Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes of Anxiety DisordersTypes of Anxiety TherapyEfficacy of Anxiety TherapyWhat to ExpectMake Therapy Work for You

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Types of Anxiety Therapy

Efficacy of Anxiety Therapy

What to Expect

Make Therapy Work for You

Close

In some cases, medications have a role in treatinganxiety disorders. But for many,therapy—alone or in combination with medication—is the most effective treatment option. This is because therapy, unlike medication, gives you the tools to manage the anxiety yourself, now and in the future.

Different therapeutic techniques have been developed to treat anxiety and have evolved over time, from psychoanalytic approaches to the newest cognitive behavioral therapies.

The Best Online Therapy for Anxiety, Tried and Tested

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

About 19% of U.S. adults and 31% of adolescents age 13 to 18 experience anxiety each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).Several major types of anxiety disorders can be treated using therapeutic approaches, including:

Most modern therapy addresses negative thinking and avoidance to help you manage your anxiety.

The goal of all therapeutic approaches is to help you understand why you feel the way you feel, what your triggers are, and how you might change your reaction to them. Some types of therapy even teach practical techniques to help reframe your negative thinking and change your behaviors.

Anxiety disorders differ considerably, so therapy should be tailored to your specific symptoms and diagnosis. It can be conducted in an individual,family,couples, orgroupsetting. How often you meet with your therapist and for how long will depend on your specific symptoms and diagnosis.

Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals use several types of anxiety therapy. The choice of therapy also depends on your diagnosis and the severity of your symptoms.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)is the most widely-used therapy for anxiety disorders. Research has found it to be effective in treatingSAD, GAD, phobias, and panic disorders, among other conditions.

The premise of CBT is that your thoughts—not your current situation—affect how you feel and subsequently behave. So, the goal of CBT is to identify and understand your negative thinking and ineffective behavior patterns and replace them with more realistic thoughts and effective actions and coping mechanisms.

During this process, your therapist acts like a coach, teaching you helpful strategies. For example, you might do a lot of “black-and-white” thinking, where you assume that things are all bad or all good. Instead, you would replace those thoughts with the more realistic perception that there are many shades of grey in between.

It takes practice to use these strategies. Once you start to recognize your anxiety and your triggers, you can learn to apply the coping skills that you learn in CBT to manage fear, panic, and worry.

We Tried 100+ Therapy Services and Apps—And These Are the 8 Best for Online CBT

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapyis one of the most common CBT methods used to treat a variety of anxiety disorders, including specific phobias, SAD, and PTSD. The basic premise behind exposure therapy is that if you’re afraid of something, the best way to conquer it is head-on.

During exposure therapy, your therapist will slowly introduce you to anxiety-producing objects or situations. This is often done using a technique known as “systematic desensitization,” which involves three steps:

There are several ways your psychologist may expose you to anxiety-provoking stimuli. Here are the most common:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)is a highly effective type of CBT. Originally used to treatborderline personality disorder(BPD), DBT is now used to treat a variety of conditions, including anxiety.

DBT focuses on helping you develop what seems like a “dialectical” (opposite) outlook, practice acceptance, and embrace change. During DBT treatment, you’ll learn to accept your anxiety while actively working to change it. It’s similar to the notion of loving yourself the way you are while still trying to change yourself for the better.

DBT treatment teaches four powerful skills:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)is another form of therapy that has been shown effective for a variety of anxiety disorders. ACT involves identifying your life values and acting in ways that match your values.

ACT has two main components:

ACT helps people learn to accept the uncomfortable, anxious feelings they have. Instead of trying to suppress or change these feelings, they learn emotional strategies to help them tolerate discomfort.

Art Therapy

Art therapyis an experience-oriented therapy. It involves either using visual art (such as painting, drawing, and sculpting) to express and process emotion or using art to practice mindfulness and relaxation. Although it can be provided as a standalone therapy, it’s commonly used in combination with other treatment methods such as CBT.

