new	skills	with	another	human	in	real	time.	Unlike	your	“real”	life,	the
therapeutic	life	is	safe	and	confidential,	and	the	therapist	has	no	connection
with	your	outside	relationships	or	broader	life.
Often,	working	with	a	therapist	can	be	tremendously	effective	in
understanding	yourself	and	in	developing	a	support	network	outside	of
therapy.	The	past,	in	particular	unprocessed	grief	and	trauma,	has	a	significant
impact	on	the	persistence	of	anxiety	symptoms.	Consider	weekly
psychotherapy	to	help	you	work	through	past	trauma	and	loss	that	may	be
impacting	your	ability	to	feel	sustained	relief	from	anxiety.
As	we’ve	seen,	anxiety	frequently	masks	other	negative	emotions	that	you
may	be	unaware	of	or	have	not	yet	processed.	Talking	with	a	therapist	can
help	you	uncover	those	negative	emotions	and	identify	what’s	causing	them.
Very	typically,	anxiety	lifts	when	you	enter	therapy	and	start	the	process	of