Discover 5 Therapy Options for Anxiety Near You
Updated: January 27, 2026
If you live with anxiety, you are not weak. You are human.
Anxiety can feel loud, exhausting, and hard to explain. It can show up as worry that won’t shut off, panic that comes out of nowhere, or constant “what if” thoughts that drain your energy. Many people try to push through it alone. That often makes things worse.
The good news is this: anxiety is very treatable. You do not have to live like this forever.
Therapy helps you understand what is happening in your mind and body. It gives you tools that actually work. Below are the top five evidence-based therapy options for anxiety, explained so you can decide what feels right for you.
1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Anxiety
CBT is the gold standard treatment for anxiety.
CBT focuses on the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Anxiety often grows from unhelpful thought patterns. CBT helps you notice those patterns and change how you respond to them.
In CBT, you and your therapist work as a team. You learn to:
Identify anxious thoughts
Test whether those thoughts are accurate
Replace them with more balanced thinking
Change behaviours that keep anxiety going
CBT is commonly used to treat:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Panic disorder
Health anxiety
Social anxiety
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Sessions usually happen weekly and last for a set period of time. Most CBT treatment plans run between 6 and 20 sessions.
CBT often includes practical tools, such as:
Thought records
Behavioural experiments
Exposure exercises
Mindfulness and grounding
Relaxation strategies
Research shows that CBT is as effective as medication for many anxiety disorders. CBT often has longer-lasting results (Hofmann et al., 2012; Butler et al., 2006).
If CBT did not help you in the past, that does not mean CBT cannot help you now. Anxiety looks different from person to person. Working with a CBT specialist who understands your specific anxiety theme makes a big difference.
Learn more about CBT for Anxiety.
2. Exposure Therapy
Avoidance keeps anxiety alive. Exposure therapy helps break that cycle.
Exposure therapy is a specific type of CBT. It focuses on facing fears in a gradual, planned, and safe way. The goal is not to cut anxiety altogether. The goal is to teach your brain that you can handle it.
Exposure therapy works especially well for:
Phobias (flying, needles, vomiting, spiders)
With your therapist, you create a fear ladder. You start with situations that feel uncomfortable but manageable. Over time, you work your way up.
For example if you have anxiety around flying, you might:
Read about flying
Watch videos of planes
Sit on a parked plane
Take a short flight
As you practice exposure, your anxiety may rise at first. Then it falls on its own. This teaches your nervous system that fear does not equal danger.
Exposure therapy is one of the most well-researched treatments for anxiety (Craske et al., 2014). It works best when guided by a therapist trained in exposure-based treatment.
3. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT helps when emotions feel intense and overwhelming.
DBT was first developed for borderline personality disorder. But it is now widely used for anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and chronic stress.
DBT focuses on skills. It teaches you how to:
Regulate strong emotions
Tolerate distress without making things worse
Communicate more effectively
Stay grounded in the present moment
DBT blends CBT techniques with mindfulness. Treatment often includes:
Weekly individual therapy
Group skills training
For people whose anxiety comes with intense emotions, impulsive reactions, or relationship stress, DBT can feel very stabilizing (Linehan, 2015).
Learn more about virtual DBT.
4. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you stop fighting anxiety and start living again.
ACT takes a different approach. Instead of trying to reduce or control anxious thoughts, ACT teaches you how to make room for them while still moving toward a meaningful life.
ACT focuses on:
Acceptance of thoughts and feelings
Values-based action
Psychological flexibility
In ACT, you learn that thoughts are just thoughts. You do not need to obey them or argue with them. You learn how to notice anxiety without letting it run your life.
ACT is effective for:
Anxiety disorders
Depression
Chronic stress
Health anxiety
Research shows ACT is a strong alternative to traditional CBT, especially for people who feel stuck trying to “fix” their thoughts (A-Tjak et al., 2015).
5. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR helps when anxiety is linked to past trauma.
EMDR is a structured therapy used to treat trauma, PTSD, and anxiety related to distressing experiences.
During EMDR, your therapist guides you through bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, while you recall distressing memories. This helps the brain process memories in a more adaptive way.
EMDR can help reduce:
Emotional intensity
Physical anxiety symptoms
Intrusive thoughts
Treatment usually involves 8 to 12 sessions, depending on your history and goals.
EMDR is especially helpful when anxiety is rooted in past events rather than current fears (Shapiro, 2018).
Discover 5 benefits of EMDR, the differences between CBT and EMDR.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Anxiety Therapy
What is the best therapy for anxiety?
CBT is the most researched and widely recommended treatment. But, the best therapy depends on your symptoms, history, and preferences.
How long does therapy for anxiety take?
Many people notice improvement within 8–12 sessions. Some need longer support, especially if anxiety has been present for many years.
Can online therapy help with anxiety?
Yes. Research shows virtual therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for anxiety disorders (Andersson et al., 2014).
Discover 5 benefits of virtual psychotherapy.
Do I need medication for anxiety?
Medication can help some people. Therapy teaches skills that last long after treatment ends. Many people choose therapy alone or therapy plus medication.
Connect with an Anxiety Expert Today
At Virtual CBT Psychotherapy, we specialize in evidence-based therapy for anxiety, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, and depression. We offer secure online therapy across Ontario.
Our therapists understand anxiety. We do not rush you. We help you build real skills, at your pace. Meet our team of social workers, registered psychotherapists and online psychologists.
Book a free consultation today
Relief is possible. Support is available. Your anxiety does not get to decide how your life unfolds.
Written by Melissa Lindstrom, RSW, MSW
References
A-Tjak, J. G. L., Davis, M. L., Morina, N., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A. J., & Emmelkamp, P. M. G. (2015). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for clinically relevant mental and physical health problems. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84(1), 30–36. https://doi.org/10.1159/000365764
Andersson, G., Cuijpers, P., Carlbring, P., Riper, H., & Hedman, E. (2014). Guided internet-based vs. face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy for psychiatric and somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. World Psychiatry, 13(3), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20151
Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2005.07.003
Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
