ERP Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder In CA: What To
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder shows up as constant, uncontrollable worry—often about everyday things like work, health, family, finances, or the future. Even when nothing is wrong, your mind scans for what could go wrong. This leads to chronic tension, mental exhaustion, and a feeling of never fully being able to relax.
Understanding Generalized Anxiety Disorder
GAD often feels like your mind is always “on,” analyzing, preparing, and bracing for the worst.
Common experiences include:
- Persistent worry that feels impossible to turn off
- Feeling tense, keyed up, or on edge
- Difficulty concentrating or staying present
- Racing thoughts and mental “what if” spirals
- Physical symptoms like muscle tension, headaches, stomach discomfort, or fatigue
- Restlessness or difficulty sleeping
- Feeling responsible for preventing bad outcomes
- Worrying about multiple areas of life at once
Many people with GAD describe it as a “background hum” of anxiety that never fully stops.
Generalized anxiety is fueled by two main processes:
- Worry feels productive, like it keeps you prepared or safe
- Avoidance and over-planning temporarily reduce anxiety
But this keeps the system stuck: the brain learns that worry = safety, so it produces more of it.
Generalized anxiety can affect nearly every part of life:
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Difficulty relaxing or “turning your brain off”
- Overthinking conversations or decisions
- Constant reassurance-seeking
- Delaying decisions due to fear of making a mistake
- Feeling irritable, overwhelmed, or mentally drained
- Avoiding situations that trigger worry
- Struggling to enjoy downtime without guilt or fear
You may look calm on the outside, but inside you’re constantly trying to manage, plan, or prevent something bad from happening.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
- Identify the worry themes (health, work, relationships, future)
- Map your reassurance patterns (Googling, texting, over-planning, mental checking)
- Shift your response to uncertainty
- Practice exposures to feared situations or thoughts
- Build daily habits that reduce chronic worry over time
The goal isn’t to eliminate worry—it’s to stop worry from running the show.
If anxiety is shaping your decisions, energy, or daily life, therapy can help you build a calmer, more grounded way of moving through the world.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)Therapy for GAD includes:
- Reducing reassurance-seeking and overthinking loops
- Exposure to uncertainty, rather than trying to eliminate it
- Practicing “letting thoughts be thoughts” without engaging them
- Behavioral changes that break the connection between worry and control
- Learning how to respond to anxiety instead of reacting to it
You’ll learn skills to stop feeding the worry cycle and build tolerance for everyday uncertainty.
Exposure and Response Prevention via Telehealth
If constant worry and anxiety are interfering with your life, you’re not alone. Generalized Anxiety Disorder often involves persistent, hard-to-control worry about everyday areas of life—such as health, work, relationships, or the future. This cycle of worry can feel exhausting and difficult to turn off. Evidence-based cognitive and behavioral therapies help people learn how to respond differently to anxious thoughts, reduce excessive worry, and build greater confidence in handling uncertainty.
Your GAD Therapist in California
Matthew Baker, LCSW (CA #121926)
I’m a California therapist who specializes in evidence-based treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I provide structured, hands-on therapy and work actively and collaboratively with adults, teens, and children to help them reduce excessive worry, tolerate uncertainty, and build lasting confidence in managing anxiety.
Many of the people I work with experience persistent worry that feels difficult to control. Concerns about health, work, relationships, finances, or everyday responsibilities can become overwhelming and constant. Even when you know the worry may be unrealistic, your mind keeps searching for reassurance or trying to solve every possible “what if.” I’ve worked across multiple treatment settings and approach these concerns with openness, professionalism, and care. Together, we’ll understand the patterns that keep worry going and follow a clear, practical plan to help you respond to anxiety differently and regain a greater sense of calm and control.
Credentials, Experience and Affiliations
M.S.W., California State University, Long Beach
Emphasis: Integrated Health
- California Licensed Clinical Social Worker # 121926
- NOCD Academy - Advanced Training in Exposure and Response Prevention
- Professional and Listed Member, International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
- Professional member, Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA)
- Professional Member & Listed Clinician, Psychology Today
- Fully Insured • HIPAA-Compliant Telehealth
Worry doesn’t resolve by thinking harder.
Learn about specialized treatment for constant worries.
Serving adults, teens and children across California
Licensed in California and available to clients in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Orange County, Inland Empire, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and throughout California via secure telehealth.
Whatif Therapy
based in Lakewood, CA
Whatif Therapy | Matthew Baker, LCSW (CA #121926)
Evidence-based treatment for OCD, Anxiety, and PTSD.
Serving clients across California via secure telehealth.
© 2026 Whatif Therapy. All rights reserved.