What Types of Therapy Work Best for Anxiety?

If you’re struggling with anxiety, therapy is amongst the most effective treatments you can find. The good news is that there are a lot of treatments available – but the tricky part is that there are a lot of different options – and it can be hard to tell which ones might be effective or right for you. This article will give you some tips about the different types of therapies available, and on which one might be right for you. 

Firstly, it is important to remember that these therapies are what we call ‘evidence based’ – which means they’ve been proven to be effective in reducing or treating anxiety. This is important to remember – and it means that as you’re considering which one is right for you, you can choose based on the one that makes the most sense to you. You are much more likely to continue with therapy and engage well with it, if it is interesting to you and fits well with your personality. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) 

What is CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)? 

One of the most widely used anxiety treatments is CBT – and this therapy is also used successfully for depression. At its core, CBT focuses on the impact that our thoughts have on our emotions and behaviour. CBT therapists believe that feelings of anxiety are the result of negative thoughts about ourselves and the world that are not necessarily accurate – and that relief from anxiety comes from identifying and challenging those thoughts. CBT therapists work to identify negative core beliefs about ourselves (e.g. “I am unlovable”), and then help us to change our way of thinking – also changing how we feel about a situation, and how we behave in that situation (e.g. staying at a party instead of leaving early). 

Who does CBT work for? 

CBT has been shown to work for every type of population – and for multiple mental health issues. In particular, if you’re a structured and logical person, CBT can be very effective since it encourages us to break down our thoughts and feelings, and be systematic in how we deal with them. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

What is ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)? 

ACT is another widely used therapy that is useful for many mental health conditions as well as anxiety. ACT works on the idea that strong emotions (e.g. anxiety, fear, anger, sadness) are a completely normal part of life, and what matters is how we deal with them – and if we can accept the emotions as normal, and find ways of lessening their impact on us, we’ll be less impacted by anxiety. This therapy also encourages us to focus on what is really important to us (e.g. family, health, career) and accept that we are going to experience negative emotions from time to time if we have a full life. 

Who does ACT work for? 

ACT works well for most populations, and for people who are going through major changes in their lives, it can be really beneficial to also talk about their values and what matters to them in their lives. 

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) 

What is DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy)? 

DBT is a useful therapy that teaches us to tolerate distress and regulate our emotions in difficult and stressful situations. DBT therapists focus less on our thought processes and beliefs about ourselves, and focus more on building up our ability to manage strong feelings and not act impulsively in stressful situations. 

Who does DBT work for? 

DBT is most useful for anxiety issues, since it teaches us how to calm ourselves down and tolerate strong feelings. It is useful for people who are at risk of suicide or self harm, since it teaches a lot of coping skills that are designed to lessen the intensity of the emotions. It can sometimes but useful to combine DBT with other therapies, however, to get to the root cause of the anxiety.

Schema Therapy 

What is Schema Therapy? 

Schema therapy is a therapy that works on the understanding that our past experiences act as ‘filters’ through which we see the world – so past experiences of abuse, abandonment, rejection or failure can make us more sensitive to things in the future – and cause us anxiety and stress. Schema therapists assess our core schemas and identify the situations and memories that are attached to them – and work to shift the schema into something more helpful and less distressing.

Who does Schema Therapy work for? 

Schema therapy is useful for most populations, as it can be helpful to identify how our past experiences contribute to current anxiety symptoms. Schema Therapy can be of particular value to people who have had traumatic experiences which negatively affect their lives. Sometimes this therapy can be combined with other therapies such as DBT or ACT, which offer practical strategies for dealing with anxiety symptoms. 

Comparing CBT to ACT, to DBT, to Schema Therapy

Above are some of the best therapies that are useful for anxiety – and as you can see, they are all quite different. Depending on the therapist you see, they may use a combination of these therapies to help with your anxiety symptoms. Often it is useful to understand what caused the symptoms, and then create a plan of how to manage and reduce them, and a therapist will help you do this. Different people will respond better to different therapies – for example, if you enjoy talking about the past and analysing behaviour and situations, you may prefer Schema Therapy – whereas if you are more practical and physical, DBT might be better for you. Licensed therapists are trained in most of these therapies, so they can work with you to choose the type of therapy that will be the most effective for you. 

Why your relationship with your therapist is so important

One important thing to consider when choosing a therapy – and a therapist – is that what we call the ‘therapeutic relationship’ is of utmost importance. This means that if you trust and respect your therapist, and feel like they can help you, you are likely to engage well with therapy and make good progress. If you don’t trust or feel a connection with your therapist, your chance of making progress is less – even if you have chosen the perfect type of therapy for yourself. Fortunately most therapists are warm and helpful people, but if you aren’t feeling a connection with your therapist, it may be time to look for a new one, or discuss this issue with them. And if you’d like to know more about finding the right therapist for you, check our short guide here.

And in the meantime…

If you’re interested in trying out some of these therapies, the good news is that you don’t need to wait to see a therapist! Mental health apps like Mind Ease offer exercises based on CBT, ACT and DBT, and are designed to help you to manage anxiety wherever you are. For some people, Mind Ease is something they use in between therapy sessions, whereas for others it is something they use regularly to manage their anxiety symptoms. Daily exercises that take less than 10 minutes can make a significant change in mood and anxiety level, and help to deal with stresses that come up during the day. 

If you’d like reliable relief from anxiety, you can install Mind Ease for free here.