Process

The therapeutic process begins with a 60-minute consultation. During this time, we will review symptoms or what is keeping you stuck, how that affects your functioning, your goals, and treatment planning. Sometimes this process may take more than one session. The consultation helps determine if we are a good match, how many sessions and with what frequency we will meet.

There are many forms of therapy but only a few that are scientifically-based and have been shown to be effective in treating many disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the gold-standard treatment for anxiety and related disorders. CBT is a time-limited, results-oriented treatment that focuses on the present and problem solving via identifying and reappraising the way you think and shifting your behaviors. Variations of CBT used at the Chicago Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders include exposure and response prevention (ERP), exposure therapy, cognitive therapy (CT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and inference-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (I-CBT).

It has been said, change your thoughts and you change your world. CBT is action-oriented. You will be assigned exercises to help you better manage your symptoms and achieve your goals. Treatment will provide you with skills that can be used in and out of therapy—long after our work together is complete. It is helping you to help yourself.

Individualized treatment plans, schedule, and location are tailored to fit your unique needs. Fit and schedule permitting, time-intensive treatment is an option for clients. This can be a good fit for clients with complex disorders, those who want an immersive action plan, or individuals coming from out-of-town.

Treatment happens where it is needed and is not limited to the traditional one-hour, in-office appointments. While some clients work exclusively in the office or virtually, treatment may call for addressing symptoms in real-life situations. Therapy can be more effective when you are practicing it in the settings where you struggle. In addition to house calls (either due to problematic symptoms in the home or because clients are homebound), treatment can take place nearly anywhere—including restaurants, shopping centers, transit, or wherever a client can benefit from in-vivo (or live) exposure.