therapy for anxiety & depression in Portland, ME
nervous system–Informed support for overwhelm, rumination & shutdown
Seeking therapy for anxiety or depression?
You may be feeling…
Restless, on edge, and unable to slow your thoughts.
Or exhausted, heavy, and disconnected from yourself.
Maybe both.
You might find yourself:
Replaying conversations long after they end
Bracing for worst-case scenarios
Struggling to fall or stay asleep
Feeling numb or emotionally flat
Cancelling plans because everything feels like too much
Snapping at people you care about and then feeling ashamed
Moving between urgency and depletion
Wondering why you can’t “just handle it better”
Anxiety and depression often overlap. They can cycle. They can mask each other. And neither is a personal failure.
"All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you." Octavia E Butler
"All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you." Octavia E Butler
therapy for anxiety
when your nervous system is in overdrive…
when your nervous system shifts into shutdown…
Anxiety often reflects a system that has learned to stay vigilant.
You may notice:
Racing thoughts
Tightness in your chest or jaw
Difficulty relaxing
Perfectionism or over-preparing
People-pleasing to prevent conflict
Panic or intrusive thoughts
Your body is trying to keep you safe — even when the threat is no longer present.
therapy for depression
Depression can reflect the opposite pattern — a system that has been overwhelmed for too long and begins to conserve energy.
You may notice:
Fatigue that rest doesn’t fix
Brain fog
Loss of motivation
Emotional numbness
Hopelessness or self-criticism
Pulling away from others
This isn’t laziness. It’s a protective response.
why put anxiety & depression together?
Think of your nervous system as having a range it works best within. Too much activation for too long, and it stays stuck in high alert — that's often anxiety. Too much overwhelm, and it starts to shut down to protect you — that's often depression. Many people experience both, sometimes on the same day. They're not two different problems. They're two different directions the same overwhelmed system can go.
A different way to understand anxiety & depression
Over time, many clients notice:
More space between trigger and response
Reduced intensity of anxiety spirals
Less emotional shutdown
Improved sleep
Stronger boundaries
More self-compassion
Increased clarity and energy
A greater sense of internal stability
Change doesn’t happen overnight. But it can happen steadily.
Therapy with bekah isn’t your average therapist. Rather than seeing anxiety and depression as flaws to eliminate, I understand them as patterns of nervous system adaptation.
Chronic stress, relational strain, trauma history, hormonal shifts, perfectionism, and over-responsibility can all shape how your system responds.
Therapy isn’t about forcing positivity or thinking differently on command. It’s also not about achieving a constantly chill mood.
It’s about increasing your capacity to:
Regulate activation
Tolerate difficult emotions
Interrupt rumination cycles
Expand flexibility between effort and rest
Build internal steadiness
When the nervous system becomes more flexible, symptoms often soften. Change is less about willpower or the right mindset. It's about slow, subtle, steady shifts that compound over time to create transformation.
What begins to shift
therapy with bekah might be for you if:
You oscillate between stress and numbing
You feel hopeless, down, or despairing
You feel tight, restless, or unable to stop
You’ve tried talk therapy and still feel stuck
You’re open to working with your nervous system
You want sustainable change
FAQs
Can you have both anxiety and depression?
Yes. Many people experience both at different times — or simultaneously. Therapy addresses the underlying patterns contributing to each.
Do you work with men or only women?
I work with adults of all genders. My practice does have a particular focus on women's experiences, but I welcome anyone who feels this approach is a good fit.
Do you prescribe medication?
No. I do not prescribe medication, but I respect its role and can collaborate with prescribing providers when appropriate.
Is this different from traditional talk therapy?
Yes. While insight is valuable, this work also focuses on nervous system regulation, physiological patterns, and embodied awareness.
How long does therapy take?
It varies. Many people begin noticing shifts in regulation and clarity within the first few months. Sustainable change unfolds over time.
What are the details?
50-minute individual sessions
$175/session
Virtual therapy available throughout Maine
Free 15-minute consultation call
Do you take insurance?
I don't currently accept insurance. Many clients use out-of-network benefits, which may reimburse a portion of session fees — I can provide a superbill to support that process. I also offer a number of sliding scale spots; reach out to ask about availability.
Do you offer virtual sessions?
Yes. I offer in-person therapy in Portland, ME and virtual sessions throughout Maine.
You don’t have to outthink patterns your nervous system learned through experience.
Anxiety and depression therapy in Portland, ME can offer a steady, structured path toward greater flexibility, resilience, and self-trust.
