Evidence-based, real-talk therapy for people who manage until they can’t and need someone who stays.
We work with anxiety across the full spectrum, from people who function under constant strain to those whose symptoms feel overwhelming and hard to manage. This is a place for people who have been told they are too complex or need to be treated elsewhere before help is possible. We stay with you when anxiety escalates and help you treat the symptoms of anxiety with steadiness and care.
Panic attacks. Obsessive thoughts. Constant worry runs underneath everything. You want to feel steady, stop second-guessing every decision, and quit bracing for what’s next. Our anxiety treatment helps you understand what’s underneath all of it, break the patterns that keep you stuck, and treat the root cause instead of just coping with symptoms.
How transformation happens:
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The panic that makes our chest tighten and convinces us that something’s seriously wrong. The thoughts that loop endlessly, no matter how hard we try to stop them. The constant body-checking because we’re sure we’re missing something. The isolation that builds when facing people feels harder than staying alone.
Panic can feel sudden, physical, and overwhelming. Episodes often arrive without warning, creating fear of the next spike and a constant effort to stay in control. Over time, daily routines may become organized around prevention, which quietly reinforces the panic cycle. Effective treatment focuses on changing the relationship with panic rather than trying to eliminate every sensation.
The goal is to reduce fear of panic itself, increase confidence during intensity, and restore a sense of steadiness in daily life.
Our approach:
This form of anxiety rarely shuts off. Worry moves continuously from one concern to the next, creating persistent tension, restlessness, and mental fatigue that can feel impossible to escape. Treatment focuses on loosening the grip of constant worry and increasing flexibility in how uncertainty is handled. The aim is not perfect calm, but a quieter mind and greater capacity to stay present.
Our approach:
Social anxiety often centers on fear of judgment and heightened self-monitoring. Interactions can feel loaded with risk, leading to avoidance or prolonged mental replay afterward. Progress comes from reducing avoidance and shifting attention outward rather than inward. Over time, social situations become more manageable and less consuming.
Our approach:
Health anxiety pulls attention toward physical sensations and worst-case interpretations. Checking, reassurance-seeking, and repeated research may bring short-term relief while increasing long-term anxiety. Our treatment focuses on breaking reassurance cycles and building tolerance for uncertainty, allowing attention to return to daily life rather than constant symptom monitoring.
Our approach:
Specific fears that narrow daily life. Performance pressure that interferes with abilities. Obsessive mental loops. Trauma responses that keep the nervous system on high alert even when safe. While these patterns can feel exhausting and consuming, treatment focuses on reducing their intensity, increasing regulation, and restoring steadiness over time.
Rumination keeps attention locked into repetitive thoughts, questions, or scenarios long after they stop being productive. Mental energy becomes consumed by trying to find certainty or resolution. Effective work reduces engagement with mental loops and strengthens the ability to shift attention intentionally, even when thoughts feel unresolved. Learn more about OCD therapy and anxiety disorders.
Our approach:
Phobias often narrow life gradually as avoidance increases. Fear may feel manageable in the short term, but avoidance reinforces the threat response over time. Treatment will focus on reducing avoidance and building confidence through structured exposure, allowing fear to lose its control.
Our approach:
Performance anxiety tends to surface in high-stakes situations where mistakes feel unacceptable. Pressure can interfere with skills that are otherwise reliable. Our work focuses on reducing mental interference and increasing steadiness under pressure so performance becomes more consistent and less reactive.
Our approach:
Trauma-related anxiety keeps the nervous system on high alert even when immediate danger is no longer present. Triggers may feel unpredictable and difficult to control. Our treatment will emphasize on building tools for better regulation and stability first, creating the foundation needed for deeper trauma work.
Our approach:
If you’re ready to treat anxiety instead of just managing it, reach out for a free consultation. We’ll talk through what you’re dealing with, answer your questions, and help you decide if Be Well ATL is the right fit.
Anxiety therapy is demanding work. It requires clinicians who can stay grounded, think clearly, and remain engaged when symptoms intensify. The team at Be Well ATL brings a shared commitment to evidence-based anxiety treatment and a steady, no-nonsense approach to care. Learn more about our practice philosophy.
What defines the team’s work:
This practice works with people who want anxiety therapy that does more than help them get through the week. The focus is on understanding what keeps anxiety going and addressing it directly, rather than offering surface-level strategies or reassurance alone.
What sets this approach apart:
Be Well ATL provides in-person anxiety therapy at 3044 Shallowford Rd., Atlanta, GA 30341, along with online therapy services for individuals who prefer or require remote care.
