About

I’m Jim McDonnell, a licensed therapist living and working in Seattle.

I love thinking, talking, and writing about anxiety.

It is what I do for a living, and I spend hours thinking about it in my free time.

Anxiety is something I am passionate about, and I want to share my passion with you. Not just because the topic interests me - it does - but because I know first hand how debilitating being in its grips can be. As a recovered anxious person, I want to help as many people face the thing that scares them the most: their own fear.

My hope is that reading the content on this site will not only help you understand your own anxiety, but also break free of its grip.

I write about anxiety, drawing on research and concepts from systems and control theory, neuroscience, philosophy, psychotherapy, and contemplative traditions.

Nothing here is invented by me, nor do I claim to have all the answers. There are countless other voices sharing their perspectives on anxiety and its treatment, and I encourage you to explore and find the ones that resonate with you the most.

If this site isn’t it, please keep looking.

If you find that you feel a little better after reading what I write, consider subscribing to the reflections I send out.

And if you only take one thing away with you from your visit here, it is this: you are not your symptoms.