Top-Rated Anxiety Therapist NYC
Individualized treatment for the authentic you.
4 of the best anxiety therapists in NYC
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1. Madelyn Lunder, LMSW
Madelyn Lunder, LMSW, is a therapist at Madison Square Psychotherapy who provides both in person and virtual therapy for anxiety. She uses cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic techniques to help clients develop clarity and conquer anxiety.
• Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
• License number: 124671/New York
• Education: NYU, Masters in Social Work
• Specialty area(s): Anxiety, Dating & Relationships, Depression, Trauma
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2. Madeleine Phelan, LMSW
Madeleine Phelan, LMSW, is a therapist at Madison Square Psychotherapy, providing anxiety therapy both in person in New York City and virtually. With a focus on relational therapy, Madeleine helps clients navigate anxiety by fostering self-awareness and resilience.
• Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
• License number: 122113/New York
• Education: NYU, Masters in Social Work
• Specialty area(s): Anxiety, Dating & Relationships, Depression, Trauma
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3. Janel Coleman, LMSW
Janel Coleman, LMSW, is a therapist at Madison Square Psychotherapy, practicing in person and virtually in New York City. Specializing in mindfulness-based approaches, Janel supports clients in overcoming anxiety by cultivating self-compassion and emotional regulation.
• Credentials: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
• License number: 119164-01/New York
• Education: Washington University at St. Louis, Masters in Social Work
• Specialty area(s): Depression, Anxiety, Mindfulness-based therapy, Maternal and Women’s Mental Health
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4. Kristin Anderson, LCSW
Kristin Anderson, founder of Madison Square Psychotherapy, specializes in psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral techniques. With a tailored approach, Kristin helps clients develop greater insight, self-compassion, and coping skills for sustained growth.
• Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• License number: 090561/New York
• Education: Columbia University, Masters in Social Work
• Specialty area(s): Trauma, Anxiety, Women’s Issues
Anxiety is a very common issue with over 40 million adults affected by it in the U.S., according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). We often get anxious about various things, such as a test we must prepare for, public speaking, or social situations in general. As the ADAA points out, there are various types of anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and Social Anxiety Disorder, most of which are highly treatable. However, only approximately a third of those suffering from anxiety receive treatment. If you are experiencing anxiety, be mindful of any depressive thoughts or feelings as it is very common for depression to accompany anxiety and vice versa.
When you're dealing with anxiety, you may experience a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms. In terms of physical symptoms, you might notice an increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, or gastrointestinal issues. These responses are part of your body's natural fight-or-flight reaction, which is often triggered by perceived threats or stressful situations.
Emotionally, you might feel restless, irritable, and have a constant sense of impending doom or fear. These feelings can be overwhelming and may even interfere with your day-to-day functioning, making it difficult to focus, make decisions, or enjoy life. It's important to note that other mental health issues (including mild depression, eating disorders, phobias, or trauma) may also interact and further complicate any anxiety or panic disorder as well, making it essential you get the right treatment for anxiety.
It's important to remember that anxiety is a normal and natural response to stress, but when it becomes chronic and starts affecting your quality of life, seeking help is essential. Anxiety therapy often includes recognizing anxious thought patterns and their underlying causes, learning specific techniques which will help you challenge any negative thought patterns, and developing alternative and healthier coping strategies. Exposure therapy may also help you gradually face and overcome your anxiety by exposing you to the situations or objects that trigger your anxiety in a controlled and safe manner, ultimately reducing your stress or panic response over time. Additionally, mindfulness and relaxation exercises can be effective in managing anxiety symptoms. If you find yourself struggling with an anxiety disorder, reaching out for support can be a pivotal step toward regaining control and improving your overall mental health.
Although there are many similarities in how anxiety manifests, it is a unique experience to each person. Together, our goal is help you understand what anxiety means to you. Anxiety therapy can provide a safe space for you to explore your anxiety and help alleviate some of its symptoms.
You’re tired of feeling caught in this cycle:
Tension or tightness in the chest area
Feeling nervous or restless
Feeling panic or a sense of impending danger
Feeling overwhelmed
Experiencing constant worry or fear
Increased heart rate
Difficulty concentrating
Rapid breathing
Sweating and/or trembling
Issues with sleeping
Experiencing panic attacks
What Is Anxiety?
Psychodynamic therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are both effective types of talk therapy offered at Madison Square, offering distinct methods to address the root causes and symptoms of anxiety. When anxiety also has deeper underlying causes rooted in past experiences, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) may also help to provide relief.
