Image of a therapist and client in a counseling session.

2,024 people sought anxiety therapy help at Toms River 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

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card), Cigna | Evernorth, +4 more
Coping Skills, Self Esteem, Stress, Life Transition, Relationships, +3 more

As your therapist and fellow traveler on life's journey, I’m here to support you on your path toward well-being and a life filled with meaning.

16 more therapist available in New Jersey

Give us a call to schedule your next appointment, or browse through our full list of available providers.

Chedva Berger

Hear from Chedva Berger, Licensed Social Worker (LSW)

View Chedva Berger's profile

What is your go-to approach for anxiety therapy?

My go-to approach for treating anxiety is to first calm down the nervous system that is in survival mode. The second would be to identify and understand what is triggering the anxiety. Then, I would dig deeper into understanding how these triggers came to be something anxiety-provoking. Finally, I would address these triggers not only through cognitive exploration but also by delving into the emotional, somatic, and relational dimensions.

What tools do you teach in anxiety therapy?

I teach the following tools in anxiety therapy: psychoeducation, emotion regulation, cognitive reframing, distress tolerance skills, reality testing, some tools from ERP (exposure response prevention), parts work, and trauma processing.

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

I know a client is making meaningful progress in anxiety therapy when they are able to sit with their anxiety, face it, and work through it, and as a result experience a decrease in anxiety response to triggers.

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

Clients can supplement their time in anxiety therapy by practicing mindfulness and regulation skills outside of therapy, engaging daily in activities that calm down one's nervous system, since it is really helpful in treating anxiety (for example art, yoga, massages, nature walks, etc.). In addition, spending quality time with friends and families, and utilizing support groups.

What should someone do to prepare for starting anxiety therapy?

To prepare for your first anxiety therapy session, you can just come in with an open mind, curiosity, and a desire to learn and heal.

Starting Anxiety therapy

What is anxiety therapy?

Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Toms River, NJ 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 Toms River 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?

Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Toms River, NJ (Ocean County)

Anxiety is not a fun experience. When it is chronic or severe, it can be crippling. It can change your thought patterns, emotions, behaviors, and your simple enjoyment of life! Having chronic and/or severe anxiety is like an alarm bell living in your head that doesn’t turn off. It’s exhausting!

There is hope, though. Anxiety is treatable- it’s one of the most treatable mental illnesses out there. With Thriveworks Toms River, you don’t have to live with anxiety. Therapy isn’t magic, it’s still hard work and processing and perseverance, but it can speed up your recovery process and help build a brighter future all together.

Call 732-852-4977 for more information or to schedule an appointment today.

What Is Anxiety?

There is no one answer to this question. Anxiety will look different in every situation and with every person. Some people experience what is called ‘specific anxiety’, often signs of an underlying phobia. These people might experience anxiety only in specific situations, such as seeing a dog, driving, or talking to strangers. Then there is the more common and generalized form of anxiety called Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This is where there is a pervasive sense of danger throughout your life without a ton of patterns. It just exists, no matter what you do.

As always, the first step is to recognize the problem. Common symptoms of anxiety are:

  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Digestive issues
  • Sweaty palms
  • Restlessness
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Dizziness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Dry mouth
  • More frequent urination
  • Experience of dread or avoidance of particular situations: social settings, being in the public/crowds/spotlight, new environments
  • Obsessive thinking
  • Anxiety/panic attacks

How Does Anxiety Treatment work?

The basis of counseling is the client-therapist relationship. It’s not easy opening up about mental health struggles, and it’s even harder to take steps to overcome it. Having a counselor, you trust is vital for the therapeutic process. That’s why at Thriveworks Toms River we take extra care to practice a client-first mentality. Your goals, worries, personality, dreams, fears, and lifestyle will all help shape and guide every session of our practice. After all, therapy is about you and where you want to go with your life.

At a Thriveworks Toms River anxiety counseling session, you might discuss:

  • Cognitive Behavioral work (addressing negative thoughts and the behaviors associated with them and putting a stop to them)
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing- a very cool new counseling technique that draws on your body’s natural ability to heal)
  • Proactive ways to recalibrate your nervous system (healthy foods, meditation, exercise, journaling)
  • Assessing physical ramifications and how to address them
  • Experiential work to release the past
  • Reframing
  • Redefining
  • Visualization
  • Mindfulness
  • Group support

Scheduling Anxiety Therapy at Thriveworks Toms River

Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders, and it’s also highly treatable. That doesn’t mean it is easy or enjoyable. No one deserves to live with anxiety. Counseling in Toms River is just one tool you can use to break free of anxiety and live the happy, fulfilling life you deserve.

