“Anxiety Still Shows Up: A Therapist’s Reflection on Fear, Functioning, and Facing It Anyway”

Dear Fellow Therapists,

We talk about anxiety every day. We assess it. We diagnose it. We treat it. We help our clients name it, understand it, and learn how to manage it. But what happens when anxiety shows up in our own lives?

Anxiety has shown up in many areas of my life. Not always loudly, but consistently enough to be noticed. I have experienced fears that many of our clients also carry. Fear of enclosed spaces, elevators, airplanes, cruise ships, high places, MRIs, and even dogs. At times, public speaking has brought its own level of anxiety, which feels almost ironic given the nature of our work. And yet, here I am. A therapist, supervisor, educator, and presenter. Functioning does not mean the absence of anxiety.

For a long time, some of these fears led to avoidance. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Feeling uneasy in confined spaces. Mentally preparing for situations that others might not think twice about. But over time, with support, self-awareness, and intention, something began to shift. I sought my own therapy. I allowed myself to be supported. I have used anxiety medication when needed, not as a crutch, but as a tool. I began to challenge avoidance patterns, slowly and intentionally.

I still feel anxious at times. But I move anyway. I take the elevator when I need to. I travel, even when the plane feels uncomfortable. I show up to speak, even when my body says otherwise. This is the part we do not always talk about enough. As therapists, we are not exempt from the very things we treat. Anxiety does not disqualify us. If anything, it deepens our empathy and strengthens our clinical presence.

There is also another layer that I have come to recognize. Some of our fears are learned, modeled, or passed down. I have seen how certain anxieties can exist across generations, subtly shaping how we respond to the world. And yet, even with that awareness, we still have agency. We can choose to do the work. We can choose to seek support. We can choose to face what feels uncomfortable, little by little.

Another form of anxiety that has shown up for me is imposter syndrome. That quiet questioning. Am I ready? Am I enough? Do I belong in these spaces? And still, I show up. Because growth often requires us to move forward before we feel fully ready.

As therapists, many of us hold multiple roles. We are clinicians, supervisors, educators, and leaders. We carry responsibility while also carrying our own internal experiences. Managing anxiety while showing up professionally is not always easy, but it is possible. And perhaps that is the message. Not that anxiety disappears but that we learn how to live alongside it without allowing it to lead.

A Therapist’s Reflection

Anxiety may visit but it does not have to take up residence. We can acknowledge it without surrendering to it. We can feel it without being defined by it. We can move forward, even when it walks beside us.

To my fellow therapists, if you experience anxiety in any form, know that you are not alone. Seeking support is not a weakness. Using tools is not failure. Facing fear, even in small steps, is growth.

The same compassion we extend to our clients is the compassion we must also extend to ourselves. We are human first. And sometimes, being human means showing up with anxiety and choosing to move forward anyway.

Wishing you all wellness and growth,

Jinia