Therapy For Anxiety in Providence

Evidence-Based Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety can feel overwhelming when it takes over your thoughts, disrupts your sleep, or keeps you from doing things you want to do. Maybe you worry constantly, avoid situations that make you anxious, or experience anxiety symptoms like a pounding heart, racing heart, or muscle tension. You might feel on edge all the time or find yourself saying no to opportunities because anxiety gets in the way.

It’s normal to feel anxious from time to time, especially in stressful situations. However, living with an anxiety disorder is different—it involves persistent, excessive worry or fear that interferes with daily life. Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions—and they’re also among the most treatable. According to the American Psychiatric Association, anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions are classified and diagnosed using standardized guidelines. While anxiety disorders share some features with other mental health conditions, they are distinct and require specific approaches to treatment. With the right support, you can learn to manage anxiety effectively and reclaim the parts of your life anxiety has been controlling.

At the Providence Therapy Group, we specialize in anxiety treatment using proven therapeutic approaches. Whether you’re dealing with generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks, social anxiety, or persistent worry, we can help you develop skills to reduce anxiety and move forward.

Providence Therapy Group Accepting New Patients

Meet Our Anxiety Specialist

Jennifer McMillan, M.S., LMHC
Licensed counselor
ANxiety Therapist in Providence

Jennifer McMillan is a licensed mental health counselor who specializes in anxiety disorders, depression, life transitions, and trauma. She works with individuals experiencing generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety, and other anxiety-related challenges. Jennifer uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients identify and challenge anxious thought patterns, develop practical coping skills, and gradually face feared situations. She creates a safe, nonjudgmental environment where you can be honest about how anxiety is affecting you while building tools to manage it.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress or perceived danger. Everyone experiences anxiety sometimes. An anxiety disorder is different—anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, and interferes with daily life. Anxiety disorders often involve a range of anxiety symptoms, including both physical and emotional signs.

Common anxiety disorders include conditions such as panic attacks and panic disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive worry about multiple areas of life that are difficult to control. Physical symptoms include restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, and sleep problems. Cognitive distortions, negative thinking, negative thoughts, and negative emotions can all contribute to the development and maintenance of GAD. Significant life events can also trigger or worsen anxiety disorders.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that cause anxiety, along with repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce that anxiety. Common obsessions include fears of contamination, harm, or making mistakes. Compulsions might include excessive cleaning, checking, counting, or seeking reassurance.

Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks—sudden episodes of intense fear with physical symptoms like racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, and feelings of losing control.

Social Anxiety Disorder: Intense fear of social situations where you might be judged or embarrassed. This goes beyond shyness and leads to avoiding social situations. Cognitive distortions and negative thoughts often play a key role in social anxiety, fueling negative emotions and avoidance behaviors.

Specific Phobias: Intense fear of specific objects or situations (heights, flying, animals, needles) that’s out of proportion to actual danger.

Separation Anxiety Disorder: Marked by excessive fear or anxiety about being separated from attachment figures, commonly seen in children but can also affect adults.

How We Treat Anxiety

We use evidence-based, relationship-focused therapy approaches proven effective for anxiety disorders. Working with a licensed mental health professional is essential for treating anxiety, as they can tailor therapy to your unique needs. Treating anxiety often involves a combination of therapeutic methods that address both symptoms and underlying causes. It's important to know that therapy for anxiety frequently requires facing your fears rather than avoiding them, which can initially make you feel worse before you start to feel better.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders. CBT helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Cognitive therapy is a core component of CBT, focusing on identifying and restructuring negative thoughts that contribute to anxiety.

