San Diego Anxiety Therapist

Anxiety | Social Anxiety | Panic Attacks | & Other Issues

Are you finding it difficult to control your anxiety?:
  • Racing, circular thoughts: "What if" thinking and worst case scenarios.
  • Physical symptoms: heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, blushing, headaches, digestive troubles, difficulty sleeping.
  • Intrusive thoughts that are scary, repetitive, and hard to talk about with others.
  • Intense and prolonged worry.
  • Avoiding people and situations as a way to manage intense feelings.
English-speaking counseling in Okinawa
English-speaking counseling in Okinawa
Are you finding it difficult to control your anxiety?:
  • Racing, circular thoughts: "What if" thinking and worst case scenarios.
  • Physical symptoms: heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, blushing, headaches, digestive troubles, difficulty sleeping.
  • Intrusive thoughts that are scary, repetitive, and hard to talk about with others.
  • Intense and prolonged worry.
  • Avoiding people and situations as a way to manage intense feelings.

Other Issues

Anxiety Therapy Serving San Diego

Though much of my work is focused on anxiety, I have experience working with a wide range of challenges:

  • Expat Issues / Cross-Cultural Adjustment
  • Sadness & Depression
  • Career/Workplace Issues
  • Anger
  • Relationships / Divorce / Breakups
  • Parenting/Step-Parenting Issues
  • Life Transitions

Common Questions & Concerns

 


"I have friends to talk with. How is therapy
different?"

Having a social support system is crucial to our mental health. At the same time, talking to a therapist is a much different experience than getting support from friends.

First, often times friends give advice and try to be fixers. Though well intended, advice usually lands flat. Instead of fixing, we're usually looking for understanding and acceptance. Second, friends aren't always the best listeners. Often times they try to help by relating what we're going through with a similar situation they've experienced. Third, it's hard to go to friends on a regular basis for the same challenges. We risk burning them out.

Therapy is not about me giving clients advice. I don't know what's best in someone else's life. Instead, my training and experience is in helping clients increase self-awareness, uncover helpful and unhelpful patterns in their lives, and assisting them in clarifying their struggles and desires. Through this process, many people find change to be more possible and choosing which direction to take in life becomes more clear.



"Do I have to have a mental health condition to come to therapy?"

Not at all. People utilize therapy for a number a different reasons. Some people come for one session to get support before making an important decision. Other people come for assistance in managing and to recover from a mental health condition.

I place less emphasis on diagnosis and more emphasis on understanding why you're coming to therapy, what sort of change you're looking for, and to assist you in making lasting change.

Other FAQ's

What to expect

Why O'Sullivan Counseling?

Brian English-speaking therapist

California Trained & Licensed

Brian O'Sullivan, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist from California

Okinawa counseling for Military and SOFA status

DoD Experienced

Brian has extensive experience working within the military and DoD civilian community, both as a clinician and other professional roles.

Confidential counseling services

Confidential

Your story remains yours. Confidentiality is at the core of therapy. We'll go over this in detail in our first session.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Okinawa

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Brian is trained in using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the gold standard in the treatment of anxiety.

Confidential Counseling Okinawa

Secure Records

Email, videoconferencing, and any electronic records transferred or stored online use HIPAA level encryption.

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