Our approach

The psychologists at the Pacific Anxiety Group have extensive experience providing effective, compassionate treatment for individuals with anxiety, stress, depression, and many other concerns.  We specialize in "evidence-based treatments", meaning we use treatment strategies that are well researched and proven to be effective. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the mainstays of our approach, is one of the most well-researched treatments and has been shown to relieve symptoms of distress, improve mood, and enhance wellbeing.  We also have expertise in a number of other evidence-based approaches, including acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, compassion-focused treatment, exposure-based therapies, emotion-focused therapy, among others.

We believe that individuals looking for help with anxiety and other states of distress would benefit most from working with a provider who follows evidence-based treatment principles, while adapting these principles to meet the unique needs of each client. This is because evidence-based treatments have already been tested on groups of individuals and have been shown to be effective. While there is no guarantee that a given treatment will work for everyone, it makes sense to try treatments that are backed by scientific research.

Rigorous psychological studies support the effectiveness of cognitive and behavioral therapies for a wide range of clinical presentations.  CBT has been recommended by the American Psychiatric Association for many psychological symptoms and disorders. In addition, the American Psychological Association has adopted a policy statement on evidence-based practice as the preferred approach to psychological treatment.

Psychologists at Pacific Anxiety Group not only provide evidence-based treatments but have themselves contributed to the existing body of research on mental health and wellbeing, thereby adding to the growing body of information about the phenomenology and treatment for psychological disorders.