10/18/2025
Saturday Q&A: How CBT Helps with Anxiety
Q: What actually happens in the brain and body when I feel anxious?
Anxiety is your body’s natural alarm system. When your brain perceives a threat, whether it is real or imagined, it activates the fight, flight, or freeze response. Your heart rate increases, muscles tense, and your thoughts start to race as your body prepares to protect you.
The problem is that this system can become overactive, responding to everyday stressors as if they were emergencies. That is when anxiety starts to interfere with daily life.
Q: How does Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help?
CBT is one of the most effective, research-based treatments for anxiety. It helps you identify how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Many people with anxiety experience automatic negative thoughts which are quick, often unrealistic thoughts that trigger fear or worry.
In CBT, you learn to:
• Recognize these thought patterns
• Evaluate whether they are accurate or helpful
• Replace them with balanced, realistic perspectives
This process reduces the emotional intensity of anxious moments and teaches your brain new, calmer responses.
Q: What skills do clients typically learn in CBT for anxiety?
CBT is highly practical. You will learn tools you can use right away, such as:
• Grounding and breathing techniques to calm physical symptoms
• Cognitive restructuring to challenge anxious thinking
• Exposure exercises to face fears safely and gradually
• Behavioral activation to re-engage with meaningful activities
Over time, these skills retrain the brain to respond to stress in healthier, more balanced ways.
Q: What can I expect from therapy sessions focused on anxiety?
Together, we create a supportive environment to explore what fuels your anxiety. We set small, realistic goals and track your progress between sessions. My role is to guide you with evidence-based strategies and compassionate reflection, helping you move from constant worry to a steadier sense of control and peace.
