What It Can Look Like
- Lying awake at three in the morning, running the same thought around.
- Saying no to things you used to say yes to, and not always knowing why.
- A stomach that hurts before anything has even happened.
- Snapping at the people you love and feeling terrible about it afterward.
- Checking, planning and rehearsing until you have used up the whole day.
- Your heart going before your head has caught up with what set it off.
In children it often shows up as stomachaches on school mornings, refusing to go, clinginess, or a temper that seems to arrive from nowhere. A parent usually sees it long before the child can put a name to it. If that is what you are seeing, call us. You do not need to be sure it is anxiety before you ask.
What the Work Involves
Counseling for anxiety is practical. You learn what anxiety is doing in your body, and why it keeps firing when there is nothing to run from. You look at the things you have been doing to cope, some of which are quietly keeping it going. And you build coping tools that work in the moment: ways to settle your breathing, your thinking and your sleep.
Where avoidance has narrowed your life, you go back at it gradually, with steady progress. The work is a plan you and Ann Marie build together, one session at a time.
Who This Is For
We welcome children from age three, teenagers, adults and older adults. Come on your own, or bring a parent or a partner where that helps; we are happy either way.
About Medication
Ann Marie is a Licensed Professional Counselor. She does not prescribe medication. Some people do better with medication alongside counseling. If that looks likely, she will help you talk to your doctor and, with your written permission, work alongside them.
Coming From Tawas City, West Branch or Oscoda
People come to us for anxiety counseling from right across the Sunrise Side. A weekly appointment is a weekly drive, so here are the road times to our office in Hale.
- Tawas City, about 32 minutes by road.
- West Branch, about 40 minutes by road.
- Oscoda, in Iosco County, about 45 minutes by road.
Tell us which town you are coming from when you call, and we will help you find the times that make sense with the drive. On the longer drives, a longer appointment spaced further apart sometimes suits better than a weekly hour, and we are happy to set it up that way. We list road times from the rest of the area on our service area page.
Sessions and Insurance
A session is normally 60 minutes. The first appointment is longer and is mostly about getting to know you. Our appointments page sets out what to expect at a first appointment and what to bring. We take most major insurance. See which plans and what to ask yours before you come. If you are not sure about yours, ask us. We are happy to help you work it out.
You Might Also Be Looking For
Anxiety rarely arrives on its own. Depression often travels with it, a life change can set it off, and when it started with one specific event, trauma therapy is often the better door.
If you are not sure which of these fits, call us anyway. We will help you work out where to start.
Reviewed by Ann Marie Shay, MA, LPC, CTP, MITS, September 2026.