Anxiety Therapy & Treatment

Some worry can be helpful, but too much can be harmful. Helpful worry motivates action, fuels problem-solving, and helps attend to important tasks. When it goes too far, people worry about more things than what actually occurs, try to solve potential problems instead of actual problems, spend so much energy on worrying that it takes precious time away from focusing on what’s important, and can stand in the way of doing things (thinking replaces doing). One of the first steps in thinking about change is working with your therapist to really evaluate how helpful your worry is in helping you live the life you want.

At CABT, we treat the full range of anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Specific Phobias, Health Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, and anxiety for kids & teens. If you're not sure whether your anxiety qualifies for treatment, our intake team can help, just reach out to schedule a free 15-minute call.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the gold-standard, most researched treatment for anxiety disorders. It works by helping you identify the thought patterns and behaviors that fuel your anxiety, then gradually building skills to respond differently. At CABT, CBT is always tailored to your specific anxiety, what triggers it, what maintains it, and what your life looks like without it.

Yes. Exposure-based therapy is one of the ways we treat anxiety at CABT. It involves gradually facing the situations, thoughts, or sensations that trigger your anxiety in a structured, supportive way, so your nervous system learns that the feared outcome either won't happen or is manageable if it does. Over time this reduces the anxiety response significantly and lastingly.

In short, no. But even if this was possible, you can’t make stress go away without taking away your human nature. All humans have a fight-or-flight response built into our DNA that helps us escape or fend off danger when we’re in a life threatening situation. Anxiety is the misfiring of this helpful instinct in situations where our lives are not at risk. So instead of making worry and stress go away, treatment can help you learn how to manage these misfirings by learning more about how they come on and what you do about them so they don’t bother you so much and what you can learn from them.

Most of the treatments delivered at CABT are designed to be short-term, but the exact number of sessions depends on two main factors: the exact treatment protocol being used and how frequently clients complete the prescribed homework exercises. The scientifically-supported treatments we offer range typically range from as few as 8 sessions to as many as 35 sessions. You will be given more specific information about which treatment we recommend after you complete the initial evaluation. 

Many patients with stress and anxiety utilize a combination of medication and therapy. While certain medications can be helpful to reduce anxiety throughout everyday life, the use of short-acting anxiety medications can reduce anxiety in the short term, but in the long run prevent people from addressing the reasons for their anxiety, and ultimately block people from feeling confident and competent to manage their worry and stress on their own. While the team at CABT do not prescribe medications, we are happy to suggest a prescriber who is a good fit for you, that will help get you on the right meds to build your confidence and get you back to living your life.

Yes, we offer in-person appointments at our office in Bryn Mawr, PA for patients in the greater Philadelphia area and Main Line. We also offer telehealth virtual sessions for patients located throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland — as well as 40+ additional states through PSYPACT. See all PSYPACT eligible states.

Yes. CABT treats anxiety in children, adolescents, and adults. Our clinicians are trained in evidence-based approaches specifically adapted for younger patients, including parent involvement where appropriate. Visit our Child & Teen Anxiety page to learn more.

CABT is an out-of-network provider; we do not accept insurance, but instead offer a range of fees to help make our services more accessible. Please reach out for our most up-to-date rates. If your health insurance has out-of-network benefits, we can provide Superbills for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. We strongly encourage you to contact your insurance company directly to confirm your benefits and how to access them.

The first step is to schedule a free 15-minute phone call with a member of our Intake Team. You can get started by emailing newpatient@centerabt.com, calling (610) 455-5757, or completing our contact form.