Tacoma Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and Loss Counseling
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Lifespan Integration Therapy
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Pornography Addiction
      • Personal Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Sexual Addiction
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Couples Counseling
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Counseling for Children
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Sexual Addiction
    • Marriage Counseling
  • LocationsWe have offices at various locations
    • AnacortesAnacortes
    •  1Bellevue
    •  1Bothell
    • Edmonds
    •  1Everett
    • How Fathers Can Prepare Their Children to Fight Pornography's Lure: What Lies AheadFederal Way
    •  1Kent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    •  1Mill Creek
    •  1Monroe
    • Oak Harbor OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    •  1Puyallup
    •  1Redmond
    •  1Seattle Ballard
    • Seattle Downtown
    •  1Seattle Greenlake
    •  1Silverdale
    • Tacoma
    •  1Spokane
    • Spokane ValleySpokane Valley
    •  1Vancouver
    •  1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind out more about our counselors
  • CareersJoin our team of Christian Counselors
  • (253) 777-1997Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults

Tacoma Christian Counseling
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/laura-chouette-pzdInWel8mc-unsplash-scaled-1.jpg 1707 2560
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Mount-Rainier.jpg
https://tacomachristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tacoma-Christian-Counseling-Logo-Fill-Stacked.jpg
621 Pacific Ave, Suite 302
TACOMA, WA 98402
United States
621 Pacific Ave, Suite 302
TACOMA, WA 98402
United States
Photo of Missy Neill

Missy Neill

Mar
2022
08

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults

Missy Neill

AnxietyIndividual CounselingMen's IssuesWomen's Issues

If you have struggled with anxiety recently, it’s important to know you are not alone. A transition in life such as a new job, relocation, or a change in marital status – can all be reasons to experience a higher level of anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in AdultsHowever, no matter what the cause of the anxiety, one strategy that may help adults dealing with anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is a form of therapy that’s used to address a specific struggle, such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, anger, eating disorders, or phobias.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety is a gradual process where a person learns to examine his or her thought processes as destructive, disruptive, or having some other negative effect on his or her life. As those thoughts are identified, adults can reframe their thinking over time.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

Recognizing a thought pattern is key for adults who struggle with anxiety. Understanding where that thought process intersects a negative behavior or emotion is another aspect of CBT. Slowly, negative thoughts can be identified, challenged, replaced with more objective, realistic thought patterns.

CBT is a strategy used in a variety of therapies.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults 1Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps adults identify their negative thoughts and thinking patterns, emotional and behavioral responses.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety and takes it a step further. This therapy will often include mindfulness and emotional regulation strategies to help reframe a negative thought once it’s identified.

Multimodal therapy incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside other modes of therapy that are all connected: affect, sensation, imagery, interpersonal factors, and more.

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy helps someone identify an irrational belief and challenge it. Then, recognition and transformation of these thought patterns can take place.

More than just identifying negative thought patterns, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety can also involve techniques such as journaling, role-playing, and relaxation. These techniques are folded into an overall plan that a trained counselor can help an adult establish. Plans may involve goal-setting, self-monitoring, practicing new habits and patterns, and problem-solving.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults 2One highlight of CBT is that it can help adults struggling with anxiety to be more present in their daily life. It has been found effective on a short-term basis, too. Learning techniques and strategies can help a person dealing with anxiety understand that they cannot control what happens to them or around them, but they can control their responses to what happens to them or around them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can bring hope and freedom to adults who have struggled to overcome what others may quantify as simply “worrying too much.” But a trained counselor will teach and practice these strategies that can help a person move from debilitating to overcoming.

God does not want His children to be paralyzed by anxious thought patterns, Psalm 34:17 says, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.” To simply be aware that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy exists can restore a positive outlook to a person whose anxiety has caused significant pain and suffering – not just to himself but also to his family.

In addition to helping a person who struggles with anxiety and his family, CBT has other benefits:

  • It can be more affordable than other types of therapy.
  • It can be done in person or remotely.
  • It helps a person realize that they can cope with thought patterns that historically have kept them from leading a full life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults 3Some things to think about if you are considering Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety are that it is a highly structured form of therapy and relies heavily on willing participation from the person who is struggling with anxiety. A trained counselor may be more instructive with this type of therapy, too.

While it is a short-term strategy, the steps within CBT are still gradual. Applying them in everyday life takes practice, over and over, until the client sees progress in being able to turn his or her thought patterns into positive responses. This type of therapy can be difficult because it involves working to change a thought pattern and its emotional or behavioral response.

If you are interested in talking with someone about using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety in your own life or possibly recommending it for someone you know, please talk with one of our trained counselors in the online directory.

Photos:
“Anxious”, Courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Stressed Out”, Courtesy of Christopher Lemercier, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Reading”, Courtesy of Laura Chouette, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Smiling Woman”, Courtesy of Emiliano Vittoriosi, Unsplash.com, CC0 License

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top
Photo of Missy Neill
Missy is currently not accepting new clients

Missy Neill

Licensed Counselor
(206) 607-9699 missyn@tacomachristiancounseling.com

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, passionate about helping individuals and couples find healing and peace for their lives and relationships. If you struggle with issues like anxiety and depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, or sexual addiction, I’m here to offer you compassionate support and tools for recovery. I look forward to working with you. Read more articles by Missy »

Other articles that might interest you...

What Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Actually Look Like? 1
Photo of Spencer Fox

Spencer Fox

What Does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ...

As a counselor, I find one of the most common complaints that people bring to my office that of some...

continue reading »
The Challenges of Anxiety and Relationships
Tacoma Christian Counseling

The Challenges of Anxiety and ...

For most people, addressing anxiety feels overwhelming. Since anxiety has a physical and mental toll, it often feels like a...

continue reading »
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Basic Introduction 2
Tacoma Christian Counseling

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Basic ...

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is one of the better-known therapeutic approaches. For a while now I have referred to...

continue reading »

About Missy

Photo of Missy Neill

Missy Neill, M.Ed, LMHC, CSAT

Licensed Counselor

I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, passionate about helping individuals and couples find healing and peace for their lives and relationships. If you struggle with issues like anxiety and depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, or sexual addiction, I’m here to offer you compassionate support and tools for recovery. I look forward to working with you. View Missy's Profile

Recent articles by Missy

  • May 29 · Finding Help for Depression
  • Mar 8 · Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Adults
  • Jan 17 · How To Listen Well In Difficult Conversations
See all articles by Missy »

Related Services

  • Anxiety
  • Individual Counseling
  • Men's Issues
  • Women's Issues

Missy's Office Locations

  • Photo of the Kent office

    Kent

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (253) 656-5454
    24909 104th Ave SE,, Suite 101-A Kent, WA 98030

    View Office Details
  • Photo of the Federal Way office

    Federal Way

    Washington

    General Office Number

    (206) 452-6728
    33710 9th Ave S,, Suite 15 Federal Way, WA 98003

    View Office Details
Tacoma Christian Counseling Logo
Tacoma Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors experienced in helping people of all ages find healing for a wide variety of issues.
© 2023 Tacoma Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
621 Pacific Ave,, Tacoma, WA 98402. Tel (253) 777-1997.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
COVID-19 Service Update: We are still open for business. In office and online counseling is available if needed.