Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

1,219 people sought anxiety therapy help at Lakewood in the last year

Discover how starting therapy with a anxiety can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Good news! We have 15 therapists in Ohio available for an online or in-person session.
Erin Sheplavy

Hear from Erin Sheplavy, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

View Erin Sheplavy's profile

What is your go-to approach for anxiety therapy?

My go-to approach for treating anxiety is a combination of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and exposure-response prevention (ERP). DBT is helpful for psychoeducation on how distress is experienced and how it impacts our brain and body so we can better cope and identify anxiety before it becomes overwhelming.

What tools do you teach in anxiety therapy?

ERP is an evidence-based approach that uses a scaffolding method to expose an individual to their fears, desensitizing them over time to the panic or anxiety response to a trigger that logically should not warrant that response. The combination helps in lessening anxiety triggers and creating insight and coping strategies to navigate any lingering anxiety.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in anxiety therapy?

In therapy, I teach tools such as:

  • Exposures
  • The subjective units of distress scale
  • Distress tolerance skills
  • Thought-challenging skills
  • Emotion regulation skills

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement anxiety therapy?

I know a client is making progress in therapy when they move towards topics and situations instead of avoiding them and when they report less severe anxiety responses. When working with clients on anxiety, I provide them with exposures they can do on their own, as well as coping and mindfulness practices to apply in their daily life to reduce overall anxiety.

What should someone do to prepare for starting anxiety therapy?

To prepare for your first therapy session working on anxiety, reflect on what makes you anxious, how you experience anxiety, and your hopes for therapy. We always start with understanding the anxiety and your goals and then work as a team to determine the next best steps in therapy.

Starting Anxiety therapy

What is anxiety therapy?

Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH can develop a treatment plan that will help you better manage your day-to-day anxiety or your anxiety disorder.

How does anxiety therapy work?

Anxiety therapy involves talking to a therapist about symptoms, potential causes, and more. Thriveworks Lakewood therapists will then work with you to determine where your anxiety might stem from and teach you effective coping mechanisms.

How to deal with anxiety?

One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to learn about your own anxiety: your symptoms, what triggers it, and what coping mechanisms have been effective in the past. When you learn what your anxiety is tied to, it can help you be mindful of what’s really happening as well as prevent and mitigate symptoms by processing and working through the issue in therapy. Other strategies that have been shown to help manage anxiety are meditation, challenging anxious thoughts, exercising, and journaling.

Symptoms of anxiety

Common symptoms of anxiety include:

  • Sense of impending danger
  • Nervousness/restlessness
  • Trouble focusing
  • Excessive sweating
  • Shaking
  • Headaches
  • Stomach issues
  • Fatigue
  • Panic attacks
  • Increased heart rate

What is the best therapy for anxiety?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be incredibly effective in treating anxiety and anxiety disorders. Other effective techniques include exposure therapy, Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and EMDR therapy.

Is anxiety therapy conducted in person or online?

Anxiety therapy is conducted both in person and online, depending on the individual’s preferences and their therapist’s availability. We suggest choosing the option that best suits your needs.

How long does anxiety therapy last?

On average, people can tend to attend 15 to 20 session of anxiety therapy (five or more months). However, this number is heavily dependent on the type of anxiety that’s being treated and its severity, with many choosing to attend anxiety therapy for a longer period of time to ensure its effectiveness long-term.

Is therapy worth it for anxiety?

Yes, it is worth going to therapy for anxiety. If you are struggling with regular anxious thoughts and feelings that are affecting your day-to-day life or you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek expert anxiety help.

Need more help deciding?

Anxiety is a common mental health disorder, experienced by millions of US adults every single year. If you, like millions of others, are dealing with anxiety, know that help is available. Our anxiety therapists would be honored to help you manage your symptoms and pave the way to a happier, healthier life. Reach out today to schedule your first appointment.

Common Causes of Anxiety

The modern world is full of stressors that can provoke anxious thoughts and feelings. But it’s not healthy to feel constantly overwhelmed or incapacitated by worries. Anxiety can come from all directions in your life. It can take the form of exhausting questions that go around and around in your head. For example:

  • Am I good enough?
  • Are my loved ones going to abandon me?
  • Am I going to die?
  • Are my loved ones going to die?
  • Am I sick?
  • Am I making the right decision?
  • Did I offend that person?
  • Did I forget to do something crucial?
  • Did I sound/look/seem stupid?
  • Am I too anxious?

