Mindfulness therapy for people who’ve been living with anxious thoughts and overwhelming emotions for far too long
Have you ever noticed how your mind can feel more like a battleground than a sanctuary? Maybe there’s this constant hum of worry that follows you everywhere—into conversations, into quiet moments, even into your sleep. You might find yourself replaying past conversations, searching for mistakes, or bracing for future problems that may never come. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Living three steps ahead of yourself, always scanning for what might go wrong next.
You’re not alone in carrying this weight. So many of us have learned to exist with minds that feel chaotic, where thoughts spiral into thoughts, where silence feels uncomfortable because it’s been so rare. What if I told you that the very awareness you’re using to notice this struggle—that gentle observer inside you—is also your pathway to something different?
When Your Body Remembers What Your Mind Tries to Forget
“I don’t even know when I’m anxious anymore,” Sarah shared during one of our sessions at Jim Brillon Therapy. “My shoulders are always up by my ears, my jaw is clenched, my breathing is shallow. I thought that was just… normal. I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath for years.”
Sarah had been living with anxiety so long, she’d forgotten what calm felt like in her body. Through our mindfulness work together, she began to notice her body’s signals—not to judge them or make them wrong, but simply to listen. Her racing heart wasn’t an emergency; it was information. Her tight shoulders weren’t a sign of weakness; they were her nervous system trying to protect her the only way it knew how.
Over time, Sarah discovered something profound: she could feel anxious without being anxious. The sensation could exist without taking over her entire world. “It’s like I finally have a choice,” she told me months later. “I can notice what’s happening and still choose how I want to respond. I’m not at the mercy of every feeling anymore.”
The Space Between You and Your Thoughts
Before learning mindfulness in therapy, life might feel like you are your thoughts—every worried prediction, every harsh self-judgment, every replay of yesterday’s mistakes. Your emotions feel like facts. Anxiety runs the show. Everything feels too much, too big, or sometimes completely numb. You’re either drowning in feelings or can’t access them at all.
But as you begin to practice presence with yourself, something shifts. You start to notice there’s space between you and your thoughts. Those racing worries become something you can observe rather than something that defines you. Emotions transform from permanent residents into temporary visitors. You can feel deeply without being consumed. There’s a quiet place inside you that nothing external can disturb.
What Mindfulness Actually Feels Like in Your Body
Mindfulness isn’t about achieving some perfect zen state or emptying your mind completely. It’s about coming home to yourself—exactly as you are, right here, right now.
Present-moment awareness means you can feel your feet on the ground when your thoughts are spinning. You can notice the rhythm of your breath when everything else feels chaotic. You have an anchor that’s always available to you.
Non-judgmental observation means that anxious thought doesn’t make you broken. That wave of sadness doesn’t mean you’re failing at life. You can watch your inner weather patterns without becoming the storm itself.
Emotional regulation through mindfulness means you don’t have to be afraid of your feelings anymore. They can move through you like clouds across an open sky—temporary, natural, and not a reflection of your worth as a person.
Finding Your Anchor When Life Won’t Stop Moving
I remember working with Marcus, who described his mind as “a browser with 47 tabs open, all playing different sounds.” He felt scattered, overwhelmed, unable to focus on any one thing because everything felt urgent. Through simple breathing practices and walking mindfulness, Marcus learned he could close some of those mental tabs—not by forcing them shut, but by choosing where to place his attention.
“I used to think mindfulness meant I had to sit perfectly still and think about nothing,” he said. “But really, it’s about noticing I have a choice. I can pay attention to the worried voice, or I can pay attention to my breath. I can focus on everything that might go wrong tomorrow, or I can notice the feeling of my coffee cup warming my hands right now.”
How Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Is Different
In my practice, you won’t be asked to meditate for hours or pretend everything is fine. We’ll start exactly where you are—maybe that’s noticing you’ve been holding tension in your body, or recognizing you’ve been living in tomorrow’s problems instead of today’s reality.
Trauma-informed mindfulness means we honor your nervous system’s wisdom. If closing your eyes feels unsafe, we keep them open. If sitting still triggers restlessness, we explore mindful movement. If silence feels overwhelming, we practice with sound. Your healing gets to look exactly like you need it to.
