Generalized Anxiety Therapy
Serving San Jose, Sacramento & all of California
Generalized Anxiety Therapy
Generalized Anxiety Therapy to
Overcome “What If” Thinking
Generalized anxiety therapy can help you if you deal with “what if” thinking and catastrophizing across many situations with family members, friends, work and many other situations. Therapy for generalized and can help with some of the following problems:
- Worrying about everyday things far more than other people seem to
- Finding yourself stuck in “what if” thinking and being unable to turn the worry off
- Feeling tense, restless, or on edge a lot of the time
- Struggling to relax, sleep, or focus because your mind is always racing
- Thinking about the worst possible things that can happen.
The good news anxiety therapy can help you step out of the “what if” cycle and build more calm and confidence in your daily life.
Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, is an Anxiety Therapist and sees many people with generalized anxiety. I can help you step out of the generalized anxiety cycle and learn skills to handle worry, fear or stress. I have unique skills using CBT and Schema Therapy and clients across California seek me out for help with generalized anxiety in San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Could I Have Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
If you’re wondering whether you might be dealing with generalized anxiety, ask yourself:
- Do I worry about everyday things far more than other people seem to?
- Do I find myself stuck in “what if” thinking that I can’t turn off?
- Do my worries leave me feeling tense, restless, or on edge most of the time?
- Do I struggle to relax, sleep, or focus because my mind is always racing?
If you answered “yes” to several of these, you may be experiencing generalized anxiety. The good news is therapy can help you step out of the “what if” cycle and build more calm and confidence in your daily life.
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is sometimes called the “what if” disease because it fills your mind with constant questions about what could go wrong. It’s more than everyday stress—it’s when worry feels excessive, uncontrollable, and ever-present. Your mind may spin with “what if” thoughts about health, money, work, or family, and instead of easing up, the worry just keeps going. This ongoing tension often leaves you restless, drained, and unable to fully relax.
With generalized anxiety, worries can focus on unlikely events—like natural disasters—or on more realistic concerns, like finances or relationships. The cycle keeps going because the mind resists uncertainty. Many people even believe that worrying is protective, as if it could prevent bad outcomes or keep loved ones safe. Over time, this constant “what if” thinking makes it harder to focus, enjoy the present, or feel at ease in daily life.
Common Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety
Generalized anxiety can show up in many way—in your body, your habits, and your thoughts. It doesn’t just affect how you feel inside; it often changes what you do day-to-day and how you see the world around you.
Physical
Common symptoms in your body
Physical
Falling into unhelpful habits
Cognitive
Your mind jumps to many “what if” scenarios
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety
CBT helps you manage worry by teaching you to recognize and change the thought and behavior patterns that fuel generalized anxiety. With practice, these tools lower your baseline anxiety and give you more control over your reactions. Core components include:
- Recognizing worry triggers and noticing when “what-if” thinking takes over
- Relaxation skills like deep breathing or muscle relaxation to calm your body
- Challenging beliefs about worry (e.g., “worrying keeps me safe”)
- Reducing safety behaviors such as constant reassurance-seeking, over-preparing, or avoiding situations that feel risky
- Gradual exposure to feared situations instead of avoiding them
Schema Therapy for Generalized Anxiety
Schema Therapy goes deeper by identifying the “life traps” that make worry feel so persistent. For generalized anxiety, common schemas include:
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Vulnerability to harm – the sense that something bad could happen at any moment
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Pessimism/negativity – expecting worst-case scenarios
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Unrelenting standards – feeling constant pressure to perform or avoid mistakes
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Dependence/incompetence – doubting your ability to handle challenges on your own
Schema Therapy helps you see where these beliefs come from, soften their grip, and develop healthier ways to cope. This means worry no longer runs the show—you do.
Why Work with Me?
My therapy approach can help you gain freedom from constant worry. I’m a certified Cognitive Behavior Therapist through the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and completed intensive post-graduate CBT training at the Beck Institute. This training ensures I can provide CBT in the way it has been scientifically proven to work for generalized anxiety. I’m also an advanced certified Schema Therapist, one of the few in the U.S. with this credential. Schema Therapy is especially helpful for the deeper patterns—like feeling unsafe, expecting the worst, or putting extreme pressure on yourself—that often fuel GAD.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have generalized anxiety versus just normal stress?
Everyone worries sometimes, but with generalized anxiety the worry feels constant, excessive, and hard to control. Instead of coming and going with a situation, it lingers and spreads to many areas of life—work, health, family, money—even when nothing is actually wrong.
Why can’t I just stop worrying if I know my fears are unlikely?
With generalized anxiety, your brain gets stuck in “what if” mode. Even if you logically know the chances are slim, the worry feels real and urgent. This happens because generalized anxiety is more about how your brain responds to uncertainty than about the actual topic of worry.
What are safety behaviors, and how do they relate to generalized anxiety?
Safety behaviors are things you do to temporarily feel less anxious, like constant reassurance-seeking, over-preparing, avoiding situations, or doing excessive research. While they reduce anxiety in the moment, they keep the cycle of worry alive long-term.
Is generalized anxiety treatable?
Yes—generalized anxiety is very treatable. Evidence-based therapies like CBT and Schema Therapy can help you challenge unhelpful thoughts, reduce safety behaviors, and address deeper patterns that fuel worry. Many people experience lasting relief and learn to live with more calm and confidence.
Take the First Step to Get Help with Generalized Anxiety
I specialize in providing generalized anxiety therapy using CBT and schema therapy. I can work with you wherever you are in California, including San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and other communities. Video therapy allows you to access hard-to-find evidence-based therapies like CBT and schema therapy wherever you are in California. Reach out to me for more information or to schedule an appointment. Let me help you overcome the worry loop that generalized anxiety keeps you trapped in.