Let’s face it, we all experience anxiety in very different ways. Even if there is an agreeance of what it is and how we define it, each of us have our own unique way of living with it. This is exactly why there is no “one size fits all” for its treatment. Luckily, within psychotherapy there is a variety of treatment options that can meet each individual’s needs. Working with a psychotherapist will allow clients to not only gain a better understanding of their anxiety, but what the proper treatment plan would be.
Fact of the matter is that psychotherapy has the power of creating awareness of feelings, helping you understand why you feel the way you do and what types of triggers are involved. Many types of therapy teach various techniques to help the individual reframe negative thinking and change their behaviors. Through teamwork, creating a strong therapeutic relationship, the anxiety can be tackled and dealt with.
What are the various forms of psychotherapy for anxiety?
Truth is, there are many, but luckily, we’ve pinned it down to the top 6.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This assists in helping clients shift their negative thinking and behaviors that are often associated with anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy allows the change in thought processes and the behaviors that cause troublesome feelings.
2. Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)
As the name implies, this particular therapy focuses on acceptance. It strongly emphasizes the idea that through the acceptance of our circumstances, our symptoms of, say anxiety, will lead to psychological flexibility.
3. Exposure Therapy
This is one of the more common CBT method that has proven to be sufficient in treating a variety of anxiety disorders. The main premise here is that if you are afraid of something, it is best to tackle it head-on. The therapist slowly introduces the client with anxiety-producing objects of situations. This is known as “systematic desensitization” and consists of three steps: relax, list and expose.
4. Art Therapy
This particular form of psychotherapy is non-verbal and typically involves using either visual art to express and process emotion or using art to practice mindfulness and relaxation. Though it can be used as a standalone therapy, it is commonly used in combination with other treatment methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
5. Psychoanalytic Therapy
Based on a Freudian model, this form of psychotherapy believes that anxiety symptoms reflect unconscious conflicts. The purpose of this therapy is to resolve the issues. Both therapist and client look into the thoughts, fears and desires in order to have a better understanding of how the client views him/herself and to reduce your anxiety.
6. Interpersonal Therapy
Here, we’re focusing on social roles and relationships. The client works with the therapist in order to identify any interpersonal issues they may have, such as unresolved grief, conflicts with family or friends, changes in work or social roles and problems relating to others. The client will then begin to learn healthier ways of expressing emotions and ways to improve communication with others.
Something to remember with therapy in general, is that it is not an immediate change in how you feel. Though this might happen to some people, there are those who begin to feel worse before they can start feeling better.
Here at InnerSight Psychotherapy, our goal is to work with the client in figuring out which form of therapy works for them and how they can have an active role in changing their thoughts and behavior. If you are feeling anxious and want to speak to one of our therapists, click “book now” to meet with any of our amazing therapists. You will not regret it!