In CBT for anxiety, you’ll learn to:

• Recognize anxious thoughts and their patterns

• Challenge catastrophic thinking

• Develop more balanced, realistic thinking

• Gradually face feared situations (exposure therapy)

• Use relaxation techniques to manage physical symptoms

CBT also helps you recognize cognitive distortions, negative thinking, and negative thoughts, and teaches you how to replace them with more realistic thoughts. CBT addresses negative patterns and distortions in the way we look at the world and ourselves. It includes homework and activities that build skills to cope with anxiety step by step. CBT can be done in a group or one-on-one setting.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT teaches practical skills for managing intense emotions. DBT focuses on:

• Mindfulness: Staying present rather than worrying

• Distress tolerance: Managing anxiety in the moment

• Emotion regulation: Understanding and changing emotional responses

• Interpersonal effectiveness: Communicating needs and setting boundaries

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is one of the most effective treatments, especially when avoidance is a major problem. Exposure therapy can be conducted through imagined scenarios or real-life confrontations with fears. Systematic desensitization is a step-by-step approach used in exposure therapy to gradually face fears and build confidence. A key component, response prevention, is especially important in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and severe anxiety, where individuals resist compulsive responses during exposure sessions. Studies show that exposure therapy can yield significant, long-lasting results for anxiety symptoms, with 60% to 80% of people experiencing improvement lasting for two to six years. Butler Hospital offers intensive outpatient programs specifically for OCD and severe anxiety disorders using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). You gradually face feared situations in a controlled way, learning that anxiety peaks and then decreases naturally.

Mindfulness-Based Approaches

Mindfulness teaches you to observe anxious thoughts without getting caught up in them. Mindfulness skills include focused breathing, deep breathing, body scans, and staying present instead of worrying about the future.

Getting Started with Anxiety Therapy

Beginning therapy for anxiety can feel like an anxious situation in itself, but knowing what to expect can help ease some of those worries. Many therapists use the first session to learn more about you, your experiences, and your goals. Therapy is most successful when you find a therapist who is a right fit for you, and it may take time before you notice how much therapy is helping. You may find a good fit in the first therapist you meet, but it's also normal to meet with a few therapists before finding the one that works best for you.

If anxiety is interfering with your life, effective treatment is available. You don’t have to continue managing anxiety alone.

At the Providence Therapy Group, our therapist specializes in evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders. We offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and practical skill-building tailored to your specific symptoms and goals.

With offices in Providence, Rhode Island and Cumberland, Rhode Island, we serve clients throughout Providence, Cranston, Edgewood, and surrounding areas. We offer both in-person and online therapy options.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does anxiety therapy take?

Treatment length varies depending on anxiety type and severity. CBT for anxiety typically involves 12-20 sessions, though some people benefit from shorter or longer treatment. You'll notice improvements within the first few sessions as you learn new skills.

Will I have to talk about traumatic experiences?

Not necessarily. Anxiety therapy focuses on current symptoms and coping strategies. If past trauma contributes to current anxiety, your therapist will work with you at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

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

Yes. Even long-standing anxiety responds well to evidence-based treatment. Many people who've struggled with anxiety for decades find significant relief through CBT and other approaches, especially when they take time to find a therapist who is a good fit.

Do I need medication for anxiety?

Not everyone needs medication. Many people manage anxiety effectively with therapy alone. For some, combining therapy with medication (prescribed by a psychiatrist or primary care doctor) works best. Your therapist can discuss options and help you make informed decisions.

What if therapy doesn't work for me?

Evidence-based treatments like CBT have strong success rates for anxiety disorders. If progress stalls, your therapist can adjust the approach, try different techniques, or explore whether other factors might be interfering. The key is open communication about what is and isn't working.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person?

Research shows online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for anxiety disorders. Online therapy offers convenience and accessibility while maintaining the same evidence-based approaches, and some people also benefit from online and in-person group therapy.

How do I know if I need therapy vs. just self-help?

Consider therapy if anxiety:

• Interferes with work, relationships, or daily activities

• Causes significant distress

• Leads to avoidance of important situations

• Hasn’t improved with self-help strategies

• Includes panic attacks or severe physical symptoms

Joining a support group can also be a helpful resource for managing anxiety and connecting with others who share similar experiences.

What's the difference between anxiety and stress?

Stress is a response to external demands or pressures. Anxiety persists even without clear external stressors and often involves excessive worry about potential future threats. Certain situations or negative thought patterns can trigger anxiety, leading to anxious responses even when the actual threat is minimal. Anxiety disorders involve anxiety that’s disproportionate to actual circumstances and significantly impacts functioning, and in some cases may overlap with conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).