CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It’s based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected, and that changing one changes the others. With anxiety specifically, that usually means noticing anxious thoughts as they happen, checking whether they’re actually accurate or just feel true in the moment, and gradually changing behaviors like avoidance that keep anxiety going. It’s structured and skills-based rather than open-ended, so you’re building a specific toolkit session by session instead of just processing feelings. CBT is the most researched treatment for anxiety disorders, and it’s the approach we use across all the anxiety and OCD therapy we offer.

What can I expect in my first few sessions of anxiety therapy?

Expect to talk through what’s been happening, get a clear picture of how your anxiety shows up, and start learning concrete skills you can use right away, not just insight, but tools you actually practice between sessions and bring back to troubleshoot. This likely includes tracking sheets, worksheets, and learning more about how to actually apply skills.

Does anxiety therapy actually help, or is it just talking about my anxiety?

CBT has more research behind it than any other approach to anxiety, and a lot of that comes down to it being active rather than reflective. You’re not just describing your anxiety to someone, you’re testing specific thoughts, practicing specific behaviors, and tracking what changes. When doing homework between sessions, most people start noticing changes within the first several sessions, not because talking it through is inherently powerful, but because they’re doing something different between sessions and seeing what happens. The end goal isn’t to depend on therapy indefinitely, it’s to teach you the process well enough that you can keep using it on your own after treatment ends.

Anxiety Therapy in St. Louis and online in Missouri & Illinois

Learn Skills that Actually Work for Anxiety Relief

confident and happy with a big natural smile laughing

BOOK MY FREE CONSULTATION

You’re doing the best you can and yet you’re still…

Overthinking the smallest things and don’t know how to stop
Feeling panicky and overwhelmed
Having trouble relaxing and enjoying simple things
Getting so focused on your anxiety that it’s hard to be present
Avoiding situations because they just feel too hard
Feeling isolated and alone because other people in your life just don’t get it

You shouldn’t have to live under a constant cloud of anxiety.

Don’t Lose Any More Time

Learn concrete strategies that actually help.

We know the suffering and frustration that comes from living with anxiety.

We’ve helped hundreds of people with anxiety learn actionable skills so they can stop overthinking, feel more comfortable, and get their lives back.

And we can do the same for you!

BOOK MY FREE CONSULTATION

What to Expect from Anxiety Therapy

How does anxiety therapy actually work, session to session?

Sessions are 45-50 minutes and typically weekly, especially early on when you’re building new skills and need the momentum. As you get more comfortable using the tools on your own, some clients move to every other week before wrapping up treatment entirely.

A typical session includes checking in on how the week went, reviewing any homework from the last session (this might be a thought log, an exposure exercise, or a specific skill you practiced), and then working through whatever’s most relevant that week, whether that’s a new situation that came up or refining a skill you’re still building. You’ll usually leave with something specific to practice before the next session.

How long does anxiety therapy take?

CBT is a time-limited, goal-oriented approach, not open-ended talk therapy. Most clients see meaningful change within 12 to 16 sessions, though this depends on what you’re working on and how complex the picture is. Some people wrap up in less time, others, especially with more entrenched patterns or multiple overlapping concerns, need longer. Your therapist will talk with you early on about what a realistic timeline looks like for your specific situation.

Is therapy in person or online?

Both. We offer in-person sessions at our south St. Louis office (on Hampton Ave.) and online sessions, so you can choose whichever fits your schedule and comfort level, or mix the two depending on the week.

What are the fees? Do you take insurance?

Individual sessions are $145 to $195. We are not in network with any insurance providers, but we provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance company if you have out-of-network benefits. We recommend contacting your insurance company directly to ask about your out-of-network coverage for outpatient psychotherapy before you start.

What kinds of anxiety do you treat?

We treat generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, agoraphobia, specific phobias, and health anxiety, along with anxiety that shows up as chronic overthinking, perfectionism, or difficulty making decisions. If you’re not sure your concern fits neatly into one category, that’s normal, a lot of anxiety overlaps, and the first session is about figuring out what’s actually going on rather than assuming a label.

Here’s How We Help

Science-based Therapy

We are dedicated to using the most successful treatments for anxiety and OCD. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP) to decrease anxiety.

Change Your Thoughts

You’ll develop a more flexible, realistic mindset so you can spend less time worrying, ruminating, and overthinking.

Develop An Attitude of Mindfulness

Learning to be more present in your life means you won’t miss out on the little things that bring you joy. Learn to slow down so you can connect with what matters most.

Collaborate on Goals

We know a lot about CBT in general, but you are the expert on your own anxiety. We’re always working together as a team to build your toolkit to handle anxiety.

Practical Skills

CBT is based on the idea that thoughts, behaviors, and emotions all work together. This means that we have clear symptoms to work on so you know what skills to use and when to use them.

Stop Avoiding

If anxiety has kept you from doing what you want, we’ll work to gradually tackle those areas so you can get unstuck and move forward in living a life you love.

Practice and Feedback

Homework takes general ideas you talk about and turns them into strategies you can actually use. If something isn’t working, come back and troubleshoot with your therapist.

Results-Driven Sessions

CBT is a time-limited therapy approach, so each of your sessions is productive and focused on helping you develop new skills and strategies for dealing with anxiety.

FAQs about Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety Therapy

What is CBT?

CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It’s based on the idea that your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected, and that changing one changes the others. With anxiety specifically, that usually means noticing anxious thoughts as they happen, checking whether they’re actually accurate or just feel true in the moment, and gradually changing behaviors like avoidance that keep anxiety going. It’s structured and skills-based rather than open-ended, so you’re building a specific toolkit session by session instead of just processing feelings. CBT is the most researched treatment for anxiety disorders, and it’s the approach we use across all the anxiety and OCD therapy we offer.
What can I expect in my first few sessions of anxiety therapy?

Expect to talk through what’s been happening, get a clear picture of how your anxiety shows up, and start learning concrete skills you can use right away, not just insight, but tools you actually practice between sessions and bring back to troubleshoot. This likely includes tracking sheets, worksheets, and learning more about how to actually apply skills.
Does anxiety therapy actually help, or is it just talking about my anxiety?

CBT has more research behind it than any other approach to anxiety, and a lot of that comes down to it being active rather than reflective. You’re not just describing your anxiety to someone, you’re testing specific thoughts, practicing specific behaviors, and tracking what changes. When doing homework between sessions, most people start noticing changes within the first several sessions, not because talking it through is inherently powerful, but because they’re doing something different between sessions and seeing what happens. The end goal isn’t to depend on therapy indefinitely, it’s to teach you the process well enough that you can keep using it on your own after treatment ends.

Our goal is to teach you as much as we can about CBT so you can work toward being your own therapist.

Ready to get started?

BOOK MY FREE CONSULTATION

Content reviewed 9/3/2026 by Dr. Sarah Kertz, licensed clinical psychologist