“Does talking therapy help anxiety?”
I am a 34 year old female and I have anxiety. Does talking therapy help anxiety?
11 Answers
Yes, it is very effective for anxiety disorders.
The short answer is yes. The *things* that get talked about will be important to your treatment and recovery. There are specific skills and techniques that aim at reducing anxiety and challenging the thoughts that brought on the anxiety in the first place such as a Though Record, challenging and/or reframing automatic thoughts, identifying and challenging cognitive distortions, mindfulness-based skills, engaging in exposure response prevention exercises, etc. I highly recommend that you work with a therapist well trained in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
It does. Some people just need to reflect and renew.
Hi,
Thank you for your question. Yes, talk therapy can absolutely help anxiety! There are many forms of talk therapy that can help to reduce anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). There are many ways to calm anxiety without medication. Anxiety reduction and relaxation techniques include deep diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises, mindfulness meditation, practicing positive mantras or positive self-talk, guided imagery and visualization, and journaling or
stream of consciousness writing. I would recommend you seek services from a mental health professional to help with anxiety reduction.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Thank you for your question. Yes, talk therapy can absolutely help anxiety! There are many forms of talk therapy that can help to reduce anxiety, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). There are many ways to calm anxiety without medication. Anxiety reduction and relaxation techniques include deep diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, grounding exercises, mindfulness meditation, practicing positive mantras or positive self-talk, guided imagery and visualization, and journaling or
stream of consciousness writing. I would recommend you seek services from a mental health professional to help with anxiety reduction.
I hope this has been helpful!
Best,
Jenna Torres, PsyD
Yes, As a counselor I cannot tell you how many clients have told me that talking has helped their anxiety. I would highly recommend seeking out a client centered approach counselor.
Hello and thank you for your question,
Talk therapy can help with anxiety because it affords you the opportunity to learn coping skills.
Thank you,
Patricia Harris | MA, LPC
Talk therapy can help with anxiety because it affords you the opportunity to learn coping skills.
Thank you,
Patricia Harris | MA, LPC
Yes, absolutely! Find a therapist who can teach you coping skills in addition to processing :)
Heather Keller
Counselor/Therapist
The simple answer is yes and it depends. I do both talk therapy and EMDR with many people reporting great results.
See this link for some answers to your question:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/benefits-of-talking-therapy/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/benefits-of-talking-therapy/
Absolutely if the anxiety is situational. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best treatment but you need a very good therapist.
Talk therapy does help as oftentimes we are unable or afraid to really express what is on our minds for various reasons. We may not be aware what causes our anxiety as it may not be available in our conscious mind as we may have suppressed past experiences. Talk therapy helps feel understood, validated and helps us gain knowledge about how to alleviate or reduce anxiety. Just remember that talk therapy is one among other therapeutic methods (i.e., hypnotherapy, deep breathing, mindfulness etc.) which may help reduce anxiety. I hope I clarified your question.
