ANXIETY THERAPY IN NYC

Anxiety is a common and normal emotion.

In fact, anxiety is a necessary emotion.

Anxiety, in its purest form, is there to keep us on track, remind us of things, and keep us out of danger. It was especially helpful when humanity’s biggest threat was being chased by a wooly mammoth.

Today, while we have far fewer immediate threats, the physiological sensation of anxiety from a work deadline can feel exactly the same. No wonder we don’t like the sensation … it can be intense!

Through CBT therapy, we can work to reduce your experience of anxiety and help you live a calmer and more balanced life.

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How can CBT therapy help with anxiety?

While anxiety is a normal part of our existence, excessive worrying, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, and incapacitating phobias can be debilitating.

Through therapy, you will learn to uncover the causes of your worries, learn how to face them differently, practice relaxation techniques to decrease the ‘fight/flight’ sensation, and learn to look at situations in a more neutral way.

It’s not your situation that determines how you feel. Rather, it’s your perception of that situation that makes you feel worried.

Our goal in therapy is to help you identify your negative thoughts, understand how those thoughts make you feel and react, and practice matching your new behaviors to what you would want your life to look like if you didn’t feel anxious.

Different anxiety disorders are treated differently, and the intensity and type of anxiety disorder will determine the length of treatment. Get in touch to learn more.

Face your anxiety head-on

For most of us, anxiety is not a pleasant emotion; so, it’s natural that we want to avoid experiencing it. Part of the anxiety therapy process is exposing yourself to situations or objects that you fear (in a safe and nonjudgmental space) with the goal of learning to cope with the discomfort.

Over time, you should notice a decrease in the intensity of your fear – until one day you find it no longer affects you.

We will practice this together by identifying your anxiety triggers and developing a safe plan to gently expose you to those triggers, both in session and on your own.

For example, if you have a fear of flying, we won’t start by getting on a plane. Instead, we’ll watch a YouTube video of a plane taking off, book a ticket online (refundable of course), go to the airport without flying, etc.

There are some anxiety disorders — like OCD and phobias — that are best addressed through the use of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment. This is part of our work at Collaborative CBT.

Whatever it is that makes you anxious, CBT therapy can help. Reach out today to learn more!