What is anxiety therapy?

Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Alexandria, VA can develop a treatment plan that will help you better manage your day-to-day anxiety or your anxiety disorder.

How does anxiety therapy work?

Anxiety therapy involves talking to a therapist about symptoms, potential causes, and more. Thriveworks Alexandria therapists will then work with you to determine where your anxiety might stem from and teach you effective coping mechanisms.

How to deal with anxiety?

One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to learn about your own anxiety: your symptoms, what triggers it, and what coping mechanisms have been effective in the past. When you learn what your anxiety is tied to, it can help you be mindful of what's really happening as well as prevent and mitigate symptoms by processing and working through the issue in therapy. Other strategies that have been shown to help manage anxiety are meditation, challenging anxious thoughts, exercising, and journaling.

Common symptoms of anxiety include:Sense of impending dangerNervousness/restlessnessTrouble focusingExcessive sweatingShakingHeadachesStomach issuesFatiguePanic attacksIncreased heart rate

What is the best therapy for anxiety?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be incredibly effective in treating anxiety and anxiety disorders. Other effective techniques include exposure therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and EMDR therapy.

Is anxiety therapy conducted in person or online?

Anxiety therapy is conducted both in person and online, depending on the individual's preferences and their therapist's availability. We suggest choosing the option that best suits your needs.

How long does anxiety therapy last?

On average, people can tend to attend 15 to 20 session of anxiety therapy (five or more months). However, this number is heavily dependent on the type of anxiety that's being treated and its severity, with many choosing to attend anxiety therapy for a longer period of time to ensure its effectiveness long-term.

Is therapy worth it for anxiety?

Yes, it is worth going to therapy for anxiety. If you are struggling with regular anxious thoughts and feelings that are affecting your day-to-day life or you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek expert anxiety help.

What is your go-to approach for anxiety therapy?

My go-to approach for treating anxiety is educating clients on the behavior of the amygdala and vagus nerve and the role they play in warning of danger. I also instruct the client on CBT and REBT techniques, relaxation breathing, imagery, and writing activities. I prefer to educate clients on the amygdala and vagus nerve roles to help them realize there is a way to control emotions, I enjoy teaching cognitive behavioral and rational emotive behavior techniques that allow the client to separate themself from the experience in order to rationalize and imagine the problem and solutions. I find the best benefit in engaging in conversational-style therapy, as it helps the client feel more at ease in sharing their difficulties, then helping them identify problems and solutions, and challenging them via homework to address what was discussed in sessions.

What tools do you teach in anxiety therapy?

I teach the following tools in anxiety therapy: Empty chair: Imagining the person the client identifies as having importance in an issue in the chair across from the client, with the client either telling the other person their feelings about them, the situation involving the person, or their anger toward the person, using a pillow to hit the chair if needed., Letter writing: Writing a letter to an identified person, dead or living, that has some importance in the client's concerns and using it to express the client's emotions. The client is then directed not to give it to the person, but to burn the letter, and imagine the smoke taking their words to the deceased helping them find their way into the person's thoughts., Calming breathing: All done in reps of 3 â breathe in through the nose for a slow count of 4, blow it out the mouth gently to the slow count of 6 or 8; take a deep breath and hold for as long as they safely can, then exhale., Guided imagery: 3 slow breaths to start and end, closing the eyes and continuing slow breathing as I describe either a light scanning activity or a walking/word descriptive activity., Thought stopping/thought challenging: I instruct the client to tell themselves âSTOP!â immediately when they're having anxious thoughts, then to try to solve a multi-digit math problem, do an exercise or activity, or schedule the thoughts for an hour on a certain day at a certain time. Then, they should keep the thought from invading afterward., How the mind affects the emotions that influence body language or verbal language that occurs based on the roles of the amygdala, hormones, memory center, placement of the amygdala in relation to the eyes (visual effect), frontal and pre-frontal executive functioning, and more brain functions, even including research showing how actual neurons have been identified in study participants stomach linings.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in anxiety therapy?

I know a client is making progress in anxiety therapy when they start the session telling me they did the homework activity and were surprised how much better they felt afterward! I know a client is making progress in anxiety therapy when they can maintain a level of calm, starting with short periods of time, while discussing the issues that are anxiety triggers for them.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement anxiety therapy?

Clients can supplement their time in anxiety therapy with handouts I send to them after intake, engaging in exercise, other activities discussed in sessions, or reading suggested books or books they found independently on the topic discussed.

