Lorain Moorehead

Therapy and Consultation

Anxiety Treatment in Scottsdale, AZ

1:1 services

Offering individual therapy: Routine 55 minute sessions, or 90 minute or 180 minute intensives. 

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What is anxiety?

For many individuals, anxiety is a spectrum and they may even consider mild anxiety a normal part of life. You may notice that it spikes before a presentation, a date or an interview, or maybe even before traveling on a new route. That being said, there is a point when anxiety can become so debilitating that it interferes with your daily life and may even feel constant. In essence, anxiety can be summarized as a fear of something in our future (whether the future in question is in 5 minutes or 20 years). Sometimes there is a clear link to the cause, and sometimes it can seem to spike with no direct link or warning. The anxiety does not go away for a person with an anxiety disorder. Know that there is support available if this resonates.
Lorain Moorehead offers residents of Scottsdale, AZ (and all surrounding areas of Arizona) expert anxiety treatment backed by the highest levels of EMDR therapy credentials, DBT certification track, specialized parts work, and a trauma-informed approach.



How does Anxiety feel?

Anxiety, or the feeling of excessive worry and fear, is an uncomfortable response for a reason. If you're in a situation that's unpredictable, stressful, or potentially unsafe, the brain and body will send the anxiety alarm. Anxiety is a natural response and it typically consists of worry, unease, feelings of restlessness, nausea, shallow breathing, tunnel vision, a rise in body temperature, tingling sensations all over your body, or panic.

What are Anxiety Treatment Options?

Among the variety of treatment options that can be used for anxiety, EMDR, parts work and DBT are three that can be used in the treatment of anxiety, and you may experience all three. While DBT can provide skills for you to implement as you see your symptoms come on, EMDR can help the brain to rely on more adaptive beliefs by activating its natural healing processes. 

  • EMDR
Anxiety is our body’s way of alerting us of danger, and with that we can begin to determine what the danger is. Together we are able to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out the source– it can be a past event, current or future anxiety. This allows people to process their anxiety past a raw, vivid state and into a state where they can remember triggers or frightening memories without being affected or reacting to them out of fear.
  • Parts Work
Ego states therapy teaches that we all have different parts and states to our personality and anxiety can take hold when we are feeling vulnerable or past trauma responses are taking hold. Ego states allows us to recognize these parts, understand them with compassion and facilitate understanding between them.
  • DBT
Anxiety is treated by learning powerful tools that allow you to manage intense emotion while balancing acceptance and change.

What are the types of anxiety?

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  • Generalized Anxiety
Ongoing excessive worry about a variety of topics whether or not there is a reason for concern. 
The DSM-5 criteria defines GAD as:
  • Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance)
  • The individual finds it difficult to control the worry
  • The anxiety and worry are associated with three (more more) of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms having been present for more days than not for the past 6 months)
  • Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
  • Being easily fatigued
  • Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank.
  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep
  • Panic Disorder
           Sudden episodes of fear or panic that can cause physical symptoms such as irregular heart patterns,        swearing, 
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
            Intense persistent fear of social situations including being judged or embarrassed.
  • Specific Phobias
            Fear of something specific, often this may include heights, driving, flying or another specific.

Lorain Moorehead possesses advanced clinical training in multiple evidence-based anxiety treatment approaches including EMDR, DBT, and Parts Work. My clients often report marked success with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Parts Work (Ego States and IFS.) These treatments are brief, highly effective, and aim to reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of anxiety symptoms.



  • feelings of dread
  • restlessness
  • stomach pain
  • headaches
  • high blood pressure
  • an inability to focus or feel comfortable in new situations.
  • Insomnia

You might be finding that work, school, relationships, home life, and hobbies are incredibly hard to manage with anxiety. Tolerating or avoiding major aspects of your life might be leading to an unhealthy self-image, an inability to tolerate new information, and a breakdown in our ability to communicate.
The over-triggering of the anxiety response is thought to be caused by an increase in sensitivity in the amygdala and hippocampus, which are two parts of the brain that are responsible for storing memories, emotions, and deploying the fight/flight/freeze response. This high sensitivity makes it hard for the brain to distinguish between threatening versus neutral situations. This loop takes a heavy toll on the body and the mind, with avoidance and other self-soothing coping techniques being used frequently. Often you will find that these coping strategies may not be helpful and in fact can be resulting in greater challenges in the long term, and can often include: numbing, avoidance, doom scrolling, self-soothing with food or substances, gambling or shopping.   



What are the symptoms of anxiety?

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Lorain Moorehead in Scottsdale, AZ, has advanced clinical training in multiple evidence-based anxiety treatment approaches.
We offer virtual appointments to individuals all over Arizona, and in person sessions in Scottsdale, AZ. For any questions, to discover if we are a good fit or to provide information about what you’re looking for, please schedule your FREE 15 minute consultation. 

Lorain Moorehead: Your Anxiety Counselor in Scottsdale, AZ