Which therapy is the right one for me?

If you are living with anxiety, you are not alone. Millions of people experience anxiety in some way from racing thoughts, restlessness, worry, panic, or the feeling that your mind won’t “switch off.”And while anxiety can feel overwhelming, there are a wide range of wellbeing approaches that can help.

But with so many options, how do you choose the right one?

When I was struggling with anxiety and panic I spent nine years researching my options to regain a balance to my wellbeing. I tried and tested many things to find what worked best for me.

Below is my guide to some approaches for anxiety and what they involve. I have tried to keep this as brief as possible but there are so many options out there that I could fill a book! This is definitely not an exhaustive list to wellbeing approaches, so it is essential that you research your chosen approach to see if it fits your needs.

Amy Langshaw CBT therapist

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Best for: People who want structure and practical strategies

What it is: CBT is a short-term, goal focused therapy that concentrates on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. You will learn to identify unhelpful thinking patterns (like catastrophising or assuming the worst) and replace them with more balanced thoughts. You will also build coping skills to manage anxiety in daily life. This approach can also explore deeper roots, past experiences, unconscious patterns, and emotional conflicts.

Try it if: You like a practical approach to achieve positive change, such as worksheets, relaxation strategies, experimenting with alternative approaches to situations, and step-by-step tools.

2. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Best for: People tired of fighting their thoughts

What it is: ACT can also be a short-term therapy that teaches you how to stop battling every anxious thought and instead accept them without letting them control your actions. You learn mindfulness, values exploration, and how to take meaningful action even when anxiety shows up.

Try it if: Anxiety feels like a constant mental tug-of-war.

3. Psychodynamic Therapy and counselling

Best for: People who want to understand the why behind their anxiety

What it is: These talking therapies can be both short-term or long-term support. Instead of focusing only on symptoms, these approaches can explore deeper roots, past experiences, unconscious patterns, and emotional conflicts.

Try it if: You’re curious about how your history shapes your present.

4. EMDR (Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)

Best for: Anxiety linked to trauma, memories, or stressful life events

What it is: EMDR uses guided eye movements or taps to help your brain reprocess memories so they feel less overwhelming.

Try it if: Your anxiety feels tied to specific events, flashbacks, or body responses.

5. Life Coaching

Best for: People who are functioning day-to-day but want to feel more balanced, confident, and in control of their mental and emotional wellbeing.

What it is: Life coaching for mental health is practical, future-focused support that helps people improve wellbeing, mindset, and everyday coping skills. It focuses on growth and action, not diagnosis or therapy.

Try it if: People often try coaching for stress, overwhelm, confidence, anxiety management (non-clinical), work-life balance, motivation, emotional resilience, and personal growth

6. Mindfulness-Based Therapies

Best for: Busy, overthinking minds, stress and feeling “stuck in your head”

What is it?: It encourages you to focus on the present moment with curiosity and without judgement. This allows you to notice thoughts without getting pulled into them, and calm your nervous system. These therapies teach grounding, breathing, and body awareness to reduce stress.

Try it if: You want to feel calmer, more present, and less reactive.

7. Emotional freedom technique (EFT)

Best for: anxiety, depression, trauma and stress

What it is: EFT is a well-researched and effective approach. It uses gentle tapping on acupuncture points, whilst repeating statements to help your brain process memories and anxiety triggers so they feel less overwhelming.

Try it if: You like a practical approach to achieve positive change.

8. Hypnotherapy

Best for: anxiety connected to habits, beliefs, or subconscious patterns.

What is it?: Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation to help you access a deeply focused state where your mind is more open to suggestion — and less guarded by fear-based thinking.

Try it if: talking alone feels slow or if anxiety feels automatic and “wired in.”

9. Medication and therapy

Best for: Moderate to severe anxiety or when therapy alone isn’t enough. Medication isn’t “cheating”, it creates the breathing room needed to participate in therapy effectively.

Try it if: Your symptoms are interfering with work, relationships, or sleep.

Alternative activities and therapies that support recovery from anxiety and stress.

These are not therapy in the traditional sense but powerful partners to it.

10. Exercise: Movement as Medicine

Regular physical activity lowers anxiety by:

✨ reducing stress hormones

✨ increasing feel-good chemicals like serotonin

✨ releasing tension stored in the body

✨ improving sleep and focus

You don’t need a gym membership — walking, yoga, dancing in your kitchen, and stretching all count.

Try it if: your anxiety shows up physically (tight chest, restlessness, tension) and you want a natural mood lift.

11. Nutrition and diet: fuelling your mind and body

What you eat shapes your mental state more than many people realise. Strong research links steady blood sugar and gut health to lower anxiety, clearer thinking and steadier energy. Working with a dietitian can also introduce structure and routine if this is something you struggle with.

Helpful habits include:

🥗 regular meals to avoid energy dips

💧 hydration

🌱 fibre-rich foods to support the gut

☕ moderating caffeine & alcohol (both can spike anxiety)

Try it if: you are curious whether there may be a connection between your diet and mood changes.

12. Breathwork

Breathwork isn’t just relaxation, it directly shifts your nervous system. Practices like slow deep breathing, box breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and extended exhales, send your brain the message: I am safe.

Try it if: anxiety feels physical, you need fast in-the-moment tools, your thoughts race during stress

13. Spirituality and meaning: Grounding from the inside out

Spirituality, in any form, can provide relief and reassurance.

This may look like:

🕯 meditation

🙏 prayer

🌿 time in nature

📖 reading meaningful texts

👥 participation in a community

✨ personal inner work or values exploration

These activities can help anxiety feel less like a personal enemy and more like a signal guiding you toward what matters.

Try it if: You crave connection, purpose, or inner quiet, or you want tools beyond logic and talk to soothe your system

14. Sound Baths

Sound baths use vibration from singing bowls, gongs, chimes, or tuning forks to help your body and brain settle. The frequencies support deep relaxation, calming your nervous system, reducing tension and overthinking, and dropping into states similar to meditation.

Try it if: your mind is overstimulated, you struggle to “turn off”, you relax best with a sensory experience rather than talking.

How to Choose the Right Approach

There’s no one-size-fits-all. Just to confuse you further, most therapists can also blend methods which is called integrative therapy. This allows the therapy to be tailored to your needs.

Just as important as the type of therapy is to also find the right therapist. Research consistently shows the relationship between you and your therapist matters as much as the technique. I would recommend you look for someone who makes you feel understood, safe and respected. You can interview therapists until you find the right fit, and also try approaches until you find something that feels right.

I started my journey with medication when my thyroid threw my system out of balance. Overtime I have explored Pilates, yoga, tai chi, CBT, psychotherapy, homeopathy, breathwork, sound baths, massage, walking, meditation, forest bathing, arts and crafts, swimming, and support from a nutritionist. I have created a tool kit that meets my needs and supports my overall wellbeing.

I highly recommend researching the therapy you are interested in and make sure you check with accrediting bodies to find a therapist that is registered and approved in their field.

Anxiety doesn’t mean that you are broken, it means your mind and body are asking for support. With therapy, lifestyle care, and a bit of curiosity, change is absolutely possible.

You don’t have to figure it out alone, there is an approach that can work for you.