Licensed Anxiety Therapists
Anxiety Treatment in Indianapolis for Lasting Relief
Sommer Psychology Group provides evidence-based anxiety treatment for young adults and adults in Indianapolis. Our licensed anxiety therapists use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you reduce anxiety, break out of stuck patterns, and regain control. We offer in-person therapy in Indianapolis and secure online sessions across Indiana for flexible, effective care that fits your life.
- I’m constantly stressed and burnt out, with a racing heart and physical exhaustion.
- I feel anxious and uncertain about my future.
- I’m tired of being a people-pleaser all the time. What about my wants and dreams?
- I feel like nobody understands me or likes me.
- My feelings of restlessness never seem to stop, leaving me on edge.
- I’m disconnected from people around me, and I can’t explain why.
Living with anxiety can make everyday life feel draining.
Individuals with anxiety disorders experience excessive fear or worry that interferes with daily life. Symptoms can include physical distress, avoidance of feared situations, and persistent rumination. Though often recognized as irrational, these fears cause real distress. Common types of anxiety include generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and phobias. Effective treatment for anxiety includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to address negative thoughts and behaviors, and exposure therapy to help safely face fears. With these evidence-based therapies, many achieve significant relief and improved functioning.
At Sommer Psychology Group, we help you find relief from anxiety, gain confidence, and develop the tools to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships with yourself and others.
What To expect from Anxiety Therapy
How Anxiety Therapy Can Transform Your Life
The outcomes of anxiety therapy can differ from person to person, but with consistent effort and dedication, therapy can bring about meaningful, long-term change. As you progress, you may notice:
- Increased self-esteem and confidence, allowing you to face challenges with assurance
- Enhanced communication skills, helping you assert yourself more effectively in various situations
- Improved emotional regulation, reducing panic attacks and overall anxiety
- Clearer boundaries, allowing you to build healthier relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners
- Improved organizational skills and better academic performance
- Reduced stress, eliminating the physical effects that come with anxiety, like tension and fatigue
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder involves a strong fear of being negatively judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social or performance settings. Individuals with this disorder may worry that others view them as foolish, boring, awkward, or incompetent. They may fear saying the wrong thing, looking visibly anxious, or being scrutinized.
As a result, they often avoid social interactions whenever possible. When faced with social situations they can’t avoid, they may experience physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, shaking, blushing, dizziness, or even full-blown panic attacks. Social anxiety can significantly interfere with everyday activities, including school, work, or maintaining relationships.
Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder
Panic attacks, also referred to as anxiety attacks, are sudden and intense episodes of fear or discomfort that can appear without warning. These episodes may include symptoms such as a rapid or pounding heartbeat, chest discomfort, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, choking sensations, nausea, dizziness, chills or hot flashes, tingling sensations, feelings of detachment or unreality, and fears of dying or losing control. People often confuse panic attacks with serious medical emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, or fainting spells, and due to the alarming physical symptoms, they may frequently seek emergency or medical care.
When someone becomes overly focused on the possibility of experiencing future panic attacks and begins to fear them, they may be diagnosed with panic disorder. Many individuals with panic disorder also begin avoiding public or unfamiliar places where they fear having an attack and not being able to get help, this pattern of avoidance is referred to as agoraphobia.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
While occasional worry is part of everyday life, generalized anxiety disorder involves chronic and excessive worry that spans across many areas of life and occurs on most days. Individuals with GAD find it difficult to control their worry, which may interfere with their ability to concentrate, sleep, or relax. Although they may realize their level of worry is disproportionate to the situation, it still feels uncontrollable. GAD is often accompanied by symptoms like restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, racing thoughts, nausea, headaches, or difficulty sleeping.
Health Anxiety
Health anxiety, is characterized by persistent worry about having or developing a serious medical illness. Individuals often misinterpret normal bodily sensations, such as a minor ache or change in skin appearance, as signs of a serious condition, like cancer or a neurological disorder. For example, a headache might be perceived as a brain tumor, or a minor bump might raise concerns about a severe disease.
This ongoing fear can lead to excessive medical appointments, frequent checking of one’s body for symptoms, online health research, and constant reassurance-seeking from doctors or loved ones. Ironically, the physical symptoms that come with anxiety, like rapid heartbeat, dizziness, or stomach issues, often reinforce their fears. While some may casually refer to themselves as “hypochondriacs,” that term is outdated and not preferred by mental health professionals.
Relationship Anxiety
It’s normal to experience some anxiety and uncertainty in relationships, especially during periods of stress or emotional vulnerability. However, relationship anxiety can become overwhelming when fears related to rejection, abandonment, trust, or emotional connection begin interfering with daily life and relationships.
