Anxiety Therapy in Burnaby & Online Across BC

CBT has been shown to be an effective treatment for anxiety. It focuses on helping individuals identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns—such as excessive worry, catastrophic thinking, or overestimating danger—and gradually change behaviours that maintain anxiety, like avoidance or safety-seeking habits. Rather than dwelling on the past, CBT emphasizes practical strategies that help individuals manage anxiety in the present and build confidence in facing feared situations.

Mindfulness-based therapy integrates mindfulness practices with therapeutic approaches to help individuals manage anxiety. It emphasizes developing awareness of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, while encouraging a non-judgmental and accepting attitude toward anxious experiences. This approach has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and supporting individuals in responding more calmly and skillfully to stress, worry, and rumination.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is based on the idea that each person has different “parts” (for example, a worried part, an inner critic, or an avoidant part), along with a core Self. In anxiety, some parts may carry fear, uncertainty, or past distress, while other parts try to protect by staying hypervigilant, overthinking, or avoiding situations. These protective parts can become stuck in extreme roles that end up maintaining anxiety over time.

IFS aims to help individuals understand and develop compassion for their anxious and protective parts, while gently healing the underlying fears or burdens they carry. As these parts begin to feel safer, the internal system can become more balanced, allowing the individual to feel calmer, more grounded, and more guided by their core Self.

Emerging research suggests that IFS can be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and may be comparable to other evidence-based therapeutic approaches.

High levels of self-criticism are often linked to greater anxiety, particularly in the form of constant self-doubt, fear of making mistakes, and harsh self-judgment. Individuals who are highly self-critical may also respond differently to some treatments—for example, they may find it harder to benefit from approaches like CBT if self-criticism remains unaddressed.

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) can be especially helpful for those struggling with anxiety and strong self-criticism. It focuses on developing self-compassion and compassion for others as a way to soothe the threat system, reduce shame, and ease anxiety. By learning to relate to themselves with greater kindness and understanding, individuals can feel safer internally and better able to manage worry, fear, and stress.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy that combines acceptance and mindfulness techniques with commitment and behaviour change strategies. Instead of trying to change your thoughts, ACT involves accepting the full range of your thoughts and emotions and teaches you new ways to respond to distressing thoughts and emotions. ACT also focuses on helping you identifying your personal values and committing to taking steps to incorporate changes that align with your values and lead to positive change. ACT has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression.