Anxiety Therapy in Newton

Constant worry makes it hard to concentrate on anything else. Social situations feel overwhelming before you even arrive. Perhaps physical symptoms, racing heart, tight chest, difficulty breathing, accompany anxious thoughts. Newton Neuropsychology Group provides evidence-based anxiety therapy for children, adolescents, and adults throughout Newton and the greater Boston area.

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When Anxiety Controls Your Decisions

You might avoid situations you once enjoyed because anxiety makes them feel unbearable. Perhaps you spend hours worrying about things that haven't happened yet. Your mind might race at night, reviewing conversations or anticipating problems.


Anxiety can take a significant emotional toll:


  • You might feel exhausted from constant vigilance and worry that never shuts off
  • You may experience frustration that rational thinking doesn't stop anxious thoughts
  • You could feel isolated when anxiety prevents you from participating in activities
  • You might struggle with shame about canceling plans or avoiding opportunities

Our therapists use evidence-based approaches to help you understand anxiety patterns, develop effective coping strategies, and gradually face situations you've been avoiding.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety involves persistent, excessive worry or fear that interferes with daily functioning. While everyone experiences occasional anxiety, anxiety disorders involve worry that feels disproportionate to circumstances, lasts longer than warranted, or occurs without clear triggers. Anxiety disorders affect approximately 19% of adults and 7% of children annually.


Anxiety can manifest in several ways:


  • Persistent worry about multiple areas of life that feels difficult to control
  • Physical symptoms including rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, or shortness of breath
  • Avoidance of situations, places, or activities that trigger anxious feelings
  • Difficulty concentrating because anxious thoughts intrude repeatedly
  • Sleep disturbances including trouble falling asleep due to worry


Different anxiety patterns exist: generalized anxiety involves excessive worry about everyday concerns. Social anxiety centers on fear of judgment in social situations. Panic disorder includes sudden episodes of intense fear. Specific phobias involve intense fear of particular objects or situations.


You can learn more about anxiety disorders from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

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Evidence-Based Treatment in a Supportive Environment

Our therapists specialize in evidence-based approaches for anxiety that have been extensively researched and proven effective. We don't rely on generic talk therapy, we use structured interventions specifically designed to address anxiety patterns.


Many of our clients come after completing neuropsychological evaluations, so their therapist already understands their cognitive profile and how it relates to anxiety. If evaluation revealed ADHD or executive functioning challenges, therapy can address how these difficulties contribute to anxiety.


We work with children, adolescents, and adults, adapting our approaches to developmental stage. Our practice offers both in-office therapy at our Newton location and telehealth sessions throughout the greater Boston area.

What Effective Treatment Provides

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Practical Coping Skills

Learn specific techniques to manage anxious thoughts and physical symptoms when they arise, concrete strategies you can use in real situations.

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Reduced Avoidance Patterns

Gradually face situations you've been avoiding rather than letting your world become smaller. Therapy helps you approach feared situations systematically.

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Improved Daily Functioning

Experience less interference from anxiety in work, school, relationships, and activities you value. Therapy helps you reclaim aspects of life that anxiety has limited.

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Better Understanding of Triggers

Identify what situations, thoughts, or physical sensations tend to activate anxiety. This awareness allows you to respond proactively.

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Long-Term Anxiety Management

Develop skills that continue working after therapy ends. You'll have tools to address anxiety if it intensifies during stressful periods.

Living With Less Anxiety

Without effective treatment, anxiety often expands its influence over time. Avoidance patterns may become more entrenched. Work performance might suffer when anxiety interferes with concentration. Relationships can become strained. Physical symptoms may intensify.



With evidence-based therapy, significant improvement becomes possible. You can learn to recognize anxiety patterns early and respond effectively. Situations that once felt unbearable may become manageable as you develop and practice coping skills. Many clients describe feeling more confident in their ability to handle whatever arises, knowing they have tools that work. Physical symptoms often decrease as you address anxious thoughts and behaviors.

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Get Support for Anxiety Today

If anxiety interferes with your work, relationships, sleep, or daily activities, therapy can help. We serve families throughout Newton and the greater Boston area with evidence-based anxiety treatment.


Our therapists use proven approaches including cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance-based strategies. Both in-office and telehealth options are available.

How Anxiety Treatment Works

01

Initial Assessment and Goal Setting

We meet with you to understand your specific anxiety patterns, triggers, and how anxiety affects your daily life. Together, we establish clear, measurable goals that guide treatment. For children and adolescents, parents are typically involved in this initial session.

02

Skill Building and Gradual Exposure

Therapy sessions focus on teaching evidence-based techniques to manage anxiety while gradually facing situations you've been avoiding. You'll learn cognitive strategies to identify and respond to anxious thoughts more effectively. We'll practice behavioral techniques, including relaxation skills and breathing exercises. As you develop these skills, we'll create a gradual exposure plan, a systematic approach to facing feared situations starting with less challenging scenarios. Between sessions, you'll practice skills in real-life situations.

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Maintenance and Relapse Prevention

As anxiety decreases and you successfully navigate previously avoided situations, therapy shifts toward maintaining progress and preventing relapse. We review the skills you've learned, identify which strategies work best, and develop a plan for managing anxiety if it intensifies during future stressful periods.

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Approaches That Actually Work for Anxiety

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT helps you identify anxious thought patterns, examine evidence for and against these thoughts, and develop more balanced perspectives. This approach also addresses behavioral patterns, helping you gradually face feared situations.

  • Exposure therapy, a component of CBT, involves systematically and gradually confronting situations that trigger anxiety. We create a hierarchy of feared scenarios and work through them progressively. Through repeated exposure, your brain learns that feared outcomes often don't occur and that you can tolerate discomfort.

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches you to change your relationship with anxiety rather than trying to eliminate it completely. Instead of fighting anxious thoughts and feelings, you learn to acknowledge them while still taking action aligned with your values.


We also incorporate mindfulness-based strategies that help you stay present rather than getting caught in worry about the future.

Common Questions About Anxiety Treatment

  • How long does anxiety therapy take?

    Treatment length varies based on anxiety severity and your specific goals. Some people experience significant improvement in 12-16 sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support. We'll discuss expected timeline during your initial assessment.

  • Will I have to face my biggest fears right away?

    No. Exposure therapy is gradual and systematic. We start with situations that cause mild anxiety and build slowly toward more challenging scenarios. You maintain control throughout the process.

  • Can therapy help if I've had anxiety for years?

    Absolutely. Even longstanding anxiety patterns can improve with evidence-based treatment. Many clients with chronic anxiety describe significant improvement in daily functioning and quality of life.

  • What if I'm already on anxiety medication?

    Therapy and medication can work well together. Many people benefit from combining both approaches. We can coordinate with your prescriber to ensure integrated care.

Start Managing Anxiety More Effectively

Anxiety doesn't have to control your decisions or limit your life. Evidence-based therapy can help you develop practical skills to manage worry, face feared situations, and pursue goals that matter to you.