You are still functioning, but it costs you more and more energy. Overcoming anxiety starts where pushing through is no longer enough.
Over 25 years of experience · 10,000+ coaching hours
Many people who come to me have kept their anxiety under control for a long time. They compensated, avoided, controlled. From the outside it looked stable. But at some point pushing through is no longer enough, and the question gets louder: What can I do that actually changes something?
Overcoming anxiety is not a vague concept. It is a concrete process: you learn to understand your anxiety responses, to regulate them in acute moments and to regain room to move in everyday life. Not through willpower, but through focused work on the patterns that keep your anxiety going.
What Sets Overcoming Anxiety Apart from Just Pushing Through
Pushing through means: you manage the symptoms. Overcoming anxiety means: you change the mechanisms behind them.
Instead of avoiding situations, you understand what drives the avoidance
Instead of enduring tension, you learn to calm your nervous system in a targeted way
Instead of waiting for the next setback, you build genuine security step by step
I am Birgit.
Overcoming anxiety has been my focus for over 25 years. I know what it feels like when someone puts into words for the first time what has been weighing on them.
In my practice in Duesseldorf and online I support you with a clear plan and proven methods. No one-size-fits-all, but what actually works for you.
Together we clarify which anxiety patterns currently have the greatest impact on your daily life. What triggers the anxiety? What keeps it going?
Phase 2: Pulling the Ground from Under the Anxiety
You learn how to calm your nervous system. We address everything that triggers your anxiety and everything that keeps it going. Once we have worked through all these factors, there comes a point where there is no reason for the anxiety to show up anymore. 😊
Phase 3: Anchoring Change
What has emerged in coaching, you continuously bring into your everyday life between sessions. And in each following session we clarify how and what has changed and adjust the next steps accordingly.
Methods I Use
I do not follow a fixed programme. Depending on what is most pressing for you, I combine NLP, WingWave, IFS, hypnosis, The Work, meditation and TRT to find what fits best. All of these methods have a strong track record in working with anxiety.
Many people wonder whether they need a coach or a therapist. As a licensed practitioner for psychotherapy (Heilpraktikerin fuer Psychotherapie) I treat all psychological conditions. At the same time, my way of working is also very coaching-oriented, shaped by my training: I work in a solution-oriented way, with flexible methods and typically in a shorter timeframe than conventional psychotherapy. In the initial conversation we clarify whether my approach is a good fit for your situation.
Many people wonder about this before reaching out. The truth is, there is no anxiety too small to take seriously.
What matters is not how dramatic your situation looks from the outside, but how much it affects your daily life. If you notice that you avoid situations, hold yourself back or keep running into the same wall, that is reason enough.
In the initial conversation we look at your situation together, without judgement.
I have already tried so many things.
I hear that often. Many of my clients have already been through therapy, read books, tried breathing exercises or attended relaxation courses. None of that was wasted, but often it is not enough. As long as not all triggers have been found and not everything that maintains the anxiety has been addressed, it can keep resurfacing from all sorts of unexpected places.
In the initial conversation we look at what you have already tried and where the approach that has been missing might lie. Then you decide whether my way of working opens up new possibilities for you.
I do not have much time.
I understand. Sessions can be scheduled flexibly, online via Zoom or in person in Duesseldorf.
My approach is focused and goal-oriented, meaning we work on whatever is creating the most pressure right now and do not waste time on detours. Most clients come every one to two weeks. Between sessions you put what we have worked on into practice in your everyday life.
I am not sure this is right for me.
That is a normal thought, especially if this is your first time looking into coaching or if you have had disappointing experiences with other approaches.
The initial conversation is designed for exactly this: you tell me what is weighing on you, and I give you an honest assessment of whether and how I can help. After that you decide without pressure whether you would like to start.
Frequently Asked Questions About Overcoming Anxiety
What kind of help with anxiety makes sense?
That depends on what is most pressing for you. Some people need stabilisation first because the anxiety is acutely limiting their daily life. Others have compensated for their anxiety for a long time and need someone to work through the triggers and maintaining factors with them.
An effective approach takes both into account: the acute burden and the patterns behind it. That is why I do not follow a fixed scheme but adapt the methods to whatever will have the greatest impact for you right now.
In the initial conversation you receive a first assessment of which path makes the most sense for you.
How long does overcoming anxiety take?
Many clients notice initial changes after just a few sessions. Often it is enough to identify the most important triggers and address them in a targeted way for something to shift noticeably.
For lasting change, several weeks are usually needed. Not because sessions have to be frequent, but because you make new experiences in everyday life between sessions and your nervous system needs time to anchor the new responses.
For clearly defined issues such as a single phobia, 2 to 5 sessions are often sufficient. For more complex anxiety patterns that have built up over years, we work together for longer.
How does overcoming anxiety differ from therapy?
Conventional psychotherapy often works with fixed session quotas, standardised methods and long waiting times. That has its place, but it does not suit everyone.
As a licensed practitioner for psychotherapy I treat all psychological conditions. My approach is more solution-oriented and methodologically flexible: I combine different methods depending on what works best for you, and I typically work in a shorter and more focused way.
Whether my approach is right for your situation is something we clarify in the initial conversation.
What happens in the initial conversation?
The initial conversation is about getting to know each other and helping me understand what is weighing on you.
You tell me what is going on, what you have already tried and what you are hoping for. I ask questions that help me assess your situation and explain how I would work with you.
At the end of the conversation you receive an honest assessment from me: whether I can help, how many sessions I would plan for and what the next steps would be. You then decide in your own time whether you would like to start.
Can I start even if I feel very uncertain?
Yes, absolutely.
Many of my clients feel uncertain when they first reach out. Some do not know exactly what to expect. Others doubt whether they can be helped at all. That is completely normal and not an obstacle.
You do not need to feel ready to begin. A good start means taking a manageable first step. We build the rest together.
Ready for the Next Step?
If you are ready, we start with a clear first step that fits your current situation.
Overcoming anxiety means understanding why your fear is there and learning to address the triggers in a targeted way. This includes regulating your nervous system, reducing avoidance and changing the inner patterns that keep the anxiety going. The goal is not to switch off fear completely, but to stop it from controlling your daily life.
Who helps with anxiety in Duesseldorf?
I am Birgit Boettcher, a licensed practitioner for psychotherapy with over 25 years of experience working with anxiety. I work from my practice in Duesseldorf and online via Zoom. My approach combines several proven methods and is tailored to your individual situation.
