Anxiety Therapy in Libertyville: CBT, DBT & What Works for You

At 3 a.m., you start thinking about all of the things you have to do tomorrow. Your anxiety has turned into a constant stream of worry and aching tension that can sometimes feel like a weight is sitting on your chest. You find yourself withdrawing from certain situations that, for years, you were able to confidently handle – going to parties, answering phone calls, meeting important deadlines – now these tasks seem daunting, even unbearable. You may have convinced yourself it’s just stress and that you’ll be able to snap out of it at any moment, but as soon as you’re trying to convince yourself of that, the fear is creeping back in.

But when anxiety decides your moves, shrinks your world, and is always on your mind, it becomes something to consider.

Does your anxiety interfere with your life in Libertyville, Illinois, or the surrounding areas? Has it taken over your day and kept you from enjoying everything life has to offer? Here at A Ray of Hope, our licensed therapists work with adults and teens to understand what is underlying the anxiety and gain the tools to regulate and manage it as a normal bodily response rather than a problem to be fought and coped with.

Schedule an appointment today by calling us at (847) 816-6335 or visitng or self-scheduling page!

What Anxiety Actually Feels Like (Beyond Worry)

Many of us have a very narrow idea of what anxiety is; a phrase that instantly springs to mind is worrying excessively. And while that's certainly part of the equation, anxiety is about so much more than that. Anxiety manifests itself in countless different forms and symptoms, such as body aches, tension, tiredness, and insomnia. As well as irritability, trouble concentrating, a general sense of impending doom or fear, even when everything seems fine and dandy. Some people's anxiety is triggered by social situations, specific fears, work, or school performances. Other people have a kind of diffuse anxiety that lingers in the back of the mind throughout the day without an obvious trigger. Anxiety can also be part of a depression experience, and many people searching for depression treatment find that there is a lot of underlying anxiety that needs to be acknowledged and addressed as well. No matter what it might look or behave like, anxiety is not a personal failing, a weakness, or a psychological quirk that can be tweaked or willpower’d away. It is a well-known and recognisable condition with distinct symptoms, and one that can be ameliorated with the right approaches and therapies.

CBT: The Gold Standard for Anxiety

Many researchers agree that one of the most popular and well-studied forms of treatment for anxiety disorders is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Here’s a quick primer in a nutshell – and feel free to take it with a grain of salt! CBT is said to acknowledge the interaction between cognition, emotion, and behavior, while attempting to control anxiety by changing patterns of negative thinking that reinforce its cycle. The theory is that there are certain “thought patterns” or underlying mindsets that aggravate these patterns of feelings and actions, thus fueling and perpetuating the vicious cycle.

Therapy: How a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) helps identify and challenge negative, anxious thoughts. A CBT session is designed to explore the thoughts that fuel the anxieties in your life. These thoughts are usually negative, automatic, and rather like flashing neon lights, often occurring so quickly that they feel more like absolute facts rather than subjective interpretation. Such thoughts tend to rely too much on worst-case scenarios; often, they exaggerate risks and/or are cruel to oneself. Working with a therapist, these thoughts are investigated and challenged in an attempt to see them in a more accurate, less distorted light and to replace them with more constructive, positive thought patterns.

This type of therapy is often called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for short. CBT is not just cognitive (meaning it is not just about changing how you think about a situation) — it also includes a strong behavioral component. The one tool that anxiety has in large quantities is avoidance. The more you avoid things that scare you, the more your brain is validated that these scary things are indeed scary and more frightening the next time. So in CBT, avoidance of scary or anxious situations is tackled, while doing so in a graduated, supported way that feels safely within your limits at the time. But in fact, it has been confirmed over and over again in literally hundreds of scientifically-controlled studies that this sort of thing actually works.

A 2018 JAMA Psychiatry study found that CBT, as implemented by highly trained therapists, led to significant and lasting decreases in anxiety symptoms across a range of clinical anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. These effects were sustained at the one-year follow-up assessment.

DBT: When Emotions Feel Too Intense to Manage

About our DBT program: In our Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program, the therapist utilizes a specialized approach designed for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, but is very effective with people who deal with anxiety related to states of extreme emotional turmoil. If the anxiety is highly linked to the emotional turbidity, or ‘emotion surge’, DBT might be better than traditional cognitive behavioral therapy.

What DBT teaches: The four basic skill sets of DBT are Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. DBT teaches four basic skill sets. Learning and using these sets of skills helps you make your life less awful, reduce the intensity of your emotions, and improve your relationships.

Reacting, running, and fearing abandonment and rejection are all signs of high levels of anxiety, and the more traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy can be difficult to practice when feeling really anxious and overwhelmed. DBT can practice skills at a level a bit deeper than the "change the way you think to change your actions" approach, by directly calming and regulating the emotional nervous system. In general, we have practitioners in Libertyville who can practice cognitive-behavioral therapy, DBT, or mix the two to a degree appropriate for each client.

Are you looking for a therapist in Libertyville or Lake County who addresses anxiety? Our staff is now accepting new clients. Call (847) 816-6335 for more information.

Other Therapy Approaches That May Help

While CBT and DBT are the two most researched and widely available therapy choices for dealing with anxiety, it is not your only options. Discuss the underlying issues with your chosen therapist to determine whether alternative therapeutic methods will be beneficial.