Psychodynamic therapy explores how your past experiences, especially unresolved conflicts and traumas, can impact your present emotions and behaviors. Your therapist will help you gain insight into your thought patterns and emotional responses, fostering self-awareness and understanding. This therapy can be incredibly helpful in unveiling underlying issues contributing to the anxiety feelings. Psychodynamic therapy also focuses on the therapeutic relationship, offering a supportive and empathetic environment, which can help you develop healthier ways of relating to yourself and others, aiding in the alleviation of your anxiety symptoms.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) concentrates on the present and focuses on identifying negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety. Through CBT, you’ll learn to recognize and challenge negative automatic thoughts, replacing them with more balanced ones. Your therapist will help guide you to developing coping strategies to better manage difficult or distressing emotions effectively. By changing thought patterns and engaging in more positive behaviors, you’ll be able to experience improved mood and a greater sense of control over your anxiety.
While separately or in conjunction, psychodynamic therapy helps uncover and address deeper emotional wounds, while CBT provides practical tools and skills to manage present symptoms. Both entail a therapeutic process that can help you get past the excessive worry and feelings of being on edge that are holding you back.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy that can help alleviate anxiety by processing and resolving traumatic memories and distressing experiences. During EMDR sessions, your therapist will guide you through specific eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation while you recall these memories. This process helps to desensitize the emotional impact of the memories and reprocess them in a way that is less disturbing. By addressing the root causes of your anxiety and allowing you to reframe traumatic experiences, EMDR can lead to significant reductions in anxiety and improve your overall emotional well-being.
Whether you're looking for anxiety therapy in person in Midtown Manhattan or virtually across New York State, our clinicians can help you get the anxiety therapy you need to step into a more fulfilling life.
how WE can help
Therapy for anxiety in NYC
imagine if you…
Could stop the constant talk track
Does anxiety make you feel as if you can’t “shut off” your brain or the constant, negative thoughts? Therapy can help you tame the thoughts and hit “pause” on the talk track.
Had effective coping skills
When you’re anxious it can be hard to know where to even start to feel better. You and your therapist will develop specific strategies you can use to help improve negative thought patterns and deal with the symptoms of anxiety you’re experiencing.
Could feel present again
Anxious thoughts can keep you constantly in the past mistakes you’ve made or the future fears of what lies ahead. Therapy, along with mindfulness techniques, can help you come back to where you are now, allowing you to just be here now.
We want you to know:
You don’t have to do it by yourself.
Let’s work together to help you better manage your anxiety and get you back to feeling like you again.
faqs
Common questions about therapy for anxiety
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Although psychotherapy alone can often reduce anxiety, the combination of anxiety therapy and medications (usually prescribed by a psychiatrist) also helps many of those suffering from anxiety disorders.
With that said, not everyone needs medication for anxiety. The decision to start medication is a highly personal one and there is no one-size-fits-all.
We strongly believe in empowering clients to make the decisions that feel best for their mental health. To that end, therapists at Madison Square are happy to consult with any psychiatrist or other mental health professionals you might be seeing to coordinate care. On the other hand, we also respect client’s autonomy in making their own medical decisions. Wherever you are on your journey with medication (or lack there of), we’re happy to meet you there.
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We believe that at it's core, therapy is a collaborative process. When starting treatment, you and your therapist will work together to identify the specific symptoms and concerns to address first. From there, you'll work to develop techniques that will help you to cope with these symptoms and come up with a game plan of when to use them. You and your therapist may also look throughout your lifespan to identify patterns where anxiety has come up before and how these patterns may be continuing to pop up. By focusing not just on symptom reduction, but rather looking holistically, we often find that long-lasting change can happen.
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It depends. How long it takes to treat anxiety can vary depending on a variety of factors, including the specific symptoms you're experiencing and their severity. In our experience, some clients may experience significant improvement very quickly into anxiety treatment, while others may require months of ongoing therapy and support. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment plan and at Madison Square, we work collaboratively with you to ensure you're getting the care that feels right for you.
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Absolutely. There are many different treatment options when you find that you feel stuck and have difficulty reducing anxiety or worry on your own. Research shows that therapy can be helpful not just for generalized anxiety but also phobias, panic attacks, trauma, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depression. If you find that you often feel anxious, you should know that treatment for anxiety is an option that can help.
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