Everyone feels anxious sometimes. Worry before a big day, nerves in a hard moment- that’s a normal part of being human. Anxiety becomes something more when it doesn’t ease up, shows up across many parts of your life, and starts to get in the way of how you want to live. When that happens, it may be an anxiety disorder, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
You’re also far from alone. Anxiety is the most common mental health concern in the country, affecting nearly one in five adults in any given year. It’s real, it’s common, and it responds well to support. Most people who work on it with a therapist, sometimes alongside a doctor, find real relief. Everyone feels down sometimes. A rough patch, a low week, sadness after a loss. That’s just part of being human.
If you would like therapy support, we are here to help. We’re right on the Lansing and East Lansing line, just minutes from MSU, and we see clients virtually across Michigan.
Common symptoms
Anxiety can look a bit different for everyone, but some of this may sound familiar:
- Lying awake with your mind racing through everything that could go wrong
- Feeling on edge, restless, or keyed up more often than not
- Trouble concentrating, or your mind going blank
- Tension in your body, headaches, a tight chest, or a churning stomach
- Getting tired easily, or trouble sleeping
- Avoiding people, places, or tasks because the worry feels like too much
If several of these sound like you, therapy can help you understand what’s going on and work towards recovery.
Causes
Anxiety doesn’t have a single cause. For some people, it’s tied to brain chemistry, genetics, or a medical condition. For some, it builds up during a stressful season or after a hard experience. Sometimes it shows up with no clear reason at all. All of it is worth taking seriously.
For a lot of the people we work with, there’s another layer to consider: the weight of moving through a world that does not prioritize our wellness.
For LGBTQIA2S+ folks, research consistently points to minority stress: the ongoing strain of discrimination, rejection, and having to hide parts of yourself to stay safe. Over time, that grind can wear hope down into hopelessness. For Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, the cumulative toll of racism and everyday microaggressions does the same, and it has a name: race-based traumatic stress. And for a lot of neurodivergent people, years of being told you’re “too much” or “not enough,” and masking to get by, can quietly erode your sense of worth.
And for many of us, we have more than one identity that carries minority stress. You might be Black and queer, trans and neurodivergent, an immigrant and disabled, for example. Marginalized identities often intersect, and the stress of navigating them together is an experience in itself.
Treatment
There’s no single right way to navigate these challenges, and no script we run everyone through. We start where you are and go at your pace. Our therapists bring anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive training, and we work with you to find approaches that fit your life and your goals.
Some of the treatment approaches our therapists use include
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Informed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Informed Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Eclectic- Pulling from several approaches
Ready to Start?
We made the process as simple as possible, while still keeping your real needs and preferences in mind.
Start therapy in just 3 easy steps!
- Click Request Appointment and complete the form.
- We will email you with your scheduled appointment details and other info the same day or the next day.
- Complete intake forms and attend your appointment!
*If you prefer to get started via phone, call us at 517-798-6745 and let us know you want to skip the form.
Insurance and fees
We work hard to make therapy as accessible as possible. We accept several insurance plans, including several Medicaid plans, and offer a grant to cover therapy as well.
Meet your future therapist
Research shows the single biggest predictor of whether therapy helps is the therapeutic relationship between the two of you. When you trust your therapist, feel safe with them, and agree on what you’re working toward together, therapy works better. Feeling heard, safe, and understood, including in your identity and culture, is what makes the hard work of therapy possible. We do our best to find you a great match, and your input matters.
Our team brings different specialties, styles, and lived experiences. Browse our team and use the filters to find your match.
Where we offer therapy
We offer in-person therapy in Lansing, MI, at our office inside Wild Ferns Wellness Center. Our office is located on the Lansing/East Lansing line and just minutes from MSU. There is a CATA bus stop a half block away from us. Our office is wheelchair accessible, and there is an elevator.
Prefer to meet from home? We offer online therapy across Michigan, so you can work with an identity-affirming therapist wherever you are in the state.
Crisis lines
If you’re in crisis or need support right now, you don’t have to wait for an appointment.
- Blackline 1-800-604-5841
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Trans Lifeline 1-877-565-8860
- Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 or text Start to 678-678
- Click here for crisis lines and warm lines whose protocols include not involving police
A note about calling 911
If you or someone else is in immediate danger and you need to call 911, please know that police are not trained to provide mental health care. For Black and Brown people, trans people, disabled people, and people in psychiatric crisis, a police response can make things more dangerous. If you can, ask a friend, neighbor, or family member to be there with you when they arrive.
Sources
The facts on this page come from the organizations and research below. This page is for information only, and it isn’t a substitute for care from a licensed professional.
- Anxiety Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Anxiety Disorders, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- Anxiety Disorders, Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA)
- Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Meyer, I. H. (2003). Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697.