Real Questions We Ask in Anxiety Therapy in Portland and Why They Matter
Counseling for anxiety in Portland offers an opportunity to ask meaningful questions and begin healing with support.
Anxiety therapy in Portland isn’t about being interrogated or “figured out.” It’s about being supported, gently and intentionally, as you grow to understand your experiences with anxiety more fully. That work often includes exploration that is both open and focused.
Not a quiz. Not a diagnostic checklist. A meaningful, curious, compassionate curiosity.
Whether it’s your first session or you’ve been in therapy before, it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to expect. You might wonder, What will we even talk about? What kinds of things will I be asked? This blog will give you an inside look into some of the real questions I explore with clients in anxiety therapy in Portland and why these questions can be a powerful tool for change.
Why Questions in Therapy Can Feel So Powerful
Questions in therapy are different from the ones we get outside of session. In therapy, no one is looking for the “right” answer. There’s no performance. No judgment. Just space to explore what’s true for you.
The questions I ask are meant to hold space for curiosity and care. They’re an invitation to pause, to notice, to feel your own experience in a way that may not have felt possible before. And they’re rooted in the understanding that you already carry wisdom and that sometimes, it’s been obscured under layers of fear, shame, or anxiety.
These questions can feel tender. That’s okay. That tenderness usually means we’re touching something important. Something worth honoring.
The First Questions We Will Explore Together
When we begin working together in anxiety therapy, we’ll start with questions that help us understand how anxiety actually moves through your life…not in theory, but in your lived experience. We’ll talk about what you need when you feel overwhelmed, what tends to happen in your body when you’re under pressure, and what the voice of self-doubt sounds like when you’re afraid you’ve made a mistake. We’ll also explore how you respond, maybe you tend to push through, shut down, seek reassurance, or over-function to avoid being “too much.” These patterns aren’t random. They come from somewhere. And naming them helps us gently loosen their grip.
For many Queer clients, we’ll also make space to talk about the environments you’re navigating. You might be carrying pressure to conform, or feel like you have to compartmentalize parts of yourself just to stay safe or accepted. We may ask things like: Is there something about this situation that feels tied to prejudice or internalized expectations? Do you feel like you’re translating yourself for others, even when it’s subtle?
These aren’t just “therapy questions.” They’re invitations to reflect, to name what’s been unspoken, and to begin releasing the shame that may have kept you silent. They help us recognize the wisdom in your anxiety, not as weakness, but as adaptive intelligence that’s helped you navigate complex systems. And from there, we begin the work of building more self-trust, more self-compassion, and more freedom to choose how you want to respond next.
Noticing Patterns: The Wisdom Within the Anxiety
As therapy continues, the questions we explore begin to reveal subtle but powerful patterns. You might start to notice that you brace for conflict, even in relationships that feel safe. You may recognize that your people-pleasing isn’t actually about being nice, it’s about staying safe, avoiding rejection, or managing other people’s discomfort. You might begin to see how your body instinctively tenses any time you consider doing something just for yourself, as if permission and peace were things you had to earn.
Together, we stay curious about these patterns without judgment. I might ask which part of you is showing up in that moment; is it the perfectionist, the peacemaker, the protector who learned early on that safety came through compliance or overachievement? We gently wonder: what has this part been trying to protect you from? When did it first feel necessary to respond this way?
These questions aren’t about revisiting every hard moment or rehashing your history for the sake of it. They’re about honoring the intelligence in your anxiety and the ways you’ve adapted to survive. And then slowly, compassionately, beginning to ask: is there another way forward, one that gives you more room to breathe, more room to be yourself?
How These Questions Build Self-Compassion and Clarity
You may not even realize how harsh your inner world has been until you hear your own words spoken back with gentleness. I’ve had clients pause and say, “I didn’t realize how much I beat myself up until I heard it out loud.” That awareness alone can be a turning point.
When we name the internal critic, the anxious spiral, or the people-pleaser, we don’t do it to blame or shame. We do it to build compassion. These parts of you have been trying to help.
And when we bring them into the light, when we ask, “What does this part need?”; something begins to shift. The judgment softens. The anxiety becomes one voice among many, not the only voice. And you start to hear something else underneath it: your own wisdom.
Real Questions, Real Connection
The most powerful therapy questions don’t come from a script. They come from connection.
They emerge when something you say lights up the room, when a silence holds more meaning than words, or when I can see your shoulders tense as you talk about “just pushing through.” In those moments, I might ask, “Is that how it usually feels?” or “What happens inside when you say that?”
These questions aren’t meant to provoke, they’re meant to invite. They give you a chance to notice your experience in real time. And slowly, that noticing builds self-awareness, self-trust, and space to respond differently.
The questions we ask together are not random. They are intentional. They are collaborative. And most importantly, they are yours.
Therapy That Honors All of You
If you’ve spent years navigating anxiety with gritted teeth and a smile, it can be disorienting to have someone really see you. In therapy, that’s the goal. Not to fix you, but to allow room for all of your experience to be seen. To support the parts of you that have carried so much, for so long, and to ask what they need now.
Whether you’re navigating constant worry, decision paralysis, shame, or just an unshakable sense of unease, our questions together will help light the way forward.
You deserve therapy that feels like a conversation, not a performance.
You deserve support that invites you deeper into your own knowing.
You deserve to be asked the kinds of questions that help you come home to yourself.
Author Bio
Eric Goodwin, LPC, helps clients navigate anxiety and reconnect with their values through affirming, client-centered therapy.
Eric Goodwin, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, Oregon offering anxiety therapy rooted in self-trust, compassion, and the unique needs of LGBTQ+ clients. With a warm, person-centered approach, Eric blends mindful self-compassion and parts work to help clients develop a more supportive relationship with themselves. Learn more about Eric here or book a free 15-minute consultation by calling (971) 533-5590 or clicking here to explore if therapy together feels like a good fit.
FAQs: What You Might Still Be Wondering
1) Do I need to prepare for therapy?
Not really. You don’t need to show up with answers. We’ll begin with what’s present for you, and the questions I ask are designed to help you get more clarity and ease into the process.
2) Will I have to talk about things I’m not ready to share?
Never. Therapy moves at your pace. You get to set the boundaries of what feels safe to explore. I’ll follow your lead while offering gentle invitations, never pressure.
3) What if I don’t know how to answer the questions?
That’s completely okay. Often, simply noticing your reaction to a question is valuable in itself. We’ll explore together, with no rush or expectation.
4) Is this therapy with you only for LGBTQ+ clients?
While I specialize in working with LGBTQ+ clients, all are welcome in my practice. What matters most is that you feel seen, respected, and supported in our work together.
5) Can I work with you online if I’m not in Portland?
Yes! As long as you reside in Oregon, we can work together via secure teletherapy sessions. Many of my clients appreciate the flexibility and comfort of online therapy.