As a therapist for over 25 years, I’ve seen innovative and lesser-known approaches therapists use to treat anxiety make a profound difference for someone. Sometimes, I suggest a therapy a client’s never heard of, but they try it, and it’s the first time in their life their anxiety feels under control.
Anxiety disorders are the second most common mental health condition worldwide, affecting millions of people every day. Yet, people respond very differently to treatments. Fortunately, over the past 30-40 years, there’s been a remarkable surge in effective non-pharmaceutical therapies for anxiety. This is a testament to the ongoing research and dedication to improving the lives of those struggling with anxiety.
Today, a therapist can offer many types of treatments for anxiety. Some will be more effective for you than others. I recommend knowing the options available, so in this article, I share several methods therapists use to help individuals manage their anxiety and achieve mental well-being.
Common Approaches Therapists Use to Treat Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective and widely used therapies for anxiety. It focuses on identifying and altering negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. CBT helps individuals understand how their thoughts influence their emotions and behaviors. By learning to recognize irrational thoughts, individuals learn how to reframe these thoughts into more constructive and realistic perspectives.
Studies have shown that CBT significantly reduces anxiety symptoms by teaching clients how to break the cycle of fear and avoidance (Hofmann et al., 2012). In my experience, consistently practicing CBT techniques builds lasting emotional resilience.
Thought Replacement
Thought replacement is an extension of CBT that involves replacing negative or anxiety-inducing thoughts with more positive or neutral ones. During therapy, individuals learn to catch harmful thoughts in real time and consciously substitute them with thoughts that counteract anxiety.
This method reduces the intensity of anxious responses over time. A therapist may give you scripts or affirmations to use in moments of heightened anxiety to ground you in a more rational and empowering mental narrative (Clark & Beck, 2010).
Treating Trauma With EMDR
For individuals whose anxiety stems from past trauma, working through the traumatic experience with a therapist is essential. Trauma-focused therapies, such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), help individuals process traumatic memories and reduce their hold on current mental health. By gradually confronting these memories in a safe environment, clients learn to desensitize their triggers and reduce trauma-related anxiety (Shapiro, 2017).
Lesser-Known Approaches Therapists Use to Treat Anxiety
Treating Trauma with Brainspotting
Brainspotting may not be as well-known for treating trauma as EMDR, but it is a powerful therapeutic approach we like to use in our practice. Brainspotting involves guiding a client to specific points in their visual field that correlate with unprocessed trauma in the brain. By focusing on these points, clients are able to release trapped emotional energy and experience relief from anxiety and other painful emotions. This technique is particularly effective because it bypasses the thinking brain, allowing individuals to access the body’s innate healing mechanisms.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a mind-body technique used to help individuals gain control over physiological functions that are usually unconscious, such as heart rate, muscle tension, and breathing. For anxiety sufferers, biofeedback teaches them how to relax by consciously regulating these responses.
Using sensors attached to the body, therapists show real-time data on physiological responses to stress and anxiety, such as increased heart rate or muscle tension. With this feedback, clients learn relaxation techniques that can be applied in moments of stress, making biofeedback a very effective tool for anxiety management (Yucha & Montgomery, 2008).
Breathing Techniques
Although it seems simple, teaching effective breathing techniques is one of the more powerful approaches therapists use to treat anxiety. Research has consistently shown that regular practice of controlled breathing can lower anxiety and enhance overall emotional well-being (Jerath et al., 2015).
Therapists guide clients in diaphragmatic breathing, where slow, deep breaths are taken from the diaphragm instead of shallow chest breaths. This type of breathing activates the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, helping to calm the mind and reduce physiological arousal caused by anxiety.
Relaxation Imagery
Relaxation imagery, also known as guided imagery, is a therapeutic technique where a person imagines calming scenes to reduce anxiety. Relaxation imagery has been found to lower physiological markers of stress, such as cortisol levels, making it a useful tool for individuals with anxiety disorders (Hofmann et al., 2012).
A therapist guides clients through this mental exercise, helping them create vivid, sensory-rich images that create relaxation. By focusing on these images, individuals enter a state of mental calm they can recreate on their own.
Sound Therapy
Research shows that sound therapy reduces symptoms of anxiety by promoting relaxation and altering brainwave activity (Levitin, 2007). It’s particularly beneficial when combined with other therapeutic techniques.
Sound therapy uses auditory elements to reduce stress and anxiety. Techniques such as binaural beats, music therapy, and tuning forks can help restore balance to the nervous system. Therapists integrate sound therapy as a complementary method to provide immediate relaxation and mental clarity.
Spiritual Growth Counseling
For individuals who value spirituality, integrating spiritual growth into therapy can be highly effective in managing anxiety. Studies have found that spiritual counseling can complement traditional therapeutic approaches and significantly enhance emotional health (Koenig, 2012).
Spiritual counseling focuses on helping clients connect with their inner selves, develop a sense of purpose, or find comfort in spiritual practices.
This holistic approach empowers individuals to use their faith or belief systems as a foundation for resilience, inner peace, and anxiety relief.
A therapist can offer a wide range of approaches to treat anxiety, from evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and biofeedback to holistic techniques such as sound therapy and spiritual counseling. By working with a therapist, clients can develop tools that reduce their anxiety in the short term and create long-term mental well-being and peace.
Need help Managing Anxiety?
Our Compassionate Therapists Can Help
If you’re struggling with anxiety, our experienced therapists at Anchor Point are here to support you every step of the way. We’re dedicated to helping you live your best life! We use many different techniques, including the holistic approaches in this article, to tailor a treatment plan that best suits you as an individual. Anchor Point serves Conyers, Covington, Rockdale County, Newton County, and the Metro Atlanta area.
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References
Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. Guilford Press. https://psycnet.apa.org
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive therapy and research, 36(5), 427-440. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3584580
Jerath, R., Edry, J. W., Barnes, V. A., & Jerath, V. (2015). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical hypotheses, 85(3), 486-496. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16624497/
Koenig, H. G. (2012). Religion, spirituality, and health: The research and clinical implications. ISRN psychiatry, 2012, 278730. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3671693
Levitin, D. J. (2007). This is your brain on music: The science of a human obsession. Plume.
Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures. Guilford Publications.
Yucha, C., & Montgomery, D. (2008). Evidence-based practice in biofeedback and neurofeedback. AAPB.chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.advantagehcs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/EvidenceBasedYuchaMontgomeryW.pdf