Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

14,331 people sought anxiety therapy help in California 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 10 therapists in California available for an online or in-person session.

Starting Anxiety therapy

What is anxiety therapy?

Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA 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 Berkeley 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?

All humans experience anxiety. We evolved to feel anxious sometimes as a way of avoiding dangerous situations. Anxiety is natural. But when someone experiences too much anxiety, it can cause dysfunction. Fortunately, the condition is highly treatable.

Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA have the knowledge and experience to help people who frequently become overwhelmed by anxious thoughts and feelings. The top-rated mental health providers at Thriveworks can also diagnose and treat panic disorder to help prevent panic attacks. 

What Is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?

Stress is an uncomfortable emotional response that is usually caused by an external trigger. For example, someone may be overwhelmed by tasks at work and experience stress. Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by disproportionate worries that don’t need an external trigger. The fears and worries can be extreme and they don’t go away easily. Both conditions have similar symptoms:

  • Irritability
  • Muscle tension or pain
  • Fatigue
  • Digestive issues 
  • Sleep disturbances

An anxiety therapist at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA can evaluate a person’s symptoms and help determine whether they’re dealing with regular stress response or an anxiety disorder like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), separation anxiety disorder (SAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), specific phobias, or social anxiety. 

Can You Have a Good Life with Anxiety?

It’s outside the realm of this article to determine whether or not someone can have a good life with anxiety. What is the definition of a good life, after all? If you want to live in the moment and not worry around the clock, then it’s difficult to achieve that when you’re dealing with the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can also lead to related problems like the following:

  • Insomnia or excessive fatigue
  • Gastrointestinal (GI) problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Migraines or headaches
  • Unexplained aches and pains
  • Memory and concentration issues 
  • Depression  
  • Substance abuse or addiction issues
  • Appetite changes that lead to unintentional weight loss or gain
  • Racing heart
  • Hyperventilation
  • Hypochondria or health anxiety (irrationally thinking you’re sick)
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Shortness of breath

Treatment Options for Anxiety

Mental health professionals help people overcome their anxiety every day. It’s a highly treatable condition with the right professional care. At Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA our licensed providers may use any of the following evidence-based treatments to put people on the road to recovery:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Exposure therapy, especially for phobias
  • Psychodynamic therapy (aka talk therapy)
  • Short term or long term prescription medications like antidepressants, prescribed by a Thriveworks psychiatrist
  • Relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing
  • Mindfulness therapy
  • Supportive-expressive therapy
  • Biofeedback 
  • Art and music therapy 
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
  • Lifestyle modifications like increased exercise or reduced caffeine
  • Substance abuse counseling
  • Family therapy or couples counseling

How Do You Treat Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks occur when the mind and body are overwhelmed by anxiety. Panic attacks can mimic heart attacks, thus they can feel extremely scary to the person experiencing them. If someone is having a panic attack, therapists recommend they do the following:

  1. Focus on their breathing
  2. Find a focus object 
  3. Use the 3 3 3 rule: Notice three things they can smell, three things they can see, and move three body parts. This practice helps engage their other senses so they can become more aware of their surroundings (mindfulness). 
  4. Repeat a mantra like, “Everything is okay.”

Thriveworks anxiety therapists in Berkeley, CA treat panic disorder with CBT and other well-researched therapies. 

Get Exceptional Anxiety Therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA 

Premium anxiety therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA is an effective and affordable way to manage your anxiety symptoms and change your life for the better. Providers at Thriveworks are all fully licensed so they can accept most major forms of health insurance. They can meet with clients online through a secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth connection or in person at the modern office in Berkeley.

When you go online to book a therapy appointment or call the Thriveworks office to schedule, a provider can potentially meet with you as early as this week. In addition, we accept most major insurances. Call today to find out what makes Thriveworks mental health providers so exceptional. We look forward to helping you overcome anxiety so you can begin living your best life. 

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 Berkeley therapists and counselors accept 25 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Shield of California | BCBS

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

  • Humana Medicare Advantage

  • Humana PPO | EPO | HDHP

  • Imperial Health Plan Medicare Advantage

  • JP Farley Corporation

Show more
Self-pay costs at Berkeley
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

Thriveworks Berkeley has no reviews yet, but check out these reviews from locations in California.

4.5 Thriveworks Berkeley reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Read more Thriveworks helped me realize that I do believe people can change. I’m not the person I was three months ago, broken and fearful. I’m healthy and happy and for the first time being kind to myself. Thank you for giving me my life back.
Anonymous Thriveworks Client
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Berkeley is located at the intersection of Milvia St and Addison St. We share a building with Ace Hardware, Bay Psychiatric Associates, Bradley Engwall MD, Magoosh, Young Musicians Choral, Voltaiq, and Kaila Compton MD. Across Milvia Street is Berber Athletic Club and The Medak Center, and across Addison Street is Opticos Design Inc, MSCI, and Berkeley Electronic Press.

Phone number

(510) 544-8907

Languages spoken by CA providers

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

Shown in PT

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

Shown in PT

9 photos