Anxiety Counselling in Port Moody & Across BC

Sarah Susswein is a Registered Clinical Counsellor in Port Moody, BC, offering anxiety counselling for neurodivergent adults and teens, in person and virtually across British Columbia.

When Anxiety Takes Over

Anxiety can feel like a constant sense of dread, overthinking, physical tension, or worrying about what might happen next. If you find yourself rehearsing conversations, replaying the past, anticipating problems, or worrying about what other people think, anxiety can leave you mentally and physically exhausted.

Do you ever feel like you can't switch off the noise in your brain? Maybe a small concern turns into a spiral of what-ifs. Perhaps you feel tense even when nothing seems to be wrong, or you know what you want to do but struggle to take the next step.

Anxiety can affect how you feel, how you relate to other people, and how confidently you move through daily life. You don't have to wait until it becomes unbearable to seek support.

Understanding Anxiety and Your Nervous System

Anxiety is your body's response to a perceived threat, activating protective responses commonly known as fight, flight, or freeze. These responses can be helpful when you're in danger, but they can become exhausting when your nervous system stays on high alert in everyday situations.

When anxiety kicks in, you might notice a racing heart, shallow breathing, muscle tension, restlessness, or difficulty concentrating. You may also experience disrupted sleep, changes in appetite, irritability, or feeling frozen and unable to act even when you know what needs to be done.

Sometimes, anxiety can feel like a faulty fire alarm. Your brain is trying to protect you, but it may sound the alarm in situations that aren't actually dangerous. Counselling can help you understand these patterns and explore ways to respond to anxiety with greater flexibility and confidence.

Anxiety, ADHD and Neurodivergence

Anxiety can be particularly complicated when you have ADHD, Autistic, or both. Neurodivergent people may experience anxiety alongside sensory overwhelm, executive functioning challenges, social uncertainty, masking, or the exhaustion of trying to meet expectations that don't fit how their brains work.

For most people with ADHD, sitting still, meditating, or trying to quiet the mind can feel frustrating rather than calming. For some Autistic people, unpredictable situations, sensory overload, or pressure to navigate social expectations can contribute to anxiety. Years of feeling misunderstood or trying to fit in can also take an emotional toll.

Anxiety doesn't mean there's something wrong with the way your brain works. It's important to understand your individual experiences rather than assume that the same strategies will work for everyone.

My approach to counselling recognizes neurodivergence as a natural variation in how people think, feel, and experience the world. We can explore what contributes to your anxiety and find approaches that work with your needs, preferences, and nervous system rather than against them.

If you're looking for support that understands ADHD and Autism, learn more about my ADHD and Autism-Affirming Counselling.

How Anxiety Can Affect Relationships

Anxiety can affect more than one person. Stress and emotional tension can influence how family members, partners, and other people respond to one another, sometimes creating patterns that are difficult to break.

Think about how a yawn can spread through a room. Although emotional experiences are more complex than yawning, people can be sensitive to one another's emotional cues, tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language. When someone is anxious, the people around them may notice that tension and respond with anxiety of their own.

Within families, this can become a cycle. One person's worry may lead another person to become protective, frustrated, or worried in return. Over time, everyone can become caught up in trying to prevent problems, manage uncertainty, or keep the peace.

Counselling offers an opportunity to explore these patterns, understand your own responses, and develop different ways of relating to yourself and the people around you.

Why Online Anxiety Tools Don't Always Work

Breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, and other self-help tools can be useful for managing anxiety. However, these strategies don't work equally well for everyone, and sometimes trying harder to relax can make you more aware of how anxious you feel.

If you've been anxious for a long time, you may find it difficult to remember what feeling relaxed is like. You might understand anxiety intellectually and have read countless articles about managing it, yet still find yourself caught in the same patterns.

This can be especially frustrating if you have ADHD or are Autistic and the strategies you've encountered don't account for your sensory needs, attention, energy levels, or individual ways of processing information.

Self-help tools can be valuable, but counselling offers something different: a chance to explore your experiences with another person, identify patterns, and find approaches tailored to your circumstances.

How Counselling Can Help With Anxiety

Anxiety counselling isn't about eliminating anxiety forever. Anxiety serves a protective purpose, alerting us to potential danger and helping us respond to uncertainty. The goal is to reduce the ways anxiety interferes with your life while helping you recognize when your concerns need attention and when that alarm system may be overreacting.

In our work together, we can explore what triggers your anxiety, how it shows up in your body and thoughts, and what keeps the cycle going. We can also work on building a greater sense of safety, developing practical coping strategies, and responding to difficult emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.

Having a counsellor alongside you is different from learning about anxiety on your own. It's an opportunity to work through experiences in a supportive relationship, practise new ways of responding, and adjust our approach to what works for you.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, I draw on my counselling training and therapeutic approaches to support clients in understanding and managing anxiety. The work is individualized, with attention to your experiences, goals, and pace.

Anxiety Can Become More Manageable

Anxiety doesn’t have to hold you back. With the right support, it is possible to develop a different relationship with anxious thoughts and feelings, feel more comfortable navigating uncertainty, and take steps toward the things that matter to you.

Imagine being able to pursue opportunities at work or school, develop friendships, or try something new without anxiety having the final say. Progress doesn't mean never feeling anxious; it means having more choices in how you respond when anxiety shows up.

Anxiety Counselling in Port Moody and Online Across BC

I offer anxiety counselling in person in Port Moody, British Columbia, and virtual across BC. Whether you're dealing with persistent worry, overthinking, physical tension, or anxiety alongside ADHD, Autism, or both, counselling can provide space to understand your experiences and explore what might help.

If you're ready to explore what life could look like with more confidence and less interference from anxiety, I'd be happy to talk with you.