Individuals with relationship anxiety may constantly overthink interactions, seek reassurance, fear being left, struggle with trust, or become highly distressed when communication feels uncertain or emotionally distant. Many people also experience anxious attachment patterns, including emotional dependence, people-pleasing, hypervigilance to a partner’s behavior, or difficulty tolerating uncertainty within relationships.
When relationship anxiety begins affecting emotional well-being, self-esteem, communication, or the ability to maintain healthy relationships, therapy can help individuals build greater confidence, emotional regulation, and healthier relationship patterns.
Specific Phobias
Fears of certain objects or situations; such as insects, dogs, flying, driving, needles, vomiting, storms, heights, elevators, or the dark, are fairly common. However, when the fear is intense, persistent, and disproportionate to the actual threat, it may be classified as a specific phobia.
People with specific phobias will often go out of their way to avoid encountering their feared object or situation, even if it interferes with daily life, work, or relationships. Some commonly used terms for specific phobias include emetophobia (fear of vomiting), claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces), and trypophobia (aversion to clusters of holes or patterns).
Performance Anxiety
Performance anxiety involves intense fear or stress related to being evaluated, judged, or expected to perform under pressure. Individuals may experience anxiety related to public speaking, academics, sports, interviews, workplace responsibilities, or other high-pressure situations.
Many people experience racing thoughts, shaking, nausea, panic symptoms, fear of making mistakes, perfectionism, overpreparing, avoidance, or excessive self-criticism. Over time, performance anxiety can interfere with confidence, achievement, and the ability to fully engage in meaningful goals and opportunities.
High Functioning Anxiety
High-functioning anxiety often involves chronic stress, overthinking, perfectionism, and internal pressure to constantly achieve, stay productive, or “keep it all together.” While individuals may appear successful and capable on the outside, they often experience persistent worry, racing thoughts, self-criticism, difficulty relaxing, and fear of failure behind the scenes.
Many people with high-functioning anxiety struggle with burnout, people-pleasing, overpreparing, difficulty slowing down, trouble sleeping, and feeling like their accomplishments are never enough. Over time, this constant pressure can interfere with emotional well-being, relationships, confidence, and the ability to feel present and fulfilled in daily life.
We are here to help you overcome anxiety.
Anxiety treatment in Indianapolis
What is Anxiety Therapy?
Anxiety therapy helps individuals better understand and manage the thoughts, emotions, physical symptoms, and behavioral patterns that keep anxiety going. Through evidence-based treatment, clients learn practical strategies to reduce overthinking, avoidance, panic, perfectionism, and fear-based behaviors while building greater confidence, emotional resilience, and tolerance for uncertainty.
At Sommer Psychology Group, we specialize in anxiety therapy for young adults and adults using evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT). Treatment is personalized to your unique symptoms, goals, and life experiences so you can feel more present, grounded, and in control of your life.
Meet Our Anxiety Therapists
Sommer Psychology Group is a specialty anxiety and OCD clinic for young adults and adults in Indianapolis. Our licensed therapists use evidence-based approaches including CBT, Exposure Therapy, I-CBT, and ACT to help clients reduce anxiety, break out of stuck patterns, and create lasting change. We offer in-person therapy in Indianapolis and secure online therapy across Indiana.
Strategies We Apply in Anxiety Therapy
At Sommer Psychology Group, we use evidence-based strategies to help you manage anxiety and achieve lasting change. We tailor our approach to your unique challenges, providing practical tools that empower you to feel more in control, confident, and at ease.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety
CBT is a well-established, evidence-based approach to managing anxiety. In our therapy sessions, we work together to identify negative thought patterns and replace them with healthier, more constructive ways of thinking. Through guided worksheets and one-on-one discussions, you’ll gain insights into how your thoughts influence your feelings and behaviors, helping you create lasting change. CBT empowers you with practical tools to manage anxiety and navigate stressful situations with confidence.
Exposure Therapy for Anxiety
Exposure therapy is a well-established, research-supported approach for treating anxiety. In our work together, we’ll identify the situations, thoughts, and uncertainties that tend to trigger your anxiety. Rather than avoiding them, you’ll gradually and intentionally face these experiences in a supportive, structured way.