When you have severe anxiety, the stakes can seem really high, even when you’re making small, seemingly insignificant decisions. It’s not rational to think that buying the wrong brand of toothpaste in the morning could start a downward spiral that may lead to your dying in a fiery car crash later in the day, but this type of life-or-death thinking might be familiar to someone with an anxiety disorder.

The Main Anxiety Disorders

Often anxiety disorders can bleed into other types of issues, like depression and sleep disorders, but here are the five main types of anxiety that a Thriveworks mental health provider might diagnose:

  • Social anxiety disorder
  • Panic disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Specific anxiety disorders can be treated with therapy, psychiatric medication, or a fusion of both. Some clients at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH benefit from therapeutic tools like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. You and your counselor can decide together which treatment or treatments are best for you. And your care can change over time. The goal is always to move you closer toward a happier, healthier life where you’re not constantly overwhelmed by anxious feelings.

Find Affordable Anxiety Therapy at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH

Thriveworks clients recommend anxiety therapy to their friends because the sessions can significantly improve quality of life. Just imagine being able to leave the house without being paralyzed by fear and worry. Preventing anxiety attacks can mean preventing other physical, stress-related ailments, too. Anxiety therapy can be a way of treating the whole body, not just the mind.

Thriveworks accepts medical insurance, so anxiety treatment is affordable. Call Thriveworks today to schedule your first appointment and meet with your therapist within the week. We look forward to hearing from you.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Lakewood therapists and counselors accept 26 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Ohio | BCBS Medicare Advantage (HMO | PPO)

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Ohio | BCBS

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • HealthSmart Accel

  • HealthSmart PPO

  • Humana Exchange

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Self-pay costs at Lakewood
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

4.5 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
I feel like my therapist is working well for me. She has given me some things to do and some things to think about.
Read more I feel like my therapist is working well for me. She has given me some things to do and some things to think about.
Winston Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Being a person who doesn’t like to share their dirt with strangers , I’m finding it very easy to talk with my counselor freely about the issues that I’m dealing with. I highly recommend their services.
Read more Being a person who doesn’t like to share their dirt with strangers , I’m finding it very easy to talk with my counselor freely about the issues that I’m dealing with. I highly recommend their services.
James Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Emerson prep for and EMDR use is being tested and seems to be making a difference - and we've just started. Thanks!
Read more Emerson prep for and EMDR use is being tested and seems to be making a difference - and we've just started. Thanks!
Richard Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Prior to coming to Thriveworks I only had counselors through my universities. Entering the real world of counseling was stressful, but Thriveworks made it easy! At Thriveworks I have found it easiest find a counselor with availability, ease of payment so that it doesn't feel transactional, and a good fit. My counselor has been phenomenal with seeing me for who I am being open to my different identities and even helping me make sense of my experiences because of them. Real world counseling doesn't seem so scary anymore
Read more Prior to coming to Thriveworks I only had counselors through my universities. Entering the real world of counseling was stressful, but Thriveworks made it easy! At Thriveworks I have found it easiest find a counselor with availability, ease of payment so that it doesn't feel transactional, and a good fit. My counselor has been phenomenal with seeing me for who I am being open to my different identities and even helping me make sense of my experiences because of them. Real world counseling doesn't seem so scary anymore
Ahjah Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
☆☆☆☆
I enjoy the sessions very much.Todd is great at what he does.Very knowledgeable.
Robert Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I enjoy my councilor and she is easy to talk to.
Suzanne Dec 2023
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I am honored to recommend Jerome Rivers as a fellow clinician. He is one of the most diligent and proficient counselors that I know. I admire his ability to meet the client where they are whether it’s being silly or serious. You will be drawn to his genuineness and you should be excited to begin a new therapeutic journey with him, trust the process!
Read more I am honored to recommend Jerome Rivers as a fellow clinician. He is one of the most diligent and proficient counselors that I know. I admire his ability to meet the client where they are whether it’s being silly or serious. You will be drawn to his genuineness and you should be excited to begin a new therapeutic journey with him, trust the process!
Columbus Sep 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Nick is a great therapist. He listens and provides practical guidance to overcome emotional challenges. He helped me through a very difficult time
Read more Nick is a great therapist. He listens and provides practical guidance to overcome emotional challenges. He helped me through a very difficult time
Cleveland Dec 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Lakewood is near Salmon Dave’s, off of Detroit and Lake Road. There is also an Einstein Bros Bagels near our office.

Phone number

(216) 238-3622

Languages spoken by OH providers

  • English
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm

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Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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