Moving from overwhelm toward balance and clarity


Understanding Anxiety & Mood Disorders

Anxiety and mood disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one third of U.S. adolescents and adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. These conditions go far beyond everyday worry or sadness — they can interfere with work performance, relationships, and the ability to engage in daily routines.

Anxiety disorders encompass a range of presentations, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and specific phobias. Mood disturbances such as major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder involve sustained changes in emotional state that significantly affect quality of life and functioning. These conditions frequently co-occur; research demonstrates substantial overlap in the psychological and biological processes underlying anxiety and depression.

Signs You May Benefit From Treatment

  • Persistent worry that feels disproportionate or difficult to control

  • Avoidance of situations, places, or activities due to fear or discomfort

  • Prolonged sadness, hopelessness, or loss of interest in things you once enjoyed

  • Difficulty concentrating, sleeping, or completing daily tasks

  • Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, or stomach distress

  • Irritability, restlessness, or a feeling of being on edge

My Treatment Approach

Treatment at Clark Psychology PLLC is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-line, empirically supported intervention for both anxiety and mood disorders. CBT helps individuals recognize inaccurate or unhelpful patterns of thinking, understand how those patterns influence emotions and behavior, and develop new strategies for responding to difficult situations. The NIMH identifies CBT as a research-supported psychotherapy commonly used to treat anxiety and depressive disorders.

Depending on the individual's presentation, treatment may also incorporate elements of other modalities such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which encourages mindful acceptance of difficult thoughts and promotes engagement in meaningful activities. Exposure-based techniques may also be used to help individuals gradually and safely confront situations they have been avoiding. Our goal is to provide a personalized treatment plan that addresses each person's unique pattern of symptoms and life circumstances.

Did you know?

Research shows that CBT is both efficacious and effective across multiple anxiety disorders, and that collaborative treatment models involving CBT produce significantly greater symptom improvement compared to usual care alone.