The Therapy That Meets You Exactly Where You Are
What I offer at Jim Brillon Therapy isn’t just techniques or exercises—though those can be incredibly helpful. I create a space where you can finally exhale, where you’re not performing or managing anyone else’s comfort. Together, we explore what it feels like to stop running from your own experience and start getting curious about it instead.
The clients I work with often describe a moment when something fundamental shifts. It’s rarely dramatic—more like finally setting down a heavy bag you didn’t realize you were carrying.
When You Stop Fighting Yourself
You might notice you can sit with uncertainty without your entire system going into panic mode. You might find yourself responding to stress with curiosity instead of immediately bracing for impact. You might discover that the critical voice in your head that’s been so loud for so long… doesn’t actually have to be in charge anymore.
“I realized I’d been treating my emotions like emergencies,” one client reflected. “Every feeling required immediate action, immediate fixing. Now I understand they’re just information. I can feel sad without thinking something’s terribly wrong with me. I can feel anxious without believing I need to make it stop right away.”
Your Mind Doesn’t Have to Be Your Prison
If something in your chest is responding to these words—if there’s a quiet “yes, this is what I need” somewhere inside you—trust that knowing. Your body often understands what your mind is still figuring out.
You don’t have to carry the weight of every worried thought. You don’t have to be perfect at mindfulness—or perfect at anything—to deserve moments of peace. You just have to be willing to start exactly where you are, with whatever you’re carrying today.
Healing happens in the present moment. And the present moment is always, always available to you—even when everything else feels uncertain.
If you’re ready to stop fighting yourself and start coming home to who you really are beneath all that mental noise, I’m here to walk alongside you. We can take this one breath at a time, one moment at a time. There’s no rush, no pressure to be anywhere other than exactly where you are right now.
Because you deserve to feel at home in your own mind. You deserve those moments of stillness you’ve been longing for. And most importantly, you deserve to know that peace isn’t something you have to earn—it’s something you can remember.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mindfulness Therapy
What’s the difference between mindfulness and meditation?
Meditation is often a formal sitting practice, but mindfulness is much broader—it’s about bringing awareness to whatever you’re doing. In therapy, I teach mindfulness that fits into your actual life. You can practice while washing dishes, walking your dog, or even during difficult conversations. It’s not about sitting on a cushion for hours; it’s about finding presence in the life you’re already living.
Can mindfulness help if I have trauma or PTSD?
Absolutely, but it needs to be trauma-informed. Traditional mindfulness can sometimes feel overwhelming if you have trauma. In my practice, we adapt mindfulness to your nervous system’s needs. We might start with external focus (like sounds or sights) before moving to internal awareness. We go at your pace, always honoring what feels safe for you.
Why does mindfulness make me more anxious at first?
This is incredibly common. When you first start paying attention, you might notice just how busy your mind really is—and that can feel overwhelming. It’s like turning on the lights in a messy room. The mess was always there; you’re just seeing it clearly for the first time. With gentle practice, you learn to observe the chaos without getting swept away by it.
How is mindfulness different from just “thinking positive”?
Mindfulness isn’t about changing your thoughts to positive ones—it’s about changing your relationship with all your thoughts. You don’t have to like what you’re thinking or feeling. You just practice noticing without immediately reacting. Sometimes the most mindful thing is to acknowledge “This is really hard right now” rather than forcing positivity.
How long before I start feeling calmer?
Many clients notice small shifts within the first few sessions—maybe a moment of catching themselves before spiraling, or feeling their breath when stressed. The deeper changes, where your baseline anxiety starts to lower, typically develop over a few months of practice. Remember, you’re rewiring patterns that took years to develop. Be patient with yourself.
What if I can’t stop my thoughts during mindfulness?
You’re not supposed to stop your thoughts—that’s the biggest misconception about mindfulness. Thoughts will come and go; that’s what minds do. The practice is noticing when you’ve gotten caught up in thinking and gently returning your attention to the present moment. Every time you notice you’ve drifted is actually a moment of mindfulness, not failure.
Ready to transform your relationship with your anxious mind? Contact Jim Brillon Therapy to begin your journey toward greater presence, peace, and self-understanding.
