Battling Anxiety
Dealing with anxiety is exhausting. It robs you from the enjoyment of everyday life – keeping you from being your best self at work and with your friends and family. Over the years, I’ve heard a lot from patients about how anxiety wreaks havoc in everyday life:
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If these struggles sound familiar to you, you are not alone.
There are effective treatments for anxiety, and they can help you get your life back on track.
There are effective treatments for anxiety, and they can help you get your life back on track.
Finding Effective Treatment for Anxiety
Finding a therapist in a metropolitan area such as South Florida might feel overwhelming because there are so many options across Broward and Miami-Dade. How do you know which therapist is right for you? Well, it’s crucial to have a connection with your therapist – to feel that your therapist “gets you.” In addition, if you are struggling with anxiety, it is important that you find a therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety.
Lots of research has been done on anxiety treatment and based on these studies, we have a pretty good idea of what usually works for most people: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Lots of research has been done on anxiety treatment and based on these studies, we have a pretty good idea of what usually works for most people: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment that helps you change the way you think, and as a result, helps you change the way you behave. In CBT, we will work together to hone in on exactly what kinds of thoughts are spiraling through your mind when you’re caught up in worry and anxiety. Anxious thoughts can take on a variety of flavors, such as: I’m not good enough. This needs to be perfect. Something terrible is about to happen.
Once we have a good sense of what your anxiety is saying (Spoiler alert: Anxiety likes to LIE!), we will try out different strategies to help you challenge those nagging, anxious thoughts. In other words, you will learn how to “talk back” to your anxiety and check the accuracy of those thoughts.
Once we have a good sense of what your anxiety is saying (Spoiler alert: Anxiety likes to LIE!), we will try out different strategies to help you challenge those nagging, anxious thoughts. In other words, you will learn how to “talk back” to your anxiety and check the accuracy of those thoughts.

The most critical component of treatment involves gradually facing your fears. Psychologists refer to this process of facing your fears as “exposures” because you are gradually exposing yourself to situations that tend to make you feel anxious, and then using the tools learned in therapy to cope with this anxiety. Facing your fears is not easy, but with the right coping tools, a determined mindset, and a solid therapeutic relationship, I’ve seen many patients feel empowered to gradually face their fears, and my hope is that you will feel that way, too.
With CBT tools in your back pocket, you should feel confident that if a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or nervous comes up, you will know exactly how to handle it.
With CBT tools in your back pocket, you should feel confident that if a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or nervous comes up, you will know exactly how to handle it.
CBT for Anxiety with Dr. Penela
Over the last decade, I’ve helped many patients face and overcome their challenges with anxiety using CBT tools. I have received specialized training in using CBT and enjoy using this approach with my patients for one simple reason: it helps most people feel better. I tailor the treatment to meet each person’s specific needs, and as needed will incorporate other approaches, such as mindfulness, family systems, and acceptance-based techniques.
Anxiety looks different for each person, and we will work together to identify and practice specific strategies that will help you learn to manage anxiety – in other words, how to kick anxiety in the face, so that you can get back to enjoying life! That said, sometimes therapy feels “mysterious” – what’s going to happen? What will my therapist ask about, and ask me to do?
Anxiety looks different for each person, and we will work together to identify and practice specific strategies that will help you learn to manage anxiety – in other words, how to kick anxiety in the face, so that you can get back to enjoying life! That said, sometimes therapy feels “mysterious” – what’s going to happen? What will my therapist ask about, and ask me to do?
What might CBT look like for me?
Let’s take away some of that mystery. I’d like to give you a sneak peek into what Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety can look like, depending on the type of anxiety that you are dealing with. These are just a few examples of the kinds of anxiety issues I help therapy patients with and is by no means an exhaustive list. The main themes we’ll cover in therapy are: (1) identifying the worry thought, (2) challenging or talking back to the worry, and (3) gradual exposure (facing your fear).
Social Anxiety
Identify worry thought:
II won’t know anyone at this meeting tomorrow, and I am terrible at small talk. I’m sure I’ll stumble over my words and look so awkward, and then others will think something is wrong with me.
Talk back to the worry with facts and evidence
Lots of people won’t know each other at this meeting, and even though I’m not great at small talk, I usually warm up to it. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes while speaking. Even if I fumble over my words, it’s likely others won’t think much of it.
Gradual exposure: