Best Types of Therapy Treatments for Anxiety

Anxiety, worry, nervousness, and panic can wear you out, sap your energy, and destroy relationships. But there is help available. 

Many therapies have the potential for relieving stress and improving your mental health. 

Some counselors use a particular approach mainly or exclusively, while others—like myself—prefer to take an eclectic approach that draws from a variety of therapeutic methods.

Self-help books written by therapists—like myself—are a relatively inexpensive way to learn anti-anxiety tips and techniques. 

Working with a therapist one-on-one or in groups can provide more individualized care that addresses your particular needs. 

What's in This Post

Looking for a therapist near you to help with anxiety? If you would like to talk about working with me one-on-one for anxiety counseling, complete the contact form for a free half-hour consultation. 

Looking for self-help anxiety resources or materials to use with your clients or students? I have created many anti-anxiety downloadable PDF worksheets, books, and recordings. Check them out for stress-relieving tips and techniques.  

What is Therapy?

Therapy is a broad term that refers to a variety of approaches aimed at improving mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

When it comes to anxiety, therapy can take different forms:

• Psychotherapy (counseling) focuses on the mental and emotional aspects, helping individuals understand their thoughts, regulate their emotions, and adjust unhelpful behaviors.
  
• Complementary therapies—such as massage or acupuncture—support stress reduction and address the physical aspects of anxiety.

Psychotherapy or counseling is a collaborative process where you partner with a trained professional to explore and address your mental and behavioral health.

It offers a safe and confidential space to process challenges, gain clarity, and develop strategies that reduce pain and increase happiness.

Counseling may involve tackling big challenges—like healing trauma—or making small tweaks to take an already good life up a notch. 

Many people think counseling is just venting to a professional, but it’s much more than that. It is an opportunity to talk things out, but it's also a chance to get a fresh perspective from someone trained to help and learn new self-improvement skills.

Psychotherapy FAQ: Answers to Common Questions About Counseling

Before getting into specifics about different forms of mental health counseling, let's address some frequently asked questions about counseling.

Is therapy only for people with serious problems?

No! Therapy isn’t just for crisis situations—it’s for anyone who wants support, self-improvement, or new coping skills. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, stress, relationship challenges, or simply want to grow as a person, therapy can help.

Why is therapy good for everyone?

Therapy provides a safe, supportive space to talk, gain self-awareness, heal emotional wounds, and learn valuable techniques for handling life’s ups and downs. Even if you’re not struggling with a diagnosable mental illness or personality disorder, therapy can help you:

• Understand yourself and others better
• Improve communication and relationships
  
• Gain clarity on personal goals and values
• Break unhelpful habits or patterns
• Increase overall emotional resilience
• Boost your self-confidence and happiness

And that’s just a partial list of the many benefits therapy can offer.

What therapy is good for everyone?

From my perspective as someone who has been on both the receiving and giving ends of therapy, I believe that counseling is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. That's why I've taken opportunities for training in a wide range of approaches and have listed many therapeutic options in this post. 

Do I have to talk about my past in therapy?

Some therapies focus on past experiences, while others, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), focus more on present challenges and practical strategies. The list of therapeutic interventions below can help you pick approaches that match your personality and goals. 

Can therapy help with anxiety?

There are many anti-anxiety therapies designed to help with all types of anxiety, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and specific phobias, like fear of flying.

Therapy can also help reduce anxious, worried, nervous, or stressed thoughts and feelings that may be interfering with your happiness and success—even if they don’t reach the level of a formal diagnosis.

Counseling can be indispensable for processing anxiety—whether from past experiences or present stressors—that is weighing you down or ramping you up. It provides tools to manage anxious thoughts, reduce physical symptoms of anxiety, and build coping skills for greater stress resilience.

12 Psychotherapy Approaches for Anxiety Relief 

Therapies for anxiety come in many forms, each offering unique strategies to alleviate symptoms and promote emotional well-being.

While some approaches focus on addressing past experiences, others emphasize practical skills for managing current stressors, improving resilience, or incorporating lifestyle changes to support mental well-being.

This partial list of therapeutic interventions highlights some of the most effective therapies for anxiety, showcasing the wide range of options available.

1. Talk Therapy is a catch-all term for a variety of words-based therapies. In its simplest form, it offers support and guidance.

2. Psychoeducation provides information and skills training.

3. Bibliotherapy uses books and workbooks (like my Becoming Calm: Silver Lining Reduce Anxiety and Increase Stress Resilience Workbook and Journal) to aid change. Therapists will often make suggestions along these lines to keep therapy going between sessions.

4. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on the core concept that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected.

5. Psychodynamic Therapy aims to address and change the negative impact that the client’s past has on their current and future thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

6. Exposure Therapy assists clients to systematically confront objects of their fears and phobias.

7. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., side-to-side eye movement) during the recall of traumatic memories to better integrate the experiences and reduce the emotional load associated with the memories.

8. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) uses light tapping or touch of acupressure points to relieve emotional distress from current and past experiences. (The therapist doesn’t touch the client. It’s more like a call-and-repeat sequence.)

9. Mindfulness-Based Therapy emphasizes mindfulness and meditative practices as change agents.

10. Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis specifically for therapeutic purposes. It helps you relax, much like in guided meditation or visualization, or yoga relaxation techniques. It gets past the busy conscious mind and accesses your subconscious to undo harm from experiences, reinforce new ways of being, and affect positive change. (I find hypnotherapy is a great piece in the healing-anxiety puzzle. My Discover Calm Anti-Anxiety Hypnosis is available as an mp3 downloadable recording.)

11. Integrative Medicine for Mental Health looks at both the body and mind. It integrates psychological theories together with knowledge about how physical processes, nutrition, and lifestyle impact mood. (I have a certificate in Integrative Medicine for Mental Health and spent four years researching and writing about natural remedies for anxiety. The results are in my book Feed Your Calm: Anti-Anxiety Anti-Stress Diet and Supplement Tips for Stress Resilience .)

12. Positive Psychology focuses on building resilience and fostering well-being by emphasizing strengths, gratitude, optimism, and other positive traits.

When dealing with your stress and anxiety, you may want to combine counseling with a physical approach to stress relief that complements the psychological work. 

3 Complementary Therapies for Anxiety Relief

Complementary anti-anxiety therapies can play a powerful supporting role in reducing symptoms and promoting overall well-being.

Acupuncture, massage, and biofeedback are three evidence-based options that can complement primary treatment plans, offering relief through unique mechanisms rooted in both ancient practices and modern science.

Here’s a closer look at these therapies and the research supporting their effectiveness.

Massage Therapy for Anxiety

Massage therapy can relax your body and mind.

A 2014 Meta-Analysis of Massage Therapy Research found that individuals who received regular massage sessions experienced significant reductions in anxiety levels compared to control groups.

The American Association of Massage Therapy summary of research studying massage's anti-anxiety impact shows it can:

• Relax tense muscles
• Calm your mind
• Reduce the stress hormone, cortisol
• Increase the feel-good neurotransmitter, serotonin
• Lower blood pressure and heart rate
• Improve sleep

This therapy’s calming effects can help break the cycle of chronic stress that often exacerbates anxiety symptoms, making it a practical addition to anxiety treatment plans.

Acupuncture for Stress Relief

Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to balance energy flow.

A 2021 research review published in Annals of General Psychiatry found that acupuncture significantly reduced anxiety in people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). 

Since acupuncture has specific target points for each issue being worked on, find an acupuncturist who is experienced in helping clients with stress relief if you are going to give this modality a try for reducing anxiety. 

Acupressure is a do-it-yourself technique that uses pressure instead of needles on the same places on your body as those targeted in acupuncture. By applying firm yet gentle pressure to specific acupoints, acupressure can help stimulate the body’s natural healing response, alleviate tension, and reduce anxiety. 

The Healthline website has a great article with graphics and instructions on 6 Pressure Points for Anxiety Relief.

Biofeedback Anti-Anxiety Benefits

Biofeedback uses technology to teach individuals how to control anxiety-related physical processes, such as heart rate, muscle tension, and breathing.

There are many different devices and measurements associated with a variety of biofeedback approaches. 

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Monitors track heart rate patterns to provide insights into stress levels and relaxation techniques.

Electromyography (EMG) Sensors measure muscle activity and tension, helping users learn to relax specific muscle groups.

Skin Temperature Sensors track peripheral skin temperature changes, which can indicate stress levels and relaxation states.

Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) Sensors detect changes in sweat gland activity, often used to measure emotional and physiological arousal.

Electroencephalography (EEG) Devices monitor brainwave activity to help regulate focus, relaxation, and emotional states.

Respiratory Biofeedback Devices focus on breathing patterns, encouraging techniques that promote calmness and reduce hyperventilation.

Multi-Modal Approaches combine several biofeedback methods, such as HRV and GSR, for comprehensive insights into the body’s response to stress.

British professors who performed 2014 review of research looking at the use of biofeedback for mental health disorders concluded that biofeedback interventions led to a significant reduction in anxiety. The most profound results were achieved when a multi-modal approach was used.  

These therapies highlight the diverse approaches available to address anxiety, allowing you to tailor your treatment plans to your needs and preferences.

Anxiety Books and Resources 

I've learned a lot from a lifetime of dealing with my own anxiety and decades of helping clients reduce PTSD, OCD, anxiety, panic, phobias, and fears, and increase their ability to deal with stress.

Here are some of the anti-anxiety books and recordings I've created to offer the benefits of that learning to more people.

For a complete list, visit this post: Anxiety Worksheets, Books, and Recordings by Ann Silvers.

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