What type of therapist should treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Psychiatrists administer meds; they do not do therapy. The person might need a psychiatrist for meds if the anxiety is severe as well as either a psychologist or a licensed clinical social worker who has been trained in CBT.

Titles matter a great deal less than competence. A GOOD therapist is of course the answer to your question. I suspect there are folks here capable of recommending methods for attacking the problems around finding a good candidate. Seek advice through PMs.

Psychiatrists can also apply therapy.

I’d go with a psychologist or therapist. Not sure what a social worker could do for you and a psychiatrist is just going to fill you with meds. If you need medication, I’d suggest seeing a psychiatrist and a psychologist or therapist.

My mother has GAD and every psychiatrist she’s had has done a shit job at therapy.

Psychiatrists can usually do therapy but they don’t. These days they are generally just used for meds and one goes to either a psychologist or a licensed clinical social worker. My answer above still stands.

@livelaughlove21 There are social workers who do therapy as a profession.

The psychiatrist I saw for several years was trained as a pyschotherapist as well. So he did both the talk, the listening and the meds, when necessary. He was terrific.

A psychologist that specializes in hypnotherapy might be a good choice. All other answers have been covered. Hypnosis works wonders for many.

@Coloma But the OP did ask about CBT specifically.

My advice is to look up therapists of any kind who are trained in CBT if that is the therapy you are seeking and then find the one you like from whatever profession that takes your – or the person in need’s – insurance.

@janbb ooops…speed reading and running amok here, never mind then. haha

For some reason about half the practitioner listings for CBT in my area are listed as “clinical social worker” whatever that means. If anyone has done CBT I’d like to hear about it.

The best therapists I’ve worked with for myself and when my son was young were Licensed Clinical Social Worker – LCSW – who have at least a Master’s-level education and additional training to perform psychological counseling. I tried a couple Ph.D. Psychologists, who were too austerely clinical about the process – the LCSWs had more of a down-to-earth perspective and approach. All referred to M.D. Psychiatrists for prescriptions.

As with all health care professions, the degree on the wall is not an indicator of competence. Sometimes the professional whom others rave about just rubs you the wrong way. Especially with mental health services, it is crucial to find someone with whom you click, and that you feel genuinely cares about you.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy was developed by Dr. Aaron Beck, and you can learn more about it here: http://www.beckinstitute.org/

CBT is often cited, and is effective for many people, but I personally don’t like therapy that is weighted heavily in CBT type therapy. Just a personal preference for myself for what is effective for me. All therapy will have some sort of combination most likely.

I would also consider finding a therapist who has experience in phobias and avoidance along with the CBT focus. Anxiety often at least parly stems from that type of behavior. Not always, I’m not assuming anything about your condition.

My best therapists have been psychologist. Although, I did see a psychiatrist during an accute case of anxiety cause by a relationship break up and she was helpful. She did therapy, but she was at my university, so probably thosempsychiatrist are more likely to do therapy. She did prescribe me Xanax for a few weeks also. Most psychiatrists are just prescription writers, they don’t usually do much talk therapy.

An MSW or otherwise trained counselor can work also. Just keep in mind you might not hit the right person the first time, and be willing to change. With anxiety and depression I believe within a few weeks you should feel like it is helping, or consider switching. Helping, meaning you see it as productive, not that you necessarily will suddenly have less anxiety.

I can say if any of them even begin to say “xane..” they’ll be watching my backside as I leave the room. Not doing something that will make me more anxious in the long run. I have been running whenever I can even if it’s at 9:00 at night, supplementing with B-vitamins and fish oil. I’m starting to feel better but there is no end in sight to these 60–70 hour high stress weeks I have been working. It’s really taking a toll on my mental health and I’m just prone to anxiety to begin with. Since I’m not going to medicate it CBT just seems like a reasonable option.

I definitely think the bensos should only be used in acute circumstances short term.

I don’t like CBT too much, because I already kind of know what needs to be done. What I need is an outlet to vent, and a therapist who will stop me when I’m going down a hole to kind of give me a reality check. Moreover, I go to feel supported. Talking things through, the venting part, is productive for me, and that is more like good old psychotherapy.

If you are stuck in your situation with no way out of it, I do think therapy can help as an outlet. If you could actually get out by changing jobs and need help getting your act together that also is worth pursuing.

My husband is less prone to anxiety than me I think partly because he is better at taking action. He has very little fear, it’s really amazing. I think a lot of it goes back to childhood.