What should someone do to prepare for starting anxiety therapy?

To prepare for your first anxiety therapy session, you can write down what you feel, when you feel it, how long it lasts, and how you address it. This way, you can let me know what you are bothered by, what happened before and after, and how you dealt with it.

Offered in-person & online

Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Alexandria, VA

Start in-person or online sessions with a provider you can trust. We accept most major insurances. Book online or by giving us a call

Book online Call (703) 454-8246

All Alexandria services

Services

Individual therapy Couples/marriage therapy Child/teen therapy Family therapy Online therapy Psychiatry/medication
Counseling approaches & specialties

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) ADHD therapy Alcohol addiction counseling Anger management therapy Anxiety therapy Bipolar disorder therapy Blended family counseling Borderline personality disorder counseling Child sexual abuse therapy Christian counseling Codependency therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) Dependent personality disorder therapy Depression counseling Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) Divorce counseling Domestic violence therapy Eating disorders EMDR therapy Emotional abuse counseling Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) Grief & loss counseling Humanistic therapy Infidelity counseling Insomnia therapy Internet addiction counseling LGBTQIA+ counseling Life transitions counseling Loneliness counseling Motivational interviewing Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapy (OCDT) Panic attack disorder therapy Person-centered therapy (PCT) Psychologists Self-harm counseling Sexual assault therapy Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) Strength-based therapy Stress management therapy Therapy for Black men & women Trauma/PTSD therapy
Call (703) 454-8246
Alexandria, VA therapy

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Care without the wait

See a licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or psychiatric provider in Alexandria, VA—in person or online, evenings and weekends available

Therapy for every life stage

Our providers work with individuals, couples, families, & teens for anxiety, depression, grief, & more

#1 for in-network coverage ^†

We accept UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, BCBS Plans, Humana, Aetna, & many more. Self-pay options available, no membership fees

Patients who get better

94% of patients feel truly understood by their provider. 3 out of 4 see improvement in depression & anxiety symptoms within 3 months

8,208 people sought anxiety therapy help at Alexandria in the last year

Discover how starting anxiety therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

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We don't have any openings right now, but schedules change daily. We’ll reach out as soon as a spot opens up.

Saturday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Sunday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Monday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday	8:00am - 9:30pm
Friday	8:00am - 9:30pm

Saturday	8:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday	8:00am - 6:00pm
Monday	8:00am - 11:00pm
Tuesday	8:00am - 11:00pm
Wednesday	8:00am - 11:00pm
Thursday	8:00am - 11:00pm
Friday	8:00am - 11:00pm

Offered in-person & online

Our therapists provide anxiety therapy in Alexandria, VA

Start in-person or online sessions with a provider you can trust. We accept most major insurances. Book online or by giving us a call

All Alexandria services

Care without the wait

Therapy for every life stage

#1 for in-network coverage †

Patients who get better

8,208 people sought anxiety therapy help at Alexandria in the last year

Discover how starting anxiety therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with an anxiety therapist as soon as this week

Stay updated on availability

Common approaches to Anxiety therapy

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)

Christian counseling

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

EMDR therapy

Emotionally focused therapy (EFT)

Humanistic therapy

Motivational interviewing

Person-centered therapy (PCT)

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)

Strength-based therapy

Anxiety therapy FAQs

What is anxiety therapy?

How does anxiety therapy work?

How to deal with anxiety?

Symptoms of anxiety

What is the best therapy for anxiety?

Is anxiety therapy conducted in person or online?

How long does anxiety therapy last?

Is therapy worth it for anxiety?

Pricing & insurance

Insurance options

Self-pay costs

Our therapists and counselors in Virginia accept 31 insurance plans

Adventist Health Associates | Employee Health Plan

Adventist Health Associates | Non-Employee Health Plan

Aetna

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | Exchange

CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS HMO

CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS PPO

Carelon

Cigna | Evernorth

Compsych

Firefly Health Plan | Cigna PPO Network

First Health Network

HealthSpring | Medicare Advantage

Humana Medicare Advantage

JP Farley Corporation

Medcost VA

Medicare VA

Multi Plan PHCS

Optum Serve

Oscar Health

Poppins Health

Railroad Medicare

Sentara Health Plans (Optima Health)

Tricare East | Out of Network Provider

UMR

United Healthcare | Optum

United Healthcare | Optum Medicare Advantage

Uprise EAP

See my self-pay options

Talk therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Psychiatry

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

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#1 for in-network coverage ^†