
Anxiety Therapy for Academics & Professionals in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene Anxiety Therapy: When Your Nervous System Won’t Quit
The conference room goes quiet and suddenly your heart is pounding, even though you prepared for weeks. You notice your advisor's slight frown during your presentation and spend the next three days analyzing what you did wrong. These aren't just nerves—they're signs your nervous system learned to see danger everywhere. I help Eugene residents, from graduate students to healthcare workers, find relief from the exhausting hypervigilance that never stops.
Why Anxiety & CPTSD Therapy in Eugene?
Academic and professional life in Eugene creates particular challenges. You might be finishing your doctorate at UO while managing panic attacks before every committee meeting. Or you're working at PeaceHealth, competent and caring with patients, but constantly second-guessing yourself with colleagues.
Your body learned early to track every micro-expression, every shift in tone, every subtle sign of disapproval. This made sense when you were young and needed to navigate difficult family dynamics. But now that early warning system is exhausting you. You notice when your research partner's typing gets slightly more aggressive. You feel the energy shift in the lab before anyone speaks. You can predict conflict in your department days before it surfaces.
Eugene's collaborative culture—all those group projects, consensus-building meetings, and team-based research—means you're constantly monitoring multiple people's emotions while trying to produce excellent work. The cognitive load is overwhelming, but no one else seems to struggle like this.
About Anxiety & CPTSD Therapy
You might think you're just an anxious person — that's just how you're wired. But here's what's actually happening: your nervous system learned to stay on high alert because at some point, it needed to. Maybe you grew up walking on eggshells, never knowing which version of a parent you'd get. Maybe you learned that love came with conditions: be perfect, be helpful, be invisible when needed.
Now that same nervous system is still protecting you from dangers that aren't there anymore. Your body doesn't know the difference between your advisor's feedback and that old criticism that cut so deep. It can't tell that your partner's quiet mood isn't the same as the silent treatment that meant you were in trouble as a kid.
In therapy, we'll work with how anxiety shows up in your body right now: the shallow breathing during meetings, the tension headaches after social interactions, the completely drained feeling after seemingly normal conversations. These aren't character flaws or weakness. They're your body's outdated protection system still running old software.
Together, we'll help your nervous system learn what your mind already knows: that you're safe now, that not every conflict means abandonment, that you don't have to earn your right to exist. This isn't about eliminating anxiety entirely; some alertness is healthy. It's about turning down the volume from an 11 to a manageable 3.
FAqs For Eugene Residents
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There's no timeline for grief, despite what people think. Eight months, eight years, your grief is valid. It can feel like something is wrong with you for still hurting, but it’s not. You're human, and you loved someone. That doesn't just go away.
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Absolutely. Pregnancy loss is profound grief, full stop. You lost a future you were already planning; maybe you'd already imagined walks at Laurelhurst Park or picked out books at Green Bean. Your loss is real, and so is your grief.
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Being functional doesn't mean you're okay. Grief counseling isn't just for people who can't get out of bed. It's for anyone whose world has been turned upside down by loss, especially when it was unexpected.
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Please contact Lane County Mobile Crisis, or dial 988 if you’re having an emergency.
For community-based support, please visit NAMI Lane County or the White Bird Clinic.
Your Eugene Anxiety Therapist
Jeniffer Duncan, LPC, LAT
I combine art therapy and somatic approaches because the patterns you're trying to change aren't stored in the logical part of your brain. They’re held in your nervous system, your body, and parts of your psyche that words alone can’t reach.
While you can intellectually understand why you feel anxious, or why your grief hasn’t resolved, lasting change requires working with the whole person.
That’s where I come in.
Jennifer Duncan, Oregon Licensed Professional Counselor
License #C3022 · Verify with State Board
frequently asked questions
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Yes, I am currently accepting new clients. I generally work Monday through Wednesday. I have limited afternoon availability, so please contact me to inquire about hours.
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No, I only see clients online.
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My fee is $250 for 55-minutes. If you prefer to work more intensively, I offer 90-minute sessions for $375. If you’d like to schedule a half-day or a multi-day therapy intensive, please see my rates page for more information about package options.
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No, I am not in-network with any insurance company. I would be happy to provide a Superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
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I primarily use art therapy (also called expressive art therapy, or creative art therapy) and somatic therapy.
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Yes, but only when it will be helpful and effective for you. If you’ve already had a lot of talk therapy, it’s likely time to try a more body-based approach.
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I offer complimentary 30-minute consultations to prospective clients so that you and I can get a feel for what it will be like to work together. However, if that doesn’t work for you, I’d be happy to schedule your intake appointment.
Please scroll down to my contact form, or send me a message on my contact page and I will respond within 48 business hours with my availability.
Let’s Get Started
Contact Me
Contact me to schedule your first therapy appointment.
Complete this form and I’ll be back in touch via email, text, or phone within 1-2 business days.
Call or Text
503-974-4140
jduncanlpc@gmail.com
MAILING ADDRESS (Services are conducted 100% online)
4207 SE Woodstock Blvd. #398 Portland, OR 97206
Serving Eugene with Specialized Online Therapy…
I provide specialized online therapy to adults throughout Oregon, with focused support for residents of Eugene, Springfield, and the Willamette Valley.
Anxiety & CPTSD Therapy in Eugene