Are You Ready to Face Your Fears?
Maybe there’s something you’ve been avoiding for months—or years.
Flying. Driving. Heights. Crowds. Social situations. Medical procedures.
Or maybe you've been worried about everything that could go wrong or have a general sense of anxiety.
Anxiety often pulls us into a future that hasn’t happened yet. It asks What if? and then tries to convince us that worrying, preparing, controlling, or avoiding will somehow keep us safe.
Avoidance can make you feel better in the moment, but over time, it can allow anxiety to make more and more decisions for you.
What would your life look like if fear didn’t get the final say?
When Anxiety Starts Making Your World Smaller
Experiencing anxiety is a normal part of being human. In fact, anxiety serves an important purpose—it helps alert us to potential threats and prepares our bodies to respond.
But sometimes that alarm system becomes a little too good at its job.
Anxiety can show up as worry, racing thoughts, irritability, agitation, a pounding heart, sweating, muscle tension, shortness of breath, or a sense that something terrible is about to happen. Some people experience sudden surges of intense fear known as panic attacks.
When anxiety becomes persistent, overwhelming, or begins interfering with everyday life, you may start avoiding places, experiences, sensations, or situations simply because you’re afraid of how you'll feel.
The more we organize our lives around anxiety, the smaller our world can become.
Anxiety & Phobias I Treat
I work with adults experiencing generalized anxiety, panic attacks and panic disorder, social anxiety, specific phobias, health-related fears, and other anxiety-related concerns.
You might find yourself worrying, overthinking, preparing for the worst, seeking reassurance, checking how you feel, or avoiding anything that might trigger anxiety. The problem isn't necessarily that anxiety shows up. It's what we begin doing because we're afraid of it.
What If Anxiety Isn't the Enemy?
It may sound strange, but anxiety itself isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Trying desperately to eliminate anxiety can sometimes turn into another struggle with anxiety. Instead, part of therapy can be learning how to make room for uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations without automatically fighting, escaping, or obeying them.
The goal isn't necessarily to become fearless. It's learning that you can feel anxious and still move toward the life you want.
And as your relationship with anxiety changes, it may begin to have less control over you.
Facing Fear Instead of Avoiding It
Exposure therapy can be an important part of treatment for many anxiety disorders and phobias. Exposure doesn't mean throwing you into your worst fear and hoping for the best. We work collaboratively and gradually to approach situations, thoughts, sensations, or experiences you've been avoiding while learning that anxiety itself is something you can experience and tolerate. Depending on what we're working on, exposure may happen through telehealth, independently between sessions, or through limited in-person and real-world exposure work.
It's learning that you can experience anxiety and still do what matters to you.
My Approach to Anxiety Therapy
My clinical background is rooted in behavioral and cognitive therapies, and I hold Diplomate status with the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies.
My approach incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), exposure therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) depending on your needs.
Together, we'll work on changing your relationship with anxiety—not simply trying to make sure you never experience it again.
Interested in Working Together?
I provide online therapy to adults located in New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida, with limited in-person exposure work when clinically appropriate. Feel free to visit the rest of my website. Contact me to learn more about therapy for anxiety and phobias, current availability, insurance, and scheduling a consultation.
About Lenny Gallo
Lenny Gallo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual therapy to adults through telehealth in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Florida. His clinical background is rooted in cognitive and behavioral therapies, with specialized training in ERP, CBT, ACT, EMDR, IFS and related approaches.