--- title: Anxiety Therapy Austin, TX | Somatic & EMDR | Heiser Counseling description: Somatic therapist & EMDR-trained LPC specializing in anxiety and overthinking. In-person in Austin, TX. Telehealth across Texas & Washington State. Private pay. Book a free consult. url: https://heisercounseling.com/services/anxiety-overthinking canonical: https://heisercounseling.com/services/anxiety-overthinking author: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA credentials: Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) · Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington) · Registered Dance/Movement Therapist location: Austin, TX · Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) practice: Heiser Counseling — 800 S. FM 1626, Suite 102, Buda, TX 78610 contact: destany@heisercounseling.com | 512-937-3991 --- # Anxiety Therapy Austin, TX | Somatic & EMDR | Heiser Counseling > Anxiety isn't just in your head — it lives in your chest, your shoulders, your stomach. As a somatic therapist and EMDR-trained LPC in Austin, TX, Destany works with the whole of you, not just your thoughts. **Provider:** Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA — Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) · Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington) · Registered Dance/Movement Therapist **Location:** Austin, TX · Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) **Contact:** [destany@heisercounseling.com](mailto:destany@heisercounseling.com) | [512-937-3991](tel:5129373991) **Book:** [Request a free consult](https://heisercounseling.com/connect) --- ## Why Anxiety Won't Respond to Logic Alone You've tried the breathing exercises. You've read the books. You know, cognitively, that you're probably safe — and yet your nervous system keeps responding like you're not. That gap between what you know and what you feel is where anxiety lives. That's because anxiety is not primarily a thinking problem. It's a nervous system problem. When the body has spent enough time in a threat state, the amygdala begins firing before the prefrontal cortex can even assess the situation. You feel the dread, the tightness, the spiral — before your rational mind has had a chance to weigh in. This is why cognitive approaches alone often plateau. Talking about anxiety can help you understand it, but understanding rarely resolves the body's learned alarm response. Somatic therapy for anxiety works differently — instead of reframing thoughts, we work directly with the physiological patterns underneath them: the breath, the posture, the nervous system activation itself. Combined with EMDR therapy, which reprocesses the memories and experiences that fuel anxious patterns, this approach addresses anxiety at the level of memory, body, and nervous system simultaneously. As a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) and EMDR-trained Licensed Professional Counselor, Destany is the anxiety therapist Austin clients seek when talk therapy alone hasn't been enough. Whether you're in Austin, TX or connecting via telehealth from anywhere in Texas or Washington State, the work is the same: helping your nervous system learn that it's safe to settle. > "Anxiety isn't a character flaw — it's a nervous system that learned to stay alert. The goal is to teach it something new." — Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA --- ## Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety & Overthinking - Constant overthinking & mental loops - Racing thoughts that won't quiet at night - People-pleasing & difficulty saying no - Physical tension, tight chest, or headaches - Dread before social situations or commitments - Chronic sense of being behind or not enough - Scanning for what could go wrong - Difficulty being present — always in your head **Who this is for:** High-achieving women, chronic overthinkers, people-pleasers, and anyone managing anxiety in Austin, TX or via telehealth in Texas and Washington State — especially those who've tried talk therapy before and felt like something was missing. --- ## Therapeutic Approaches for Anxiety & Overthinking ### Somatic Therapy for Anxiety Somatic therapy works directly with the body's anxiety response — breath, posture, sensation, and nervous system activation — rather than just the thoughts that accompany it. As a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist, Destany uses body-based techniques that reach the parts of anxiety that talking can't. ### EMDR for Anxiety Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess the memories and experiences that fuel current anxiety. When anxious patterns are rooted in past experience, EMDR reduces their charge so they stop driving present-day reactions. ### Dance / Movement Therapy Using principles from Bartenieff Fundamentals and Marian Chace mirroring, movement therapy releases tension stored in the body that talk therapy alone cannot reach. It's particularly effective for anxiety that shows up physically — tight muscles, shallow breathing, an inability to feel settled. --- ## What to Expect from Anxiety & Overthinking Therapy **01 — Free 20-Min Consult** A brief call to talk about what's happening and whether working together feels like the right fit. No pressure, no commitment. **02 — Assessment & First Session** We slow down and get curious — mapping how anxiety shows up in your specific body, your history, and your daily life. This shapes the direction of our work. **03 — Ongoing Somatic & EMDR Work** Weekly or biweekly 50-minute sessions via telehealth. We work at a pace that feels tolerable. Most clients notice real shifts within 6–8 weeks. **04 — Integration & Tools** You'll leave sessions with things you can actually use — nervous system regulation tools, not just insights that stay in the therapy room. --- ## Session Details - **Session length:** 50 minutes - **Format:** Telehealth (video) - **Location:** Austin, TX · Texas (telehealth) · Washington State (telehealth) - **Fee:** Private pay — superbill provided for out-of-network reimbursement - **Insurance:** Sendero Health (TX) · Cash Pay - **Frequency:** Weekly or biweekly - **Accepting:** New clients — limited availability --- ## Common Questions About Anxiety & Overthinking Therapy ### What type of therapist is best for anxiety? The most effective anxiety therapist depends on where your anxiety lives. If anxiety shows up mostly as thoughts and worry, a CBT-trained therapist may help. But if anxiety lives in your body — tight chest, shallow breath, physical restlessness, an inability to settle — a somatic therapist is often more effective. Destany is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) trained in both somatic therapy and EMDR, making her especially effective for anxiety that hasn't fully responded to talk therapy alone. ### What therapy is most effective for anxiety? Research supports several approaches for anxiety. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is highly effective when anxiety is rooted in past experiences or trauma. Somatic therapy is particularly effective for anxiety that has a strong physical component — nervous system dysregulation, chronic tension, or hypervigilance. Destany integrates both EMDR and somatic therapy, which addresses anxiety at the level of memory, thought, and body simultaneously. ### What are the warning signs of anxiety? Common signs of anxiety include: persistent overthinking or mental loops; physical symptoms like tight chest, shallow breathing, or stomach upset; difficulty sleeping due to racing thoughts; people-pleasing or difficulty setting limits; a chronic sense of dread, being behind, or waiting for something to go wrong; and trouble staying present — always anticipating the next problem. If these feel familiar, anxiety therapy may help. ### Do you offer anxiety therapy in Austin, TX and Washington State? Sessions are available via telehealth across Texas and Washington State — that's how most clients work with Destany. Limited in-person appointments are also available in Austin, TX for those who prefer to meet face to face. She holds an LPC license in Texas and an LMHC license in Washington. If you're unsure which format suits you, the free consult is a good place to figure that out. ### How is somatic therapy for anxiety different from CBT? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) works primarily with anxious thoughts — identifying distortions and replacing them with more accurate ones. Somatic therapy works with the body's anxiety response directly: nervous system activation, breath patterns, physical tension, and postural habits. Many people find that CBT helps them understand their anxiety intellectually but doesn't change how it feels in the body. Somatic therapy addresses that gap. ### How long does anxiety therapy take? Most clients notice meaningful shifts within 6–8 sessions. For anxiety with deeper roots in past experience or chronic nervous system dysregulation, lasting change typically takes 3–6 months of consistent work. Destany works at a pace that fits your life, not a predetermined timeline. --- ## About the Therapist **Destany Schadder, LPC, R-DMT, MA** is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington State), and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She specializes in trauma, anxiety, somatic therapy, and EMDR, bringing a body-first approach to mental health treatment. Heiser Counseling is based in Austin, TX and offers telehealth services across Texas and Washington State. - [Learn more about Destany](https://heisercounseling.com/about) - [View all services](https://heisercounseling.com/services) - [Request an appointment](https://heisercounseling.com/connect)