Condition

Anxiety treatment for adults

Generalized anxiety, panic, and social anxiety respond well to structured cognitive-behavioral work, exposure-based practice, and (when needed) medication. We treat anxiety that has stopped responding to weekly therapy alone.

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Editor's note: This page is awaiting clinical review by our Medical Director. Information is sourced from established peer-reviewed clinical literature.

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Key takeaways

  • Anxiety disorders are the most common mental-health conditions in U.S. adults, affecting roughly 19% in any given year.
  • CBT with exposure has the strongest evidence base for generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety.
  • SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line medications; benzodiazepines are used sparingly because of dependence risk.
  • When alcohol or benzodiazepines have become part of the anxiety-coping pattern, integrated dual-diagnosis care is the path that works.

What we treat under this umbrella

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) — chronic worry across multiple domains, with somatic symptoms.
  • Panic disorder — recurrent panic attacks and the avoidance and anticipatory anxiety that follow.
  • Social anxiety disorder — anxiety specifically in social or performance contexts that's shaping life choices.
  • Anxiety with depression — the most common pairing; treated together.
  • Anxiety with substance use — when alcohol or benzodiazepines have become part of the pattern. See co-occurring conditions.

We do not specialize in OCD-spectrum conditions; if OCD is the primary diagnosis we will refer you to an ERP-focused program.

Signs that an outpatient program may help

  • You're avoiding work commitments, social events, or daily errands you used to handle without thinking.
  • Panic attacks have started shaping where you go and how you travel.
  • You're using alcohol, benzodiazepines, or cannabis to take the edge off — and the dose is climbing.
  • Sleep is fragmented; rumination starts before you're fully awake.
  • You've been on an SSRI or SNRI without seeing meaningful change and your prescriber is hard to reach.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7) or 911 for an emergency.

How we treat anxiety

  • CBT for anxiety — cognitive restructuring of catastrophic thinking patterns, exposure to feared situations in a graded way.[1]
  • Interoceptive exposure for panic — practicing tolerating the bodily sensations that trigger fear.
  • DBT skills — particularly distress tolerance and mindfulness for managing anxiety as it rises.
  • Medication evaluation — SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line; we use benzodiazepines sparingly and conservatively.[2]
  • Group therapy — group itself is exposure-based work for social anxiety, with clinical scaffolding.

Levels of care

  • IOP — most adults with anxiety enter at IOP level.
  • PHP — for severe panic, agoraphobia that's preventing work, or anxiety with severe co-occurring depression.
  • Virtual IOP — for California residents.
  • Aftercare — to maintain gains after program completion.

Frequently asked questions

  • Can an outpatient program treat panic attacks, or do I need inpatient care?
    Most panic disorder responds well at the IOP level with interoceptive exposure and CBT. PHP is reserved for severe agoraphobia that is preventing work or anxiety with severe co-occurring depression. Inpatient care is rarely needed for anxiety alone.
  • Do I have to stop my anxiety medication to join?
    No. Medication evaluation is part of treatment — SSRIs and SNRIs are first-line, and we use benzodiazepines sparingly. We coordinate with your existing prescriber rather than starting over.
  • Is medication required to treat anxiety here?
    No. Medication is one tool of several. Many people improve with CBT and graded exposure alone; medication is added when it is clinically appropriate and with your input.
  • Do you treat OCD?
    We do not specialize in OCD-spectrum conditions. If OCD is the primary diagnosis, we will refer you to a program focused on exposure and response prevention (ERP).
  • How is this different from regular weekly therapy?
    An Intensive Outpatient Program delivers a higher, structured dose — about 9 hours a week of group skills work and exposure practice plus individual sessions — for adults whose anxiety has stopped responding to weekly therapy.
  • What if I am using alcohol or benzodiazepines to cope?
    When substances have become part of the anxiety-coping pattern, we treat both together through integrated dual-diagnosis care rather than referring you elsewhere.

References

  1. [1] National Institute of Mental Health. "Anxiety Disorders — Treatment." Source
  2. [2] American Psychological Association. "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Anxiety Disorders in Adults" (medication considerations). Source