Online in Salem & Throughout Oregon

Anxiety Therapy in Salem, Oregon

Anxiety Therapy for Salem Professionals & State Workers

You know your way around the Capitol Mall building like the back of your hand. You can navigate Budget and Management presentations without breaking a sweat. But when your supervisor sends that email marked "urgent," your chest tightens and your mind races through every possible scenario. Sound familiar?

I provide specialized anxiety and CPTSD treatment to adults throughout Salem via secure online therapy sessions. Whether you work downtown near the State Capitol, at Salem Health on Lancaster, or from your home office in West Salem, we can work together from wherever you feel most comfortable.

Finally Find Relief From Anxiety That Follows You Everywhere

Anxiety shows up at work: You're walking into the Public Service Building for another budget meeting. Your colleagues seem calm, but you've already replayed seventeen different ways this could go wrong. You know the material inside and out, but that familiar knot in your stomach says otherwise.

Anxiety shows up at home: Your partner suggests dinner at McGrath’s Fish House downtown. Instead of enjoying the idea, you're already worried about parking, whether you'll know anyone there, and if your outfit will be appropriate. You agree with a smile, but spend the drive rehearsing small talk and scanning for exits.

And it shows up in your relationships: Your partner comes home from their job at Chemeketa Community College looking tired. Instead of assuming they had a long day, your mind immediately jumps to what you might have done wrong. Did you leave dishes in the sink? Was your text this morning too needy? You spend the evening walking on eggshells, trying to read their mood and fix whatever you think you did wrong.

anxiety-therapy-in-salem-oregon

Why Traditional Anxiety Treatment Falls Short

You've probably tried the usual recommendations. Deep breathing exercises during lunch breaks at Bush's Pasture Park. Meditation apps on your phone between court hearings at the Marion County Courthouse. Maybe you’ve listened to self-help audiobooks while sitting in Lancaster traffic.

But talking about anxiety and healing anxiety are two different things.

Your logical brain understands one critical comment doesn’t define your career trajectory. Yet your body responds to workplace stress like you’re facing immediate danger.

This happens because anxiety and trauma responses live in the emotional and physical regions of your brain, not in the thinking areas where logic and reasoning happen.

This is Why I Provide Therapy That Goes Beyond Talking

I combine art therapy and somatic approaches to help you access and process emotions that traditional talk therapy often can’t reach.

Meeting online offers specific advantages for busy Salem professionals. You might join sessions from your State Capitol office during lunch, from your kitchen table after the kids catch the school bus, or from your car in the Salem Hospital parking garage between appointments.

When you notice your jaw clenching during a difficult phone call with legislators, or feel your shoulders tighten during budget presentations, you're gathering real-time data about how your body holds stress. This awareness becomes the foundation for lasting change.

What Salem Clients Experience After Anxiety & CPTSD Treatment

Your Inner Critic Finally Takes a Backseat

You stop second-guessing every decision. That voice asking "Did I say the right thing?" after every interaction with your Marion County supervisor gets quieter. You make choices about weekend plans, work projects, and family visits without consulting your internal jury of doom.

Perfectionism loses its grip. You submit reports at the Department of Education without reading them seventeen times. Good enough becomes actually good enough. You leave meetings without mentally replaying every word you said.

Self-doubt stops driving the bus. You apply for internal promotions without convincing yourself you're unqualified. When colleagues compliment your work, you say "thank you" instead of deflecting or explaining why they're wrong.

Your Body Becomes Your Friend Again

Tension becomes information, not torment. When your shoulders tighten during budget presentations, you notice it as a signal to breathe deeper, not evidence that catastrophe is coming. Your body starts sending helpful messages instead of constant false alarms.

You reconnect with physical pleasure. Food tastes better when you're not stress-eating at your desk. Walks through Minto-Brown Island Park become enjoyable instead of time to worry about tomorrow. Sex with your partner happens because you want connection, not because you're managing their mood.

Energy returns to your life. You have bandwidth for evening plans after work instead of collapsing on the couch every night. Weekend projects around your South Salem house feel energizing rather than overwhelming. You rediscover hobbies you abandoned years ago.

