Anxiety Counseling – An Effective Solution For Anxiety
Anxiety disorders can make it hard to live life fully, restricting your productivity and ability to maintain healthy relationships with others. Therapy is an invaluable first step in restoring balance in your life and overcoming these struggles.
Treatment options for anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy and hypnotherapy. While some are more popular than others, all are effective in helping patients reduce their symptoms and feel more at ease within themselves.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a proven treatment option for treating various mental health issues, including anxiety disorders. This technique works by altering negative thoughts and behaviors by teaching skills like self-regulation, emotion awareness, and cognitive restructuring.
One of the most widely studied and utilized CBT techniques is exposure therapy. This aims to desensitize patients to the sensations that cause their fears by engaging in in vivo, imaginal, or interoceptive exposures.
Exposure has the primary goal of helping clients recognize and overcome their fears, giving them the courage to face them head on. Through exposure, patients gain self-efficacy which in turn allows them to lead more satisfying lives by conquering their anxieties.
Exposure can also be used to alter the fear structure, such as by introducing a novel stimulus or alternative thought that leads to an altered response. This type of technique is especially helpful for patients suffering from phobias since it often helps break the link between an object feared and its negative outcome.
Psychologists who practice exposure therapy employ various strategies, such as graded exposure, flooding, systematic desensitization and extinction. Additionally, they encourage clients to use relaxation exercises as they work through their fears.
Furthermore, exposure can be combined with other treatment modalities to maximize its effectiveness. For instance, a therapist might teach their client how to practice mindfulness meditation during an exposure session.
Other approaches to exposure therapies include hypnosis and EMDR therapy. Both techniques help clients focus on their distressing feelings, enabling them to release them without fear of reprisal or harm.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is usually only a short-term solution, cannot address the deeper underlying issues like hypnosis and EMDR can. They have even been known to be successful in treating chronic psychiatric conditions like PTSD and depression.
Some therapists may charge more than others, so it’s worth shopping around to find one who fits best. On average, therapy sessions last between $160 and $280 in cost for an hour-long session.
Make sure to consult with your insurance provider to determine what coverage you have for treatment. Many therapists accept major insurance plans and some even take out-of-pocket payments.
Some therapists offer online counseling, which can save time and money. This option may be especially advantageous if you find it difficult to visit a therapist face-to-face for whatever reason. Be aware that not all online therapists accept insurance, so you must pay out of pocket for each session.