Talk Therapy for Anxiety

Those suffering from untreated anxiety endure a significant reduction in quality of life, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Work, family and other relationships and obligations suffer as a result, and the risk for depression is greater in those with anxiety disorders. Talk therapy for anxiety is a highly effective treatment, either alone or in combination with medication.

Cognitive Therapy

• Cognitive therapy helps individuals identify beliefs that are based on fears and assumptions. These beliefs are examined to determine their validity and replaced with more accurate statements of belief. People with anxiety problems tend to accept their worst-case fears as truth. Cognitive therapy corrects these erroneous beliefs so that over time, patients learn to reject fear-based thoughts and act on more realistic statements. As fear-producing thoughts are reduced, so are the symptoms of anxiety. Improvement is usually seen after eight to 10 sessions, according to the APA.

Behavioral Therapy

• The fear produced by anxiety disorders can be incapacitating, often preventing sufferers from living meaningful lives or taking action that could improve their circumstances. Behavioral therapy often is coupled with cognitive therapy. As the patient adopts more realistic and accurate belief statements, behavioral therapy provides action steps that can be taken to reinforce the new belief and empower the patient toward greater self-efficacy. This self-reliance diminishes symptoms associated with the powerlessness of anxiety and gives the patient a tool with which to cope with conflict.

Interpersonal Therapy

• Interpersonal therapy focuses on treating anxiety in the context of one's relationships. Dr. George Pratt, a clinical psychologist at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., said a course of interpersonal therapy lasts three to four months. During this time, patients build skills that allow them to cope with anxiety-producing situations and resolve conflicts in important relationships.

Psychodynamic Therapy

• Anxiety is considered a symptom of a deeper conflict, according to Dr. Jeff Szymanski, director of Psychological Services at the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Institute at McLean Hospital. Psychodynamic theory holds that talk therapy will reveal unresolved conflicts from an individual's past that the present anxiety-producing situation is triggering. Psychodynamic therapy treatment takes three to four months to produce results, according to the APA.

How to Find a Therapist

• The APA stresses the importance of choosing a therapist with whom you feel comfortable and have a strong alliance. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the trust you have in the therapist and your willingness to work with her recommendations. Your physician or local mental health clinic can provide referrals to qualified therapists. Listings of mental health professionals who specialize in talk therapy for anxiety also are available through the APA and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.