Anxiety Therapy
For Flying, Tests, and Public Speaking

in person in Lynnwood, WA and through telehealth for clients
throughout WA & CA

Find calm, confidence, and clarity—
when it matters most.

Does your heart race at the thought of boarding a plane—like you can’t breathe or think straight?
Does just imagining another exam send you into panic? Maybe you’ve prepared for a presentation, but no matter how much you practice, you still can’t bring yourself to get up and speak.

There’s nothing wrong with you—and you don’t have to keep pushing through in silence.
Your anxiety is a signal, not a flaw. Therapy can help you understand and work with it, not against it.

Anxiety in these situations is more common than you think, and it’s not a personal failing. With the right support, therapy can help ease the fear in your body and mind, so you can face these moments with more calm, confidence, and self-trust.

Have a Flight, Exam or Presentation Coming Up?

You don't have to wait months to feel better. A focused 3 to 12 hour EMDR intensive offers concentrated support to calm your fear at its root, so you can walk into your flight, exam or presentation feeling more grounded and confident. Available in person in Lynnwood, WA or online across Washington and California.

Ask About an EMDR Intensive

Specialized Therapy Areas

Flight Anxiety
Exam Anxiety
Public Speaking Anxiety

View of an airplane wing during sunset, with a landscape below and clouds in the sky.

Flight Anxiety: Therapy for Fear of Flying

Regain your freedom to travel with peace of mind.

Fear of flying can feel overwhelming—even if you logically know you’re safe. You might experience:

Panic attacks before or during flights
Avoidance of travel or vacations
Obsessive “what if” thoughts about crashes or turbulence
Physical symptoms like nausea, sweating, or dizziness at the airport

This is more than a fear—it’s a nervous system response rooted in past overwhelm or trauma.

How therapy helps fear of flying:

Through EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), we can gently work with:

The anxious parts of you that fear loss of control
Past events that may have heightened your fear response (e.g., childhood turbulence, loss, or trauma)
Body-based patterns of tension that keep the fear locked in

Together, we’ll build skills to self-regulate, create calming rituals for travel, and rewire the associations your mind and body have with flying.

Students sitting in a classroom, backlit by sunlight coming through the windows, with notebooks and textbooks on desks.

Exam Anxiety: Perform Better Without Panic

You’re prepared—let’s help your body believe it.

Exam anxiety often shows up even when you’ve studied and know the material. You may notice:

Racing thoughts or mental blanking during tests
Difficulty sleeping the night before
Perfectionism and harsh inner criticism
Physical symptoms like stomachaches or shakiness

This anxiety is often rooted in childhood pressure, academic trauma, or internalized fear of failure.

How therapy helps test anxiety:

Using a blend of EMDR, parts work, and somatic tools, we’ll gently explore the roots of your test anxiety and build skills to shift your experience:

Unpack early school experiences or family expectations that may have wired your nervous system for fear or perfectionism
Work with the inner critic that tells you you’re never prepared enough or that mistakes aren’t allowed
Use body-based practices to help you feel more grounded and centered before and during exams
Engage in future-oriented preparation so you can approach upcoming tests with clarity, calm, and confidence

We’ll help your brain and nervous system unlearn the panic response—so you can show up with more focus, trust, and calm.

A speaker on a stage presenting to a large audience in an auditorium with multiple large screens displaying text in Portuguese.

Public Speaking Anxiety: Speak With Confidence

Step into the spotlight without fear taking over.

Whether it’s giving a talk at work, leading a workshop, or even introducing yourself in a group—presentation anxiety can feel paralyzing.

You might experience:

Fear of judgment, embarrassment, or saying the wrong thing
Overpreparing or avoiding speaking opportunities altogether
Blushing, sweating, or shaky voice when talking in front of others

For many, this anxiety traces back to being silenced, shamed, or unseen in early environments.

How therapy helps public speaking anxiety:

Together, we’ll work with the parts of you that:

Feel unsafe being seen or heard
Associate visibility with danger, criticism, or rejection
Believe you have to “perform” perfectly to be accepted
Carry the weight of past experiences of embarrassment or public humiliation
Struggle to trust that you can show up with confidence, even when prepared

Using a gentle blend of EMDR, somatic tools, parts work, and mindfulness, we’ll help you reconnect with your authentic voice and learn to anchor in self-trust and presence—not perfection. We’ll also practice future-oriented strategies so you can approach upcoming presentations with greater ease and a sense of inner strength.

A woman smiling, wearing sunglasses on her head, sitting outdoors on a wooden bench, writing in a notebook with a pencil, with pink flowers and a wire fence in the background.

Processing the Past, Gaining Insight, & Creating New Possibilities

Anxiety doesn’t always look like panic. It often shows up as avoidance, tension, overthinking, or complete exhaustion. These forms of performance anxiety are deeply human responses to environments that once felt unsafe or overwhelming.

I’ve had the privilege of helping clients move through these patterns—so they can enjoy their flights, take exams with clarity, and lead workshops or presentations with greater confidence.

If you're ready to feel more ease in these moments, reach out today. I'd be honored to support you.

Book Your Free Consultation

Anxiety Therapy FAQs

1. Can EMDR help fear of flying?

Yes. EMDR can be very effective for fear of flying, especially when the fear is linked to a past experience, such as a turbulent flight, a panic attack on a plane or earlier experiences of feeling trapped or out of control. EMDR helps your brain reprocess those memories so your body stops reacting as if you're in danger. We also rehearse future flights in session, from packing your bag to takeoff and landing, so your nervous system learns it can stay calm. Many clients go from avoiding travel to flying with much less fear.

2. How many sessions does it take?

It depends on how long the fear has been there and what's underneath it. For a specific fear, like flying, exams or public speaking, many clients notice meaningful change within about 4–8 sessions. If the anxiety connects to deeper experiences, like perfectionism, childhood pressure or past trauma, it may take longer. If you'd like faster progress, a focused EMDR intensive can cover in a few hours what might take several weeks of regular sessions. We'll make a plan together during your free consultation.

3. Can you help before a specific flight, exam or presentation?

Yes, and having a date can actually help us focus. Reach out as early as you can, ideally at least 12 weeks before your flight, exam or presentation. If your date is coming up soon, an EMDR intensive can be a great option for concentrated support. Together we'll calm the anxiety at its root and practice body-based tools you can use in the moment, like grounding before boarding, during a test or before you step on stage.

4. Can anxiety therapy be done online?

Yes. I offer anxiety therapy, including EMDR for fear of flying, test anxiety and public speaking anxiety, online for adults anywhere in Washington and California, and in person in Lynnwood, WA.