Anxiety Therapy: CBT, ACT, and Exposure-Based Treatment
When worry is running the show
A big presentation, a final exam, a first date…a never-ending stream of “what ifs” and dread that never seems to go away. When anxiety hops in the driver’s seat, peace of mind becomes a distant fantasy. Symptoms worsen, lives shrink and happiness fades away, giving way to overwhelm, fatigue, and stress.
Maybe you’ve managed it so far. Maybe you’ve tried to “power through” until things get better. Maybe you’re one of countless others so accustomed to anxiety that they don’t even question it anymore. Whatever your relationship to anxiety may be, it is one of the most treatable mental health conditions.
With the brain hard-wired to look out for threats, anxiety keeps us stuck between trying to live the life we want, and trying to keep ourselves safe. We avoid what is scary, we seek reassurance, we over-plan, all to gain short-term relief while we teach the brain that the threat is real. Treatment focuses on changing that cycle.
An Approach Built On What Works
We start by getting a clear picture of how anxiety shows up for you: what triggers it, what you do to cope, and what it's costing you. From there, we build a plan around your goals, whether that's sleeping better, speaking up at work, getting on the subway without dread, or simply feeling less on edge.
Sessions are collaborative and practical. You'll leave with concrete skills, not just insight, and you'll practice them between sessions, since that's where much of the change happens.
My work is rooted in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and I draw on two other well-supported approaches as needed:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identify the thinking patterns and behaviors that feed your anxiety, and learn practical ways to shift them.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Change your relationship with anxious thoughts and sensations, so they have less power to dictate what you do, and move toward the things that matter to you.
Exposure-based work: Gradually and deliberately approach the situations, sensations, or thoughts you've been avoiding, so your brain learns you can handle them.
Not everyone needs all three. We'll use what fits you, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
In practice
Generalized anxiety and chronic worry
Panic attacks and panic disorder
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Performance and work-related anxiety
Anxiety tied to major life transitions
This work is for adults. If your anxiety is driven by intrusive thoughts and compulsions, you may be dealing with OCD, which calls for a more specific approach. See my OCD & ERP page.
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