I was speaking to a very close friend earlier about my issues with anxiety. She's dealt with depression for some time now (it was actually why she came home early from her mission) and sought help for it so I figured she would be good to talk to.
This friend is very TBM and very into the church. She knows I don't go anymore and haven't for over a year, and that I'm not interested. However, tonight she recommended I should try LDS counseling...that "they honestly don't even talk about anything religious". I was nice and said I'd consider it, but truly I would never. I can see it now. The counseling turning in to a perfect way to get me back into church. I just hope that wasn't what she was thinking when she suggested it. I was really thinking she respected my decision. *sigh*

Hey, she's TBM...

From her perspective she was just trying to help.

I'm not sure that it has anything to do with her respecting your decision. My take is that LDS counseling worked for her, so she is just offering it as a suggestion.

We've had a lot of reports on the board over the years about LDS counselors. They seem to run the gamut.

Anxiety can be tough to deal with. Hang in there.

This does not address the issue of LDS counselling, but I know anxiety well.

I was crippled by anxiety for years. Seemed as if my mind and emotions were chasing themselves all day like a puppy chasing it's tail. I was incapacitated. My anxiety got worse as the day passed, finally cresting about 4 PM.

I made a deal with my self. I could be anxious two times a day for ten minutes at a time. At that time I had a job that I could walk to in about ten minutes. I allowed myself to be anxious twice a day as I "commuted". On weekends I would choose a morning time and an evening time.

I would immerse myself in anxiety twice a day. The world was going to end and I did not know why. I wasn't a good person and my spouse was going to leave me. Etc., etc., whatever the worry of the day was. But when the time was up, I had to quit. I had to put it away until the next authorized time to worry.

I had the added advantage of also being OCD. I made this rule for myself, and the world would end if I didn't observe the schedule. Anytime during the day when I slipped into anxiety I would jerk myself up short and file it away for the next scheduled time. I could not worry except during the approved times and I was obligated to worry at those times. (Only a person with OCD can appreciate how undeniable self-imposed rules can be,)

For one thing, I found it was impossible to worry intensely on demand for ten minutes. My mind would wander to the beauty of my walk to work or something else. And as the weeks went by I was less and less anxious. I continued the practice even after the problem seemed to have gone away, but in a few months the problem disappeared completely.

It worked better for me than any med from my psychiatrist! I wish you well.