Therapy for Overthinking
Online in Westminster, CO and Throughout Colorado and Georgia
Overcoming Overthinking and Those Dreaded Anxious Spirals
Do you think you have a bit of an overthinking habit? Maybe your brain loves a good "What if…" scenario, or perhaps you’re on a first-name basis with the late-night rabbit hole of ruminating thoughts. Or maybe, despite telling yourself to "just stop thinking about it," your mind loops right back to the same worries. You’re not alone, and the good news is this is exactly what I help people work through every day.
Therapy for overthinking with me is not one-size-fits-all, but an exploration and process tailored to you using a blend of some powerful techniques: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal FamilySystems (IFS), and Somatic Therapy.
Therapy for overthinking isn’t about flipping a switch and becoming magically calm or worry-free. It’s about building a skillset that works specifically for you.
With these four approaches, you’ll gain practical skills to work with your thoughts, build self-compassion, and become better at recognizing when overthinking is pulling you away from the life you want to lead. Over time, you’ll learn to embrace those moments of overthinking, understand them, and make choices that feel right for you- even when those old thought patterns try to pull you in another direction.
Therapy can be a serious undertaking, but it doesn’t have to feel heavy. We’ll take it at your pace, we’ll laugh at the absurdity of some of those overthinking moments, and most importantly, we’ll work toward creating a life where you’re in the driver’s seat- not your worries. So if you’re ready to do some deep, meaningful work and maybe even have a little fun along the way, let’s get started.
Here’s What Therapy for Overthinking with Me Looks Like:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Let’s start with CBT, which is all about uncovering the patterns of thinking that might be holding you back. With CBT, we’ll look at the link between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Ever notice how one negative thought can spiral into a whole narrative that may or may not be based in reality? In therapy, we’ll explore those thoughts, challenge them, and look for ways to reframe the stories that your mind might be creating. This isn’t about positive thinking or forcing you to think happy thoughts. It’s more about seeing things clearly, letting go of distorted thinking, and learning to approach situations with more balanced perspectives. CBT can be a fantastic starting point for people who want to start having more control over their thought processes.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that helps us understand the different “parts” of ourselves. You might have a part that worries excessively, a part that’s a perfectionist, and maybe a part that just wants to keep you safe. These parts can sometimes feel like they’re all speaking at once- especially when you’re overthinking. In IFS, we’ll get curious about these parts instead of fighting with them or trying to shut them up.
IFS is about building a compassionate relationship with these parts, almost like getting to know an inner cast of characters. Maybe your “worrying part” is trying to protect you from failure, or your “overly critical part” is pushing you to do well. Through this process, we’ll work together to bring more balance and harmony to your inner world, allowing your calm, confident self to take the lead.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT is a bit like the gentle, philosophical sibling of CBT. In ACT, the goal isn’t so much to change or fix every thought as it is to change your relationship with them. So instead of thinking, "I need to stop feeling anxious," ACT would encourage us to think, "How can I move forward with this anxiety tagging along?" This approach is about learning to sit with uncomfortable emotions without letting them steer the ship.
Imagine you’re in a boat and your overthinking is the choppy water around you. ACT won’t try to calm the ocean (good luck with that), but it will help you find your sea legs so you can navigate those waves with more ease and flexibility. We’ll explore ways to take actions that align with your values- things that are important to you-even if the overthinking or anxiety is still there. This can be incredibly freeing, allowing you to live a fuller life without needing to have perfect control over every thought or feeling.
Somatic Therapy
Finally, there’s Somatic Therapy, which is all about tuning into the body’s wisdom. Sometimes overthinking isn’t just in the head—it’s also felt in the body. You might feel a tightness in your chest, a churning in your stomach, or even tension in your jaw. Somatic therapy involves grounding techniques that help us bring awareness to these physical sensations and, ultimately, help release some of that tension.
By noticing and addressing how overthinking shows up physically, you can start to recognize when your body is signaling to you that you’re spiraling. Somatic work can feel incredibly grounding, giving you a sense of calm that goes deeper than just trying to talk yourself out of anxiety.
Overthinking can feel like being trapped in an endless loop of "what ifs" and "should haves," leaving you drained and unsure of your next step. It’s exhausting, but you don’t have to stay stuck. Together, we can untangle the mental knots and create space for clarity and calm. Using tools like cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic practices, and other approaches, we’ll work to quiet the noise and help you reconnect with your inner sense of balance. If you’d like to stop that pattern overthinking and step into a life of more ease and intention, I’m here and ready to help.