Access and location details:
High-functioning anxiety isn’t a clinical diagnosis. It’s a pattern. And it’s one that often goes unnoticed because, from the outside, everything looks fine.
You’re showing up. You’re getting things done. You’re meeting expectations. You might even be excelling. But internally, your nervous system is rarely at rest.
High-functioning anxiety often lives behind competence. It’s the pressure that keeps you moving, achieving, fixing, preparing, and staying ahead so nothing falls apart.
What high-functioning anxiety feels like internally
On the inside, it often looks like this:
Many people describe it as always bracing. Even during downtime, your body stays tense. Rest feels undeserved or unsafe. Slowing down can actually increase anxiety instead of relieving it.
Why it’s easy to miss
High-functioning anxiety doesn’t usually trigger immediate concern from others. You’re not missing work. You’re not falling apart publicly. You’re often the person others rely on.
Because of that, it’s common to minimize what you’re experiencing or tell yourself you shouldn’t feel this way. You might think, “Other people have it worse,” or “I’m still functioning, so it can’t be that bad.”
But functioning isn’t the same as being okay.
Over time, this pattern can lead to burnout, panic symptoms, sleep problems, irritability, emotional numbness, or sudden crashes when your system finally can’t keep up.
How high-functioning anxiety is different from everyday stress
Stress usually has a clear cause and a clear end. A deadline passes. A situation resolves. Your body settles.
High-functioning anxiety is more persistent. It’s not just about what’s happening. It’s about how your nervous system has learned to operate. Even when external pressure decreases, the internal pressure stays.
This is why vacations don’t always help. Neither does “just taking a break.” The anxiety isn’t coming from your schedule alone. It’s coming from deeper patterns around control, responsibility, self-worth, and safety.
How therapy helps with high-functioning anxiety
Therapy for high-functioning anxiety isn’t about taking away your drive or ambition. It’s about helping your system stop running on fear and pressure as its primary fuel.
Therapy focuses on:
The goal isn’t to make you less capable. It’s to help you feel less trapped inside your own competence.
When it’s worth getting support
If you’re “doing fine” on the outside but feel constantly tense, depleted, or afraid of what will happen if you stop, that’s not something you have to push through alone.
High-functioning anxiety is treatable. And getting support earlier often prevents it from escalating into more severe anxiety, panic, or burnout.
Therapy gives you a place where you don’t have to perform, manage, or hold it together. You get to slow down enough to understand what’s been driving you and learn a different way of relating to yourself that doesn’t require constant pressure to function.
If anxiety is affecting your daily life, relationships, work, or sense of well-being, therapy is worth considering. The question isn’t whether anxiety is “bad enough” to justify help. It’s whether you’re ready to address what’s been driving it rather than continuing to manage around it.
When therapy becomes worth it
Therapy makes sense when:
Many people wait years before seeking help, often because they tell themselves it’s not “serious enough” or they should be able to handle it alone. But waiting often allows patterns to deepen and become harder to shift.
What therapy actually addresses
Therapy for anxiety isn’t just about feeling calmer in the moment. It’s about understanding why anxiety persists and what keeps it going.
This might involve:
This kind of work takes time, but it’s different from trying to manage symptoms indefinitely without addressing the root patterns.
How to know if therapy will help
Not all therapy is the same. Evidence-based approaches like DBT for managing anxiety symptoms, ERP, and ACT are structured, goal-oriented, and proven effective for anxiety.
If you’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help, that doesn’t mean therapy doesn’t work. It may mean the approach, timing, or fit wasn’t right.
At Be Well ATL, we specialize in anxiety that hasn’t responded to other approaches, including high-acuity patterns that other practices refer out. The work is active, structured, and focused on treating what’s driving the anxiety rather than offering reassurance alone.
When it’s worth starting
If you’re reading this and wondering whether your anxiety justifies therapy, that question itself often means it’s worth exploring. You don’t need to wait until things get worse.
Getting support earlier prevents patterns from becoming more entrenched and reduces the risk of anxiety escalating into panic, burnout, or other complications.
Therapy is worth it when you’re ready to stop managing anxiety and start treating it. Learn more about individual therapy for anxiety in Atlanta.
For anxiety, you want a therapist trained in evidence-based approaches specifically designed to treat anxiety patterns. Not all therapy is equally effective for anxiety, and not all therapists specialize in it.
What to look for in an anxiety therapist
Look for therapists who:
Therapists specializing in anxiety understand how anxiety works, what maintains it, and how to interrupt the cycles keeping it going. This is different from general supportive therapy, which may help you feel heard but not necessarily address the underlying mechanisms.
Common therapy approaches for anxiety.