Thriveworks Toms River wants to thank you for the courage and vulnerability it takes to even think about reaching out. It’s not an easy step, but it’s a step that can change your life for the better. If you are ready to leave anxiety behind, give us a call at 732-852-4977. We offer evening and weekend sessions, and accept most major insurances. In addition, most new clients can meet with their provider within the same week as scheduling.

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 Toms River therapists and counselors accept 27 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • AmeriHealth Administrators

  • AmeriHealth Medicare Advantage

  • AmeriHealth New Jersey

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Carelon

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

  • EmblemHealth

  • First Health Network

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Self-pay costs at Toms River
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

4.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
My therapist is Lesley Petersen and I have been a patient of hers for about four months now. She has been helping me through a stressful situation that I have been going through. I would recommend her because she is easy to talk to and non-judgmental.
Read more My therapist is Lesley Petersen and I have been a patient of hers for about four months now. She has been helping me through a stressful situation that I have been going through. I would recommend her because she is easy to talk to and non-judgmental.
Danielle Feb 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
☆☆☆☆
awfully. Goes on vacation for two weeks. Double books me. Calls me one minute before our scheduled meeting time. Says the other person is inside the office and cannot see me. says to me I will call me that night and then says to me via a text message that I will call in the morning. Calls me at 11:am. We have our session where she keeps adding restrictions on me and says "it's nothing personal". Speaks very low that I cannot hear.Tells me she sees 50 people weekly and cannot talk on the phone.
Read more awfully. Goes on vacation for two weeks. Double books me. Calls me one minute before our scheduled meeting time. Says the other person is inside the office and cannot see me. says to me I will call me that night and then says to me via a text message that I will call in the morning. Calls me at 11:am. We have our session where she keeps adding restrictions on me and says "it's nothing personal". Speaks very low that I cannot hear.Tells me she sees 50 people weekly and cannot talk on the phone.
Martin Jan 2024
Thriveworks.com verified review
☆☆☆☆
I will tell everybody I know not to use thrive works.
Mark Dec 2023
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Robin is incredible. She is kind, compassionate, empathic, and extremely patient. She provided me with a safe environment that allowed me to vent comfortably. Robin was extremely helpful and provided me with excellent coping mechanisms that I will carry and use daily. She is truly extraordinary!
Read more Robin is incredible. She is kind, compassionate, empathic, and extremely patient. She provided me with a safe environment that allowed me to vent comfortably. Robin was extremely helpful and provided me with excellent coping mechanisms that I will carry and use daily. She is truly extraordinary!
Toms River Apr 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Robin made me feel so comfortable and it was easy to ease into change.
Toms River Apr 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
Thriveworks is great and really cares for clients, I fully recommend them! And I honestly cannot say enough good things about Sharon Ryan. I never feel wrong, crazy, or judged while speaking with her. She is so comforting and provides excellent, accurate insights. I really appreciate her interest and understanding as well as her flexibility for appointments. I’ve been struggling with losing interest in hobbies that I once loved. With Sharon’s help, I’ve developed new interests I’ve always wanted to try and expanded my horizons. Thank you so much, truly, from the bottom of my heart!
Read more Thriveworks is great and really cares for clients, I fully recommend them! And I honestly cannot say enough good things about Sharon Ryan. I never feel wrong, crazy, or judged while speaking with her. She is so comforting and provides excellent, accurate insights. I really appreciate her interest and understanding as well as her flexibility for appointments. I’ve been struggling with losing interest in hobbies that I once loved. With Sharon’s help, I’ve developed new interests I’ve always wanted to try and expanded my horizons. Thank you so much, truly, from the bottom of my heart!
Toms River Feb 2022
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
I recommend checking out Thriveworks to find a mental health care provider that can suit your needs. The owners are sweet, genuine people who make it their mission to help others by connecting therapists and those who want a little guidance. Your mental health is important (especially these days) and you don't need to being in a crisis to see a therapist! In fact, its better to seek out a therapist before you can't cope on your own.
Read more I recommend checking out Thriveworks to find a mental health care provider that can suit your needs. The owners are sweet, genuine people who make it their mission to help others by connecting therapists and those who want a little guidance. Your mental health is important (especially these days) and you don't need to being in a crisis to see a therapist! In fact, its better to seek out a therapist before you can't cope on your own.
Toms River Jan 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com
★★★★★
If you're looking for counseling, this is definitely the place to go!
Toms River Dec 2020
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Toms River is located inside Allen Street Professional Center, between Water Street and Wilsey Way. Across Allen Street, you'll find Gallipoli Wealth Management. Our building is just around the corner from Huddy Park.

Phone number

(732) 795-5217

Languages spoken by NJ providers

  • English
  • Spanish
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
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

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
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in ET

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