As you build tolerance for discomfort, your anxiety will begin to feel less intense and less overwhelming. Over time, this process helps retrain your brain to handle uncertainty more effectively, so you can respond to anxiety with greater confidence and feel more in control of your daily life.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for Anxiety
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) is an evidence-based approach for treating OCD that focuses on understanding and changing the reasoning processes that drive obsessive doubt. In therapy, we work together to identify how the mind shifts away from reality and into imagined possibilities, fears, and “what if” scenarios that fuel obsessions and compulsive behaviors.
Through guided exercises and collaborative discussions, you’ll learn to recognize obsessional reasoning patterns, reconnect with reality-based thinking, and build greater trust in your own senses and experiences. I-CBT helps individuals respond differently to intrusive thoughts and uncertainty without relying on compulsions, reassurance-seeking, or avoidance.
Acceptance & Committment Therapy (ACT) for Anxiety
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based behavioral approach that targets psychological flexibility rather than symptom elimination. In treatment, we focus on helping you observe anxious thoughts and physiological sensations without overidentifying with them, reduce experiential avoidance, and engage in values-consistent behavior. Using mindfulness-based interventions and structured exercises, ACT supports more adaptive responding to internal distress, allowing you to function effectively and build a meaningful life even in the presence of anxiety.
ABOUT US
Why Work With Sommer Psychology Group
We understand that life can sometimes feel overwhelming, whether it’s managing anxiety, balancing responsibilities, or facing the fear of the unknown. As specialists who work with individuals who struggle with anxiety, OCD, and related disorders, we aim to help you find your way forward.
Our approach is solutions-focused and evidence-based, designed to meet your unique needs and help you achieve lasting change. Whether you’re dealing with stress, life transitions, or relationship challenges, we are dedicated to giving you the tools to overcome obstacles and thrive.
At Sommer Psychology Group, we believe in the power of quality care. That means giving you dedicated, thoughtful, and individualized support, with the flexibility of virtual sessions that fit into your life, wherever you are.
Our evidence-based therapy is grounded in three core principles:
Integrity
We believe integrity is the foundation of effective therapy. It fosters trust, respect, and accountability, ensuring our clients receive honest, consistent, and ethical guidance throughout their journey.
Compassion
Compassion is at the heart of our practice. It nurtures emotional healing, creating a safe space where clients can feel heard, valued, and understood while developing a culture of collaboration and respect.
Quality Care
We prioritize quality care to ensure the best outcomes for our clients. By addressing both clinical needs and emotional well-being, we build trust and deliver effective therapy that supports long-term growth and success.
Our Approach
How Our Anxiety Therapy Works
Our approach is designed to help you better understand the roots of your anxiety, set meaningful and achievable goals, and build practical skills to manage anxious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors for lasting relief.
We start with a comprehensive intake session to learn about your unique experience with anxiety, how it shows up in your life, what triggers it, and how it impacts your well-being. This creates a foundation of trust and helps us tailor treatment to your needs.
Through assessments and collaborative goal-setting, we work together to identify thought patterns, avoidance behaviors, and emotional responses that contribute to your anxiety. This helps clarify where to focus and what change looks like for you.
You’ll learn evidence-based strategies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure techniques, to manage anxious thoughts, reduce avoidance, and increase your confidence in handling life’s challenges. These tools support long-term growth and emotional resilience.
Anxiety Treatment in Indianapolis
Questions About Anxiety Therapy
Can anxiety disorders be treated or cured?
While anxiety disorders can’t be “cured,” they can absolutely be treated and effectively managed with evidence-based strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), medication (like SSRIs for generalized anxiety or benzodiazepines for panic attacks), or a combination of these approaches. Our therapists specialize in a range of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, as well as obsessive-compulsive and perfectionistic behaviors. With the unmatched convenience of online anxiety therapy, they’ll work collaboratively with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that meets your needs and supports lasting change.
How can I stop anxiety from interfering with my life?
What causes anxiety? Why am I so anxious?
Anxiety disorders are complex, and there isn’t a single cause. Some common factors include genetics, family history, chronic stress, trauma, major life transitions, perfectionism, low self-esteem, and imbalances in brain chemistry. Other triggers may include ADHD, OCD, and substance use. Identifying the root causes of your anxiety, whether it’s related to panic attacks, social anxiety, or something else, is an important step toward treatment.
Why can’t I just relax?
How long will it take to feel better?
While every client’s journey is unique, many people start to see improvements after just a few sessions. A typical treatment plan lasts about 12 weeks, but with specialized therapy for anxiety, delivered in a convenient online format, you may feel relief sooner. Our goal is to help you develop lasting skills to manage anxiety long-term.
Have More Questions?
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Anxiety therapy in indianapolis
Sommer Psychology Group
Freedom from anxiety is possible with the right support.