The most effective therapies for anxiety are structured and active. They include:
These approaches are backed by research and designed to create lasting change, not just temporary relief.
Credentials and training matter
Anxiety therapists may be licensed as:
What matters most isn’t the specific license, but whether the therapist has specialized training in anxiety treatment and uses evidence-based methods.
At Be Well ATL, our therapists are trained in DBT, ERP, and ACT. We work with anxiety across the full spectrum, from high-functioning patterns to high-acuity symptoms that other practices refer out.
What about psychiatrists vs therapists
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication. Therapists provide psychotherapy and skill-building but don’t prescribe.
For anxiety, therapy is often the first-line treatment. Medication can be helpful in some cases, but it doesn’t address the underlying patterns or teach skills for managing anxiety long-term.
Many people benefit from both therapy and medication, but therapy alone is effective for most types of anxiety when the approach is evidence-based and the therapist is trained.
How to find the right fit
The best anxiety therapist is someone who:
If you’re not sure where to start, reach out for a consultation. Most anxiety-focused practices offer brief phone calls to discuss your needs and determine if the practice is a good fit.
The most effective therapies for anxiety are evidence-based, structured, and focused on changing the patterns that maintain anxiety. Not all therapy approaches are equally effective, and some are specifically designed to treat anxiety, while others are more general.
Evidence-based therapies for anxiety
Research consistently shows that certain approaches work best for anxiety:
These therapies share common elements: they’re active, skill-based, and focused on changing your relationship with anxiety rather than just talking about it.
Why structured therapy works better for anxiety
Anxiety thrives on avoidance, rumination, and safety behaviors. Effective therapy directly addresses these patterns rather than working around them.
Structured approaches provide:
This is different from unstructured talk therapy, which may help you understand your anxiety but doesn’t always teach you how to change it.
How DBT helps with anxiety
DBT therapy for managing anxiety symptoms is especially effective for people whose anxiety includes:
DBT teaches four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help you manage anxiety in the moment and reduce the behaviors that reinforce it over time.
How ERP helps with anxiety
ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD and phobias, but it’s also effective for panic disorder, social anxiety, and health anxiety.
The approach involves:
ERP is structured, goal-oriented, and proven to reduce anxiety long-term.
Why some therapy doesn’t work for anxiety
Not all therapy is designed to treat anxiety. General talk therapy or insight-focused approaches can help you understand your history or gain self-awareness, but they don’t always teach the skills needed to interrupt anxiety cycles.
If you’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help, the issue may not be you. It may be that the approach wasn’t evidence-based or wasn’t a good match for anxiety.
What to look for in anxiety treatment
Effective anxiety therapy should:
At Be Well ATL, we use DBT, ERP, and ACT to treat anxiety. These approaches are proven effective and tailored to each person’s specific patterns and needs.
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple grounding technique designed to help manage anxiety in the moment. It works by shifting attention away from internal distress and toward the present environment, which can help interrupt anxiety spirals and reduce intensity.
When anxiety spikes, follow these steps:
This technique engages your senses and grounds you in the present moment, making it harder for anxious thoughts to dominate your attention.
Why grounding techniques help
Anxiety often pulls attention inward, toward worst-case scenarios, physical sensations, or racing thoughts. Grounding techniques redirect attention outward, which can:
Grounding isn’t a cure for anxiety, but it’s a useful tool for managing spikes when they happen.
Other grounding techniques
The 3-3-3 rule is one of many grounding strategies. Others include:
These techniques are most effective when practiced regularly, not just during crisis moments.
What grounding techniques don’t do?
Grounding can help you manage anxiety in the moment, but it doesn’t address the underlying patterns causing anxiety in the first place.
If you’re relying on grounding techniques daily just to function, that’s a sign that anxiety may need more structured treatment. Therapy for anxiety focuses on:
Grounding is a helpful tool, but it’s most effective when combined with evidence-based therapy that addresses what’s driving the anxiety.
When to use the 3-3-3 rule
Use grounding techniques when:
Grounding works best as part of a broader anxiety treatment plan, not as a replacement for therapy.
The most successful treatment for anxiety depends on the type and severity of anxiety, but research consistently shows that evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are the most effective approaches.
What makes a treatment successful
Successful anxiety treatment:
For most types of anxiety, therapy is the first-line treatment. Medication can be helpful in some cases, but it doesn’t teach skills or address the behavioral and cognitive patterns that keep anxiety going.
Most effective therapies for anxiety
Research shows these approaches consistently produce lasting results:
These therapies share common elements: they’re structured, skill-based, and focused on changing patterns rather than just talking about them.
