Exploring Anxiety: Understanding Sensations, Body Awareness, and Therapy Support
Anxiety is one of the most common experiences people search for help with — but what it means can look very different from person to person. The term “anxiety” has become such a broad label that it’s important to redefine it in the context of your unique experience.
Common Anxiety Symptoms and Body Sensations
Anxiety often shows up in our body before we even recognise it in our thoughts. Some common physical symptoms of anxiety include:
dizziness or lightheadedness
numbness or tingling
churning stomach or nausea
shortness of breath or increased breathing
racing heart or palpitations
sweating
muscle tension
brain fog
feeling scattered or restless
the feeling of being out on a limb without support
the experience of being overexposed without adequate protection
👉 What sensations would you add from your own experience?
These symptoms of anxiety can range in intensity; sometimes we’re very aware of them, while other times they linger beneath the surface.
Beyond the Anxiety Label: Exploring Your Unique Experience
If we step outside of diagnostic labels and pathology, we can move closer toward understanding your unique experience of anxiety. Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?”, try asking:
How do I know I’m feeling anxious?
What sensations, thoughts, or feelings arise in my body?
When do I notice these patterns?
This shift from management or symptom-reduction toward curiosity and self-awareness is at the heart of an embodied relational Gestalt therapy approach. This is how you and I might approach your experience of anxiety together.
Anxiety, Sensitivity, and Trusting Your Body
If you’ve ever been told “you’re too sensitive,” or if you worry about what your body sensations mean (often fearing the worst), you may have learned to distrust your body. Many of us distance ourselves from our felt experience — sensations, thoughts, feelings — in order to cope.
At times in life, not feeling may have been necessary for survival. Adults in our lives may have denied or distorted our sensations, leading us to misattribute feelings or stop feeling altogether.
As an adult now, you have the choice to re-connect:
You get to decide how to interpret your sensations.
You get to choose how to make meaning of your embodied experience.
You get to re-establish trust in your body’s signals.
Sensations as Messengers
Our sensations are not enemies — they are messengers carrying important information.
For example:
If you’ve always associated a churning stomach with “I’ve done something wrong,” you might discover a new meaning.
Perhaps your body is telling you it’s time to step back from a situation, set a boundary, or make a change.
By slowing down and paying attention to your embodied experience of anxiety, without rushing to fix or suppress it, you can often uncover deeper insights and self-support.
Therapy Support for Anxiety in Toronto (and Online)
Exploring anxiety in a supportive environment — whether in a therapy session or a safe conversation with someone you trust — can open space for new awareness. In therapy, we focus on your here-and-now experience, bringing curiosity to your sensations and supporting you in finding new ways to relate to them.
If you’re looking for anxiety therapy in Toronto or online therapy in Ontario, my practice offers Gestalt therapy and embodied approaches that honour your lived experience. Together we can explore how anxiety shows up in your body, and how you can trust your sensations as guides toward change and growth.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety
What are the most common symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety often shows up in the body through physical sensations like dizziness, racing heart, muscle tension, sweating, or a churning stomach. It can also feel like brain fog, restlessness, or feeling “scattered.” Everyone’s experience is unique, which is why exploring your own sensations in therapy can be so helpful.
How does therapy help with anxiety?
Therapy for anxiety provides a supportive space to slow down, notice what’s happening in your body and mind, and discover new ways of relating to your experience. Embodied relational therapy approaches like Gestalt therapy and somatic therapy focus on the here-and-now moment, helping you build awareness and trust in your body’s signals rather than pushing symptoms away.
What is somatic or embodied therapy for anxiety?
Somatic therapy (also called embodied therapy) helps you explore anxiety through body awareness. Instead of only talking about thoughts, we pay attention to sensations like feeling constricted, what’s happening with your breathing, or stomach feelings, and uncover the messages they may be carrying. This can open new possibilities for change and relief.
Can therapy help if I’ve been told I’m “too sensitive”?
Yes. Many people who identify as sensitive feel anxious because their sensations were dismissed or misunderstood in the past. In our work together, we can reframe your sensitivity as a strength. Your sensitivity has been the lens through which you’ve experienced the world, relationships, and yourself. Together, we can explore how to honour your body’s finely-tuned awareness and find ways to feel grounded and supported.
Do you offer anxiety therapy online?
Yes. I offer online therapy across Ontario as well as in-person therapy in Toronto. Online therapy is a flexible and accessible way to explore anxiety in the comfort of your own space.
Ready to Explore Anxiety with Support?
If you’re looking for anxiety therapy in Toronto or online therapy in Ontario, I offer a supportive space to explore your sensations, thoughts, and feelings with curiosity rather than judgment. Together, we can uncover the meaning beneath your anxiety and build new ways of trusting your body and yourself.
Book a free consultation to explore what therapy can make possible.
Thank you to Ambrose Kirby for his wise words and inspiration around wholeness and embodiment.
