Effective Anxiety and Depression Treatments | Explore Therapy Options & Find Support

Anxiety disorders and depression are treatable, and many people find real relief with professional care. With the right therapy and support, symptoms can improve, and quality of life can get better.

Treatment results vary; some people feel better within weeks, while others need more time. If you have more than one anxiety disorder or another condition, treatment may take longer. A qualified provider will start with a full assessment and work with you to create a personalized treatment plan.

Download ADAA’s Therapy Options Guide to explore your choices.
Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you.
For more details about different types of therapy, read ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Types of Therapy

Q&A

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Also known as ACT, this type of therapy uses strategies of acceptance and mindfulness (living in the moment and experiencing things without judgment), along with commitment and behavior change, as a way to cope with unwanted thoughts, feelings, and sensations. ACT imparts skills to accept these experiences, place them in a different context, develop greater clarity about personal values, and commit to needed behavior change.

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
To learn more in-depth about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy -ADAA Webinar

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A well-established, highly effective, and lasting treatment is called cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT. It focuses on identifying, understanding, and changing thinking and behavior patterns. Benefits are usually seen in 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the individual.

In this type of therapy the patient is actively involved in his or her own recovery, has a sense of control, and learns skills that are useful throughout life. CBT typically involves reading about the problem, keeping records between appointments, and completing homework assignments in which the treatment procedures are practiced. Patients learn skills during therapy sessions, but they must practice repeatedly to see improvement.

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
To learn more in-depth about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders
What is CBT? - ADAA Infographic
The Wisdom of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): The Perfect Gift for New Moms - ADAA Blog
“Is This All My Fault?” Addressing the Myth that CBT Blames People for Their Problems - ADAA Blog
What is CBT?- ADAA Video
What is CPT? - ADAA Video

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

CPT and PE are among the most strongly recommended treatments for PTSD. Many clinical trials conducted among people with many different experiences of trauma and individual characteristics show that they meaningfully improve PTSD symptoms. They even address other concerns associated with PTSD, such as depression, anger, and substance misuse.

CPT and PE are both trauma-focused psychotherapies, meaning that they directly address the traumatic experience that led to PTSD. They are also manualized, which means that they are able to be delivered in exactly the way that they were tested in research studies. Lastly, they both fall into the category of cognitive-behavioral therapies, which are “talk therapies” that focus on identifying and modifying unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

There are also a few differences in how CPT and PE address PTSD symptoms:

CPT teaches you to examine and modify the unhelpful thoughts you have had since experiencing trauma—which then changes the way you feel and act. CPT relies on written worksheets to work through these thoughts and feelings. CPT is usually delivered in 12, 60-minute sessions that can be conducted in-person or over telehealth.

PE uses the technique of gradual and systematic exposure to trauma-related memories and emotions to improve PTSD symptoms. This means that you, with the support of a therapist, engage with situations that you have been avoiding since the trauma. PE is usually delivered in 8-12 90-minute sessions that can be conducted in-person or over telehealth.

Learn more:

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
What is CPT? - ADAA Video
What is PE? - ADAA Video
To learn more in-depth about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Integrating cognitive-behavioral techniques with concepts from Eastern meditation, dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, combines acceptance and change. DBT involves individual and group therapy to learn mindfulness, as well as skills for interpersonal effectiveness, tolerating distress, and regulating emotions.

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - ADAA Video
To learn more in-depth about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Integrative Behavioral Health for Anxiety and Depression

Exposure Therapy

A form of CBT, exposure therapy is a process for reducing fear and anxiety responses. In therapy, a person is gradually exposed to a feared situation or object, learning to become less sensitive over time. This type of therapy has been found to be particularly effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRE)*

VRE is a type of exposure therapy that uses virtual reality (i.e., interactive computer-generated simulations) to present the patient with stimuli for exposure therapy with a therapist. Exposure therapy helps people confront what they fear in a therapeutic manner so that the fear decreases. VRE has the advantage of being able to present situations that may be difficult to arrange in real life, for example, flying on an airplane for someone with the fear of flying. The therapist can exactly control the VRE stimuli to create the perfect exposure for that patient, for example, making sure there is no turbulence until the patient is ready for turbulence. Research supports VRE for PTSD, social anxiety, and specific phobias (e.g., fear of heights and flying).

The virtual reality system is just a tool used within VRE – it is not the therapy. Patients interested in VRE should not be directed toward equipment but rather clinicians trained in VRE and explore how VRE might provide additional benefits over conventional exposure therapy.

Q. What questions should a patient ask his/her doctor or clinician about what virtual reality tool might help their disorder?

What is my diagnosis? What is the evidence for virtual reality exposure therapy for this problem? What is your experience using virtual reality exposure therapy for this problem?

Q. How do I know the tool is working for me?

If your provider is practicing evidence-based care, they will assess your symptoms and progress using questionnaires or other evaluations throughout treatment. Hopefully, you will notice improvement, usually in experiencing less anxiety and less avoidance.

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
To learn more in-depth about Exposure Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Exposure Therapy - ADAA Webinar

Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)

Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) is an evidenced-based treatment for OCD that proposes an alternative explanation of how obsessions are formed and subsequently treated. The treatment process pursues the resolution of a reasoning process termed inferential confusion that has been consistently demonstrated to be a significant cognitive factor relevant to OCD. Treatment of this reasoning process predicts successful outcomes across all symptom dimensions of OCD in numerous randomized controlled trials and does not require exposure and response prevention.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Often referred to as IPT, interpersonal therapy is a short-term supportive psychotherapy that addresses interpersonal issues in depression in adults, adolescents, and older adults. IPT usually involves 12 to 16 one-hour weekly sessions. The initial sessions are devoted to gathering information about the nature of a person’s depression and interpersonal experience.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a type of therapy that can help you heal from past life events that impact you in the present. Utilizing bilateral stimulation, through eye movements, tapping, and/or tones, EMDR taps into a natural healing process in our brain that helps to “unlock” distressing memories. In doing so, it reduces the overall emotional and physical distress connected to a memory and shifts a negative belief to an adaptive belief. Research supports the effectiveness of EMDR as a therapy to target past traumatic and distressing experiences.

Visit ADAA's Find Your Therapist directory to find a provider near you
To learn more in-depth about Exposure Therapy and other treatments, check out ADAA's Patient Guide to Mood and Anxiety Disorders
Check out this article: Considering EMDR Therapy? What to Expect
Read more about EMDR from the National Center for PTSD

Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs)

Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs) or also sometimes refered to DTx are FDA-authorized digital treatments that use software—such as mobile apps or online platforms—to prevent, manage, or treat medical and mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. Prescribed by a healthcare provider and used under medical supervision, PDTs deliver evidence-based care, often incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), education, and skill-building tools. These digital therapies work similarly to traditional treatments, but provide accessible, technology-based support that can be used anytime, helping patients manage symptoms and build coping skills between clinical visits.