Mental Health Guides

Smiling woman on the right side of a blue graphic that reads “CBT can reduce anxiety, here