Why therapy works better than medication alone
Medication can reduce anxiety symptoms, but it doesn’t address the underlying patterns. When medication is stopped, symptoms often return.
Therapy teaches skills and changes the behavioral and cognitive patterns maintaining anxiety. These changes last beyond the end of treatment.
Research shows that therapy alone is as effective as medication for most types of anxiety, and the combination of therapy and medication is often most effective for severe anxiety.
What doesn’t work as well?
Unstructured talk therapy, insight-focused approaches, or general support can help you feel heard, but don’t always lead to lasting change for anxiety.
Avoidance, reassurance-seeking, and safety behaviors may provide short-term relief but reinforce anxiety long-term.
Self-help strategies like relaxation techniques, grounding, or breathing exercises can help manage symptoms in the moment, but don’t replace structured treatment.
How to know if treatment is working
Successful anxiety treatment should lead to:
Progress isn’t always linear. Anxiety may spike during exposure work or when practicing new skills. But over time, effective treatment reduces both the intensity and impact of anxiety.
What treatment looks like at Be Well ATL
We use evidence-based approaches like DBT, ERP, and ACT to treat anxiety. Treatment is structured, active, and focused on changing the patterns keeping anxiety going.
We work with anxiety across the full spectrum, from high-functioning patterns to high-acuity symptoms that other practices refer out. The goal isn’t just symptom management. It’s treating what’s underneath and building long-term stability.
Yes. Therapy is highly effective for treating anxiety without medication, and for many types of anxiety, it’s the recommended first-line treatment. Medication can be helpful in some cases, but it’s not the only option, and it’s not always necessary.
When therapy alone is effective
Research shows that evidence-based therapy is as effective as medication for most types of anxiety, including:
Why do some people benefit from medication
Medication can be helpful when:
Common medications for anxiety include SSRIs, SNRIs, and benzodiazepines. Each has different benefits and risks, and decisions about medication should be made with a prescriber who understands your specific situation.
How therapy treats anxiety without medication
Therapy for anxiety works by:
These changes address the root of the problem rather than just managing symptoms. Once you learn these skills, they continue working long after therapy ends.
At Be Well ATL, we use evidence-based approaches like DBT, ERP, and ACT. These therapies are proven effective for anxiety and focus on skill-building, exposure, and pattern change.
What about natural or alternative approaches
Some people find relief through lifestyle changes like exercise, sleep hygiene, or mindfulness practices. These can support anxiety treatment, but aren’t usually sufficient on their own for moderate to severe anxiety.
Supplements, herbal remedies, or other alternative approaches have limited research supporting their effectiveness for anxiety. They’re not a replacement for evidence-based therapy.
When medication becomes worth considering
If you’ve tried therapy consistently and aren’t seeing improvement, or if anxiety is so severe it prevents you from engaging in treatment, medication may be worth discussing with a prescriber.
The decision about whether to use medication is individual. Some people prefer to try therapy first. Others benefit from starting both at the same time.
What matters most is finding an approach that works for you and addresses the underlying patterns, not just the symptoms.
How to decide
If you’re unsure whether you need medication, start by talking with a therapist who specializes in anxiety. They can help you assess severity, discuss options, and refer you to a prescriber if needed.
At Be Well ATL, we focus on evidence-based therapy for anxiety. If medication is appropriate, we can help you coordinate care with a prescriber while continuing structured therapy to address the patterns maintaining anxiety.
The length of anxiety therapy varies depending on the type and severity of anxiety, your goals, and how consistently you practice skills between sessions. Most people see meaningful progress within 12 to 24 sessions, though some patterns take longer to shift.
Anxiety therapy isn’t about a fixed timeline. It’s about addressing the patterns, maintaining anxiety, and building skills that work long-term. Some people work with a therapist for a few months. Others stay longer to address deeper patterns or prevent relapse.
Factors that affect treatment length
Several factors affect how long therapy takes:
Progress in anxiety therapy often isn’t linear. You may notice improvements early on, then hit plateaus or setbacks. This is normal. The goal is gradual, sustained improvement rather than quick fixes.
What to expect from evidence-based therapy
Most evidence-based anxiety therapies are designed to be time-limited. CBT, DBT, and ERP typically involve weekly sessions for several months, with the option to taper to less frequent sessions as you build independence.
The focus is on teaching you skills and changing patterns so you don’t need therapy indefinitely. Some people return for occasional sessions during high-stress periods, but the goal is for you to manage anxiety independently after treatment ends.
What treatment looks like at Be Well ATL
At Be Well ATL, we work with you to set realistic goals and adjust treatment length based on your progress. The work is structured, active, and focused on building long-term stability rather than endless maintenance.
