Foundations for Managing Anxiety
A Six-Week Group Therapy Program
January 9th - February 13th, 2025
Do you experience anxiety?
This Six-Week Group Therapy program is designed to help you understand anxiety, build practical coping strategies, and develop skills in mindfulness and self-compassion.
Each session will include psychoeducation, experiential exercises, group discussion, and take-home practices.
So, is this for you?
You’re definitely in the right place if you are…
Constantly overthinking and have a racing mind that makes it hard to focus or relax.
Feeling physically drained from the tension and worry that anxiety brings.
Struggling with social situations or relationships due to fear of judgment or rejection.
Experiencing overwhelming stress from trying to manage daily responsibilities or life transitions.
Feeling isolated and misunderstood because it seems like no one else truly gets what you’re going through.
Introducing…
Foundations for Managing Anxiety
A Six-Week Group Therapy Program
What’s Included
6 Group Therapy Sessions
Thursdays at 6:30pm
January 9th - February 13th, 2025
In-person at the Essere office
10474 Armstrong Street
Fairfax VA
Actionable Resources
Prompts, meditations, visualizations
$75 a session / $450 total
The Weekly Breakdown*
6, 1 hour sessions, Thursdays at 6:30pm
January 9th - February 13th, 2025
In-person in Fairfax, VA
Week 1: Understanding Anxiety
Objective: Lay the groundwork for understanding anxiety and its impact on the mind and body.
Psychoeducation:
What is anxiety? (Fight/flight/freeze response, nervous system basics)
Difference between healthy vs. problematic anxiety
The cognitive-behavioral model of anxiety (thoughts, feelings, behaviors)
Experiential Exercise:
Body scan meditation to notice where anxiety shows up in the body.
Group Discussion:
Share personal experiences with anxiety.
Normalize anxiety as a human experience.
Take-Home Practice:
Anxiety log to track triggers, thoughts, and physical sensations during the week.
Week 2: The Role of Thoughts in Anxiety
Objective: Introduce cognitive distortions and their role in anxiety.
Psychoeducation:
Common cognitive distortions (catastrophizing, black-and-white thinking)
How thoughts influence feelings and behaviors
Experiential Exercise:
Thought-challenging worksheet: identifying and reframing unhelpful thoughts.
Group Discussion:
How have your thoughts contributed to anxious moments?
Share experiences with thought-challenging.
Take-Home Practice:
Daily practice of catching and reframing one anxious thought.
Week 3: Mindfulness and Anxiety
Objective: Teach mindfulness as a tool to reduce anxiety and increase present-moment awareness.
Psychoeducation:
What is mindfulness? (Being present without judgment)
How mindfulness disrupts the anxiety cycle
Experiential Exercise:
Mindful breathing and 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique
Group Discussion:
How did it feel to engage in mindfulness exercises?
Barriers to mindfulness (e.g., discomfort with slowing down)
Take-Home Practice:
Practice mindful breathing for 5 minutes daily and note its impact.
Week 4: Self-Compassion in Anxiety Management
Objective: Cultivate self-compassion to soften the inner critic and reduce anxiety.
Psychoeducation:
Understanding the inner critic and its impact on anxiety
What is self-compassion? (3 components: self-kindness, common humanity, mindfulness)
Experiential Exercise:
Self-compassion break: "This is a moment of suffering," followed by self-kindness phrases.
Group Discussion:
How does self-compassion feel? Is it difficult or freeing?
Share self-compassion practices that resonate.
Take-Home Practice:
Use a self-compassion break when noticing self-critical thoughts during the week.
Week 5: Building Resilience through Action
Objective: Explore how behavioral strategies like exposure and values-based actions can reduce anxiety.
Psychoeducation:
The role of avoidance in maintaining anxiety
Gradual exposure and values-based action to build confidence and resilience
Experiential Exercise:
Create an exposure hierarchy or an action plan tied to personal values.
Group Discussion:
Share a small, anxiety-provoking step participants can take during the week.
Take-Home Practice:
Complete one step from the exposure hierarchy or take a values-based action and reflect.
Week 6: Integration and Moving Forward
Objective: Consolidate skills and create a personalized anxiety management plan.
Psychoeducation:
Recap key tools and strategies from the course
How to sustain progress and troubleshoot setbacks
Experiential Exercise:
Visualization of a future self effectively managing anxiety.
Group Discussion:
Reflect on growth and insights gained over the 6 weeks.
Share personal action plans for maintaining anxiety management skills.
Take-Home Practice:
Develop a “coping toolkit” with favorite exercises from the course for ongoing use.
Additional Notes:
Weekly Handouts: Summarizing key points and exercises for easy reference.
Group Cohesion Activities: Icebreakers or check-ins to build trust and connection.
Optional Midweek Check-In: A short guided meditation or Q&A via email/video to support ongoing practice.
*Format is subject to change and shift depending on the groups needs for that particular week
Have we met yet?
Hi, I’m Maddie, a person-centered therapist, and fellow human.
I have found therapy to be most effective when founded in connection, motivation, and a touch of humor.
Collaboration is key—together, we can navigate your unique needs. I believe in the power of authenticity and use a direct, humanistic, solution-focused approach.
I blend practices like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. I also draw from psychodynamic insight and trauma awareness. In the office, I encourage body movement, mindfulness, and sometimes art to support your emotional body journey.I am a HAES, trauma-informed, body liberation provider.
The reviews are in…
TESTIMONIALS
“This work has helped me unpack my beliefs and reconstruct my own new values about my body. There was a lot of unlearning that had to occur before rebuilding and the course guides you beautifully and compassionately through the process.”
“Taking this course felt like opening the door of curiosity and being received with both validation and strategies to process and navigate this new way of thinking.”
PS -
ALL BODIES WELCOME
ALL AGES WELCOME
ALL GENDERS WELCOME
“I learned that I’m a big girl in a small world… and that’s more than okay”
“Maddie is a gentle and qualified guide”
“A refreshing, insightful and intuitive program that is helping me to understand more about myself and my body.”
“Working with Maddie is a game-changer.”
Imagine feeling less anxiety in your body.
After this 6-week program you will…
Waking up each morning feeling calm and confident about the day ahead.
Navigating social situations with ease, free from fear or overthinking.
Responding to challenges with clarity and resilience, instead of feeling overwhelmed.
Enjoying restful sleep, knowing your mind is at peace.
Speaking up in conversations without second-guessing yourself or worrying about judgment.
Feeling fully present with loved ones, truly savoring the moment.
Experiencing life transitions with a sense of trust and balance instead of fear.
“Maddie is so honest and vulnerable and it made me feel more comfortable.”
— Past Student
Foundations for Managing Anxiety
A 6-Week Group Therapy Program
January 9th - February 13th, 2025
Thursday evenings at 6:30pm at 10474 Armstrong Street Fairfax, VA