between sessions, but we would discuss its purpose and choose it collaboratively. That could be observing a worry pattern, practising a skill, or taking a small step toward something important to you. Your work will depend on your goals and circumstances.
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Many people start with weekly or biweekly appointments. We can decide on a frequency that makes sense for your goals, schedule, finances, and how the work is going.
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Coverage depends on your plan and the counsellor credentials it recognizes. Parable does not directly bill insurers. Dawson’s Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) application is currently pending, so sessions may not be eligible for reimbursement under plans that require that designation. Check with your insurer before relying on coverage; receipts are provided after sessions.
You can begin before you have it all figured out
If worry has been shaping more of your choices than you want it to, we can start by talking about what is happening.
A free consultation is a chance to ask questions and see whether counselling at Parable feels like a useful next step.