Feeling overwhelmed, stuck in your thoughts, or exhausted by constant worry? You’re not alone, and things can get better.

I’m Tyler Slay, a licensed professional counselor in Madison, Mississippi, specializing in anxiety, OCD, and trauma therapy for adults, teens, and children. I help people who are tired of feeling mentally stuck and ready to find lasting relief. My approach is warm, collaborative, and evidence-based, designed to help you move beyond surface-level coping strategies and toward meaningful, long-term change.

Whether you are struggling with:

• Panic attacks

• Religious scrupulosity

• Health anxiety

• Social anxiety

• Perfectionism

• PTSD

• Generalized anxiety

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Difficulty with boundaries or assertiveness

...I offer practical tools and a supportive environment to help you move forward.

A Clear Framework for Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety often feels confusing, but in my work with clients, I have found that it usually stems from one or more of the following core processes. Identifying these can help us determine the most effective starting point for therapy.

Bottom-Up Anxiety

This kind of anxiety is rooted in the body. It may be triggered or intensified by medical experiences, hormonal changes, medication side effects, chronic stress, exhaustion, or a history of sensory or neurological sensitivity. In these cases, physical experiences lead to anxious thoughts and emotions. Therapy helps you better understand and respond to what your body is signaling, without getting caught in a cycle of fear or avoidance.

Top-Down Anxiety

Here, the anxiety starts with obsessive or unrelenting thought patterns. Even when circumstances are calm, the mind remains overactive. This is common in conditions like Generalized Anxiety Disorder or OCD. The person may fixate on specific worries or have difficulty mentally letting go of any distressing thought. In therapy, we work on developing cognitive flexibility and teaching your mind how to loosen its grip on fear-based thinking.

Relational Anxiety

Anxiety can also stem from past relational wounds. When someone has felt rejected, unseen, powerless, or dismissed by important people in their life, those emotional injuries can shape how they experience current relationships, decisions, and challenges. Even if those experiences happened years ago, the fear of repeating them can drive present-day anxiety. Therapy can help uncover and heal those patterns, restoring a greater sense of agency and connection.

Most people experience a combination of all three processes. By identifying which one is most active, we can tailor your treatment for the greatest impact.

What to Expect from Therapy

When you begin therapy with me, you can expect a respectful, personalized approach. Together, we’ll explore not only your symptoms but also your story, your values, and what’s needed for real change. I offer a structured but flexible path forward, grounded in clinical expertise and deep compassion.

Many of my clients tell me that simply having a clear understanding of their anxiety and a plan for recovery brings relief. My goal is to help you build skills, insight, and confidence so you can live with greater peace and freedom.

Serving the Madison, MS Community

As someone from Central Mississippi, I understand the local culture and the unique challenges people face here. I’m also well connected with other mental health providers in the area and can collaborate with your support team if needed.

Start Your Journey Toward Relief

If you’re searching for an experienced anxiety therapist in Madison, MS, I’d be honored to help. You don’t have to keep managing anxiety on your own. Let’s work together to understand what’s driving it and create a path toward healing.

Call or text: 601-790-0250
Email: tslay@chhms.org