Mind over Matter: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) works on the principle that we do not necessarily have to change our thoughts to get rid of anxious feelings, but we may have to change the way we relate to them. Often, patients come in who have already tried cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), but unfortunately have found that going into details with their anxiety-provoking thoughts is actually increasing rather than decreasing their level of anxiety.

Some people experience significant amounts of anxiety because of traumatic events that have occurred or unpleasant circumstances that have been endured. EMDR therapy can help to alleviate these kinds of anxieties. EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. The idea behind the therapy is that vivid memories of distressing events can trigger the anxiety response in the present. EMDR helps to reorder the memory in the brain so that the past events no longer activate the body's anxiety response. We offer EMDR therapy at A Ray of Hope in our Libertyville location in conjunction with the other therapies we offer.

Each person's journey is unique, and the best strategy for that person will depend on their particular situation: their personal history, their desired goals, and how they personally experience anxiety. So, we begin with listening in your first session.

What to Expect When You Start Therapy at A Ray of Hope

Thinking about starting therapy can be a very daunting idea – maybe it’s your first time thinking about therapy and you're really unsure about what to expect, or maybe you’ve been to therapy before and didn’t really find it helpful. Wherever you are, I’d like to assure you that starting here at A Ray of Hope in Libertyville will be a gentler transition than you might imagine. Your first session is all about assessment and getting a better sense of what you are dealing with. There won’t be any formal psychological diagnoses, nor will you and the therapist immediately embark on a treatment plan.

In our first session, we will assess your current situation by talking about the circumstances that prompted you to seek help, as well as any previous experiences with anxiety. This information will assist in developing an effective plan to meet your individual needs and choose the most beneficial therapy methods. Based on this information, we will work together to reach your goals. Generally, the initial period of therapy involves weekly sessions. As you make progress, sessions may be less frequent as you become more independent in your coping skills and gain greater control over your anxiety.

Medication Evaluation: If there is potential to use medication in your treatment, some of our Psychiatric Providers may evaluate you. Many patients find that a combination of therapy and psychiatric visits is beneficial. Using medication in the treatment of anxiety is common, especially with moderate to severe symptoms or those that have been present for a long time.

Many types of insurance are accepted. Please click here to request an appointment, or call us at (847) 816-6335 for scheduling

What to Expect When You Start Therapy at A Ray of Hope

Starting therapy can feel intimidating, especially if you've never done it before or if previous experiences weren't helpful. At A Ray of Hope in Libertyville, your first session is focused on understanding your situation — not diagnosing you or jumping straight into a treatment protocol.

Your therapist will ask about what brought you in, your history with anxiety, and what you're hoping to change. From there, they'll work with you to identify the most appropriate approach and set realistic goals. Therapy for anxiety typically involves weekly sessions, at least initially, with the frequency tapering as you build skills and confidence.

If there's any chance that medication might support your treatment, our psychiatric providers are also available for evaluation. Many patients benefit from a combination of therapy and psychiatry, particularly when anxiety is moderate to severe or has been present for a long time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my anxiety is serious enough for therapy? If your anxiety is affecting your job, relationships, sleep, or everyday living/enjoyment of life, talking to someone is a good idea. You don’t need to be at a breaking point to see benefit from therapy, though. Many people find that the sooner they get help for their anxiety, the faster they get better, and that the anxiety doesn’t have time to solidify into an even more impenetrable barrier.

What's the difference between a therapist and a psychiatrist for anxiety? Licensed therapist offers talk therapy using a variety of evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), EMDR, and more. Licensed psychiatrist to evaluate for and prescribe medication. While many patients experience relief from anxiety through talk therapy alone, others need a combination of both talk therapy and medication. Fortunately, A Ray of Hope has them all right under one roof.

How long does therapy for anxiety usually take? What works for one person may not work for another, and what works for one type of anxiety may not work for another type or intensity of anxiety. Anxiety that is more general or that has roots in other issues can take longer. Your therapist will give you an initial sense of what to expect, but will also make adjustments as you work together.

Do you offer telehealth therapy in Libertyville? Yes. A Ray of Hope provides remote telehealth therapy services. Anxiety can prevent many individuals from coming to counseling, and some individuals have busy lives that make it hard to regularly attend in person. Telehealth therapy addresses both of these issues. All you need is reliable Wi-Fi and a device in which to video call.

Our organization provides access to seeing both a therapist and a psychiatrist. We believe this cohesiveness is key when supporting individuals through complex mental health struggles. Your psychiatrist will work closely with your assigned therapist to synchronize care, ensuring you receive the most effective assistance possible. Yes. Our therapists and psychiatric providers communicate regularly. Your care will generally be better if you see providers who work together.

Anxiety does not have to be the one who wins. Regardless of the duration of anxiety, whether it has been ongoing for years or has just started, anxiety can be healed and managed. A therapist can truly help. Anxiety can interfere with so many aspects of our lives, such as school, work, our personal and social lives, and overall wellness. Anxiety does not have to take over our lives. A Ray of Hope in Libertyville serves the entire Lake County area, including Vernon Hills, Mundelein, Gurnee, and Waukegan. We are now seeing new patients!

Call (847) 816-6335 or schedule your first appointment online today.