Feeling keyed up, restless, or on edge is exhausting. At Cura Mind and Wellness, patients in Riverside, CA receive personalized anxiety treatment that blends therapy skills, careful medication decisions, and practical lifestyle supports. Care is led by Vivian Emuobe, MSN, BSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, a board certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner licensed in California, with experience across hospital and outpatient settings and leadership in structured group programs.
We offer in person visits in Riverside, and secure telehealth across California. Plans are clear, culturally sensitive, and designed for real life in the Inland Empire.
Note for California, TMS is not offered at the Riverside office. If an advanced option is clinically appropriate, we discuss alternatives and coordinate trusted referrals.
How anxiety shows up, and why it is more than “stress”
Common signs include:
- Persistent worry that is hard to turn off,
- Physical symptoms, tight chest, racing heart, stomach distress,
- Panic episodes that seem to arrive out of nowhere,
- Avoidance of meetings, traffic, or social plans,
- Irritability, muscle tension, and feeling “always on,”
- Trouble focusing, forgetfulness, or decision paralysis,
- Sleep disruption, difficulty falling asleep, early waking.
Anxiety often overlaps with depression, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, and sleep disorders. Our evaluation separates lookalike conditions so treatment targets the true drivers.
What your anxiety treatment can include
Evidence based therapy
- CBT, identify patterns, test predictions, and practice behavior shifts that reduce worry,
- Exposure based strategies for panic, phobias, and social anxiety, paced and collaborative,
- DBT skills, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness for intense spikes,
- Trauma informed care when anxiety is linked to past events, paced and safety focused,
- CBT for insomnia when sleep fuels the cycle.
Thoughtful medication management
- SSRIs and SNRIs considered first line for many anxiety disorders,
- Non sedating alternatives when daytime function matters most,
- Short term aids used conservatively, with clear education and exit plans,
- Stepwise adjustments based on outcomes and side effects, not guesswork.
Practical lifestyle supports
- Brief breathing and grounding routines for between session use,
- Caffeine timing, nutrition patterns, and digital boundaries that reduce spikes,
- Movement plans that fit Riverside commutes and outdoor routines,
- Gene testing available when medication history shows side effects or limited benefit.
A Riverside specific plan that actually fits
The Inland Empire has its own rhythm, long commutes on the 91 or 60, shift work in healthcare, logistics, and education, weekend family time, and outdoor heat. We design tools for that reality.
Commute resets
- Two minute breath cycles at red lights,
- Safe voice notes for worries and to dos,
- Short playlists for grounding during traffic.
Presentation and test prep
- A three step loop, outline, rehearse, recover,
- Exposure ladders for public speaking and classroom participation.
Sleep in a busy household
- Consistent wake time, light timing, screen cutoffs,
- Wind down routines that survive variable shifts.
Weekend structure
- Planned recovery blocks, morning movement before errands,
- Social plans that respect anxiety triggers while expanding capacity.
Your first eight weeks, a practical roadmap
- Weeks 1 to 2, evaluation and plan: We clarify anxiety type, severity, co existing conditions, sleep, and medical factors. You leave with a written plan, therapy focus, skills to practice, medication options when appropriate, and first progress markers.
- Weeks 3 to 4, skills and early monitoring: CBT exercises begin, thought records, exposure hierarchy, or CBT-I routines. If a medication starts, we review early effects and adjust timing or dose as needed.
- Weeks 5 to 6, exposure and stabilization: Gradual, supported exposure to feared cues, paired with coping tools. Lifestyle anchors are refined, wake time, light, movement, and nutrition.
- Weeks 7 to 8, consolidate and maintain: Reduced avoidance, steadier mornings, more participation at work or school. We confirm what works and set a maintenance path.
The pace flexes to you. The point is steady, sustainable change that holds in Riverside routines.
What progress looks like
- Fewer spikes and faster recovery after stress,
- More predictable sleep with steadier morning energy,
- Better focus and task follow through,
- Clearer communication and healthier boundaries,
- Less avoidance, more engagement in valued activities,
- Confidence using skills without needing a perfect day.
We track outcomes with symptom scales, session ratings, and functional goals, attendance, presentations, emails, bedtime and wake time consistency.
Collaboration and safety
With your written consent, we coordinate with primary care, therapists, or specialists. Communication is concise, diagnoses, medication list, current plan. If significant risk appears, we create a safety plan and discuss higher levels of care transparently. If you are ever in immediate danger, seek emergency care right away.
All sessions, in person or virtual, are private and HIPAA compliant. For telehealth, you must be physically in California during the visit.
What we do not do
- One size fits all plans,
- Automatic prescriptions without discussion,
- Long term use of sedating medications without reassessment,
- Pressure to choose any single treatment path,
- Promises of instant relief. We focus on durable progress.
FAQs — Anxiety Treatment in Riverside, CA
-
Both can help. Many patients benefit from CBT plus a first line medication. We decide together based on history and goals.
-
Some skills, paced breathing and grounding, help right away. Medication timelines vary, early changes often appear within a few weeks, with continued gains across eight to twelve weeks.
-
Yes. We use interoceptive and situational exposure plus coping skills. Medication support is added when helpful.
-
Yes, when clinically appropriate and compliant with California rules. You must be physically in the state during the session.
-
No. TMS is not offered at the Riverside office. If an advanced option fits your needs, we discuss alternatives and provide referrals.
-
Yes. Every evaluation includes a documented plan, therapy focus, medication choices if indicated, monitoring steps, and a follow up schedule.
-
Yes. We tailor exposure, skills practice, and medication timing to exam seasons, clinical rotations, and variable shifts common in the Inland Empire.
Why Riverside patients choose Cura
- Board certified expertise, licensed in California with inpatient and outpatient leadership,
- Integrated model, therapy and medication management within one practice,
- Local access, in person care in Riverside, telehealth statewide for busy weeks,
- Measured progress, symptom tracking and functional goals,
- Whole person planning, sleep, movement, and nutrition supports that amplify results,
- Culturally sensitive care, respectful of Riverside’s diverse communities.
Begin anxiety treatment in Riverside
Anxiety is treatable, and progress is measurable. With in person appointments in Riverside and telehealth across California, Cura Mind and Wellness provides structured care that is compassionate, practical, and effective. You will leave each visit knowing exactly what to do next.