Your Relationships Get Honest

Conversations become real instead of strategic. You stop calculating how to respond to your partner's questions. Dinner conversations flow naturally instead of feeling like interviews you might fail. You share opinions without first testing the waters for disapproval.

Conflict becomes workable. Disagreements with your spouse about money or parenting don't send you into three-day shame spirals. You can hear criticism without your entire sense of self crumbling. Arguments resolve instead of festering.

You attract different people. Friends who drain your energy start naturally fading away. Colleagues who respect boundaries replace those who expected you to be perpetually available. Your social circle shifts toward people who appreciate authenticity over performance.

Decision-Making Becomes Intuitive

You trust your own judgment. Career moves happen based on what you want, not what you think will make others approve of you. You choose restaurants, vacation destinations, and even paint colors without polling everyone you know.

Boundaries feel natural instead of mean. Saying no to extra projects at Salem Health doesn't require a guilt hangover. You protect your time without elaborate justifications. People respect your limits because you respect them first.

Life gets simpler. You stop maintaining different versions of yourself for different audiences. The energy you used to spend managing everyone's impression of you becomes available for things you care about. Your calendar reflects your actual priorities instead of your anxieties.

anxiety-therapy-salem-oregon

FAqs For Salem Residents

  • That radar system that never switches off, the way you rehearse conversations with your department head, the physical exhaustion after seemingly normal workdays. These experiences might trace back to much earlier experiences.

    Consider these questions:

    • Do you find yourself working extra hours not because projects require it, but because you worry about being seen as inadequate?

    • When your partner seems quiet or distant, do you immediately assume you've done something wrong and start mentally reviewing your recent conversations?

    • Does criticism at work or in relationships trigger a physical response that lasts for days, even when the feedback was minor?

    • Do you cancel plans with friends because you're exhausted from managing everyone else's emotions all week?

    Complex trauma shows up differently than single-incident trauma. It’s the result of repeated experiences that taught you to stay hypervigilant, to please others at your own expense, and to treat your own needs as secondary.

    Many Salem professionals discover that their workplace anxiety has roots in much older patterns of needing to be perfect, invisible, or indispensable to stay safe.

  • Absolutely. I work with clients throughout the Salem area via secure online therapy. Whether you're downtown near the Capitol, in West Salem across the bridge, in South Salem near Kuebler Boulevard, or in surrounding areas like Keizer or Turner, we can work together. Many clients appreciate attending sessions from their home or private office without dealing with Lancaster traffic or finding parking downtown.

  • The Willamette River Greenway provides excellent walking paths for grounding exercises we might explore in sessions. Salem Public Library on State Street has quiet spaces for reflection and journaling between appointments. Many clients find the Japanese Garden at Bush's Pasture Park helpful for practicing mindfulness techniques.

    For crisis support, Marion County Mental Health offers 24/7 services at 503-588-5032. The YMCA on State Street and Courthouse Club downtown provide fitness options that support anxiety management. Additionally, Salem Hospital's mental health services can coordinate with therapy when needed for comprehensive care.

  • I work with clients experiencing generalized anxiety (persistent worry about work, relationships, and daily responsibilities), social anxiety (fear of judgment in professional meetings or social gatherings), panic disorder (sudden episodes of intense fear with physical symptoms), and post-traumatic stress disorder including complex PTSD from childhood experiences.

    Many Salem professionals experience workplace anxiety, performance anxiety during presentations or evaluations, and relationship anxiety that affects both personal and professional connections. I also address anxiety related to major life changes (new job, a move, becoming a parent, etc.), health concerns, and family dynamics.

Meet your Salem 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

  • 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.

  • No, I only see clients online.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • I primarily use art therapy (also called expressive art therapy, or creative art therapy) and somatic therapy.

  • 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.

  • 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

Email

jduncanlpc@gmail.com

MAILING ADDRESS (Services are conducted 100% online)

4207 SE Woodstock Blvd. #398 Portland, OR 97206