Being a newer form of therapy, more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness in reducing anxiety symptoms.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

According to this Freudian model, anxiety symptoms reflect unconscious conflicts. The purpose of psychoanalytic therapy is to resolve them. Inpsychoanalysis, you and your therapist examine your thoughts, fears, and desires to better understand how you view yourself and to reduce your anxiety. This is one of the most intensive forms of treatment; it can take years to identify patterns in your ways of thinking.

The terms “psychoanalysis” and “psychodynamic therapy” are often used interchangeably, but psychoanalysis is actually a subset ofpsychodynamic therapy.

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal therapy(IPT) focuses on social roles and relationships. In IPT, you’ll work with your therapist to identify any interpersonal issues you may have, such as unresolved grief, conflicts with family or friends, changes in work or social roles, and problems relating to others. You’ll then learn healthy ways to express emotions and ways to improve your communication with others.

Although originally developed to treat major depression, IPT may be used if your anxiety relates primarily to your relationships with other people, as is the case with SAD.

Which anxiety therapy is best?Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a first-line treatment for anxiety. This approach can be highly effective in helping people recognize and change the negative thoughts that cause anxiety.However, it is important to recognize that each person is unique and may respond differently.

Which anxiety therapy is best?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a first-line treatment for anxiety. This approach can be highly effective in helping people recognize and change the negative thoughts that cause anxiety.However, it is important to recognize that each person is unique and may respond differently.

Anxiety is highly treatable. Psychotherapy can be very effective, but medications, lifestyle changes, and relaxation strategies can also help.

One meta-analysis found that several types of therapy were effective in treating anxiety symptoms, including individual and group CBT, mindfulness therapies, and psychodynamic therapy.Online therapy,eye movement desensitization reprocessing(EMDR), and interpersonal therapy also demonstrated efficacy.

This study found that the treatment option with the highest efficacy combined individual CBT with medication.

Studies suggest that online anxiety therapy appears to be as effective as face-to-face therapy.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

What to Expect From Anxiety Therapy

A common misunderstanding about therapy is that you’ll immediately start to feel better. Sometimes this is the case. But much of the time, you feel worse before you start feeling better. Surprisingly, feeling worse is often a sign of progress. And if you think about it, that makes sense.

When you make the decision to enter into therapy, it’s often because you haven’t been able to work through your anxiety on your own. Therapy involves exploring your anxiety and the reasons behind it in a deeper, more meaningful way. This can cause a temporary spike in your anxiety.

Therapy should never be thought of as a quick fix. It’s a process that’s unique to each individual. The type of therapy you need, the skills that you learn, and how long you’re in therapy depends entirely on the type of anxiety you have and the severity of your symptoms.

It’s important to understand that though the process won’t always feel good, it will be completely worthwhile in the end.

What to Know About a Therapy Treatment Plan

How to Make the Most of Therapy

Trying to make a change can be a challenge. Anxiety therapy is no exception. However, if you are persistent, you should see improvement.

Here are a few ways to make the most of your therapy—and actually see some results:

In this way, you can see that putting in an effort and being present throughout the therapy process will have the biggest impact on how well it works for you.

Best Online Anxiety Support Groups of 2024

A Word From Verywell

If you live with anxiety and it impairs your day-to-day functioning, it is important to seek help from your doctor or mental health professional. If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, an effective treatment plan that includes one of the therapies mentioned above can be devised that will help you to overcome symptoms and manage your anxiety.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Beyond worry: How psychologists help with anxiety disorders.Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHeo S, Park JH.Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Graded Exposure Therapy on PTSD Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 29;19(23):15911. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315911. PMID: 36497989; PMCID: PMC9735589.Tavakoli T, Hoseini M, Tabatabaee TSJ, et al.Comparison of dialectical behavior therapy and anti-anxiety medication on anxiety and digestive symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.J Res Med Sci. 2020;25:59. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_673_19Dindo L, Van Liew JR, Arch JJ.Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions.Neurotherapeutics. 2017;14(3):546-553. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Abbing A, Ponstein A, Van Hooren S, De Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E.The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0208716. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208716Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinBandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D.Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015;30(4):183-192. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000078Singh S, Sagar R.Online psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Indian J Psychol Med. 2022;44(2):177-180. doi:10.1177/02537176211070427Additional ReadingKelson J, Rollin A, Ridout B, Campbell A.Internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety treatment: Systematic review.J Med Internet Res. 2019;21(1):e12530. doi:10.2196/12530

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Beyond worry: How psychologists help with anxiety disorders.Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHeo S, Park JH.Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Graded Exposure Therapy on PTSD Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 29;19(23):15911. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315911. PMID: 36497989; PMCID: PMC9735589.Tavakoli T, Hoseini M, Tabatabaee TSJ, et al.Comparison of dialectical behavior therapy and anti-anxiety medication on anxiety and digestive symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.J Res Med Sci. 2020;25:59. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_673_19Dindo L, Van Liew JR, Arch JJ.Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions.Neurotherapeutics. 2017;14(3):546-553. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Abbing A, Ponstein A, Van Hooren S, De Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E.The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0208716. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208716Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinBandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D.Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015;30(4):183-192. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000078Singh S, Sagar R.Online psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Indian J Psychol Med. 2022;44(2):177-180. doi:10.1177/02537176211070427Additional ReadingKelson J, Rollin A, Ridout B, Campbell A.Internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety treatment: Systematic review.J Med Internet Res. 2019;21(1):e12530. doi:10.2196/12530

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Beyond worry: How psychologists help with anxiety disorders.Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinHeo S, Park JH.Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Graded Exposure Therapy on PTSD Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 29;19(23):15911. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315911. PMID: 36497989; PMCID: PMC9735589.Tavakoli T, Hoseini M, Tabatabaee TSJ, et al.Comparison of dialectical behavior therapy and anti-anxiety medication on anxiety and digestive symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.J Res Med Sci. 2020;25:59. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_673_19Dindo L, Van Liew JR, Arch JJ.Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions.Neurotherapeutics. 2017;14(3):546-553. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.Abbing A, Ponstein A, Van Hooren S, De Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E.The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0208716. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208716Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkinBandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D.Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015;30(4):183-192. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000078Singh S, Sagar R.Online psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Indian J Psychol Med. 2022;44(2):177-180. doi:10.1177/02537176211070427

National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.

American Psychological Association.Beyond worry: How psychologists help with anxiety disorders.

Kaczkurkin AN, Foa EB.Cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders: an update on the empirical evidence.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2015;17(3):337-346. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.3/akaczkurkin

Heo S, Park JH.Effects of Virtual Reality-Based Graded Exposure Therapy on PTSD Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 29;19(23):15911. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315911. PMID: 36497989; PMCID: PMC9735589.

Tavakoli T, Hoseini M, Tabatabaee TSJ, et al.Comparison of dialectical behavior therapy and anti-anxiety medication on anxiety and digestive symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.J Res Med Sci. 2020;25:59. doi:10.4103/jrms.JRMS_673_19

Dindo L, Van Liew JR, Arch JJ.Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions.Neurotherapeutics. 2017;14(3):546-553. doi:10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3

Hasheminasab M, Babapour Kheiroddin J, Mahmood Aliloo M, Fakhari A.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for generalized anxiety disorder.Iran J Public Health. 2015;44(5):718-719.

Abbing A, Ponstein A, Van Hooren S, De Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E.The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.PLoS ONE. 2018;13(12):e0208716. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208716

Bandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D.Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis.Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015;30(4):183-192. doi:10.1097/YIC.0000000000000078

Singh S, Sagar R.Online psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The good, the bad, and the ugly.Indian J Psychol Med. 2022;44(2):177-180. doi:10.1177/02537176211070427

Kelson J, Rollin A, Ridout B, Campbell A.Internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety treatment: Systematic review.J Med Internet Res. 2019;21(1):e12530. doi:10.2196/12530

Hannah Owens, LMSW

Meet Our Review Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?HelpfulReport an ErrorOtherSubmit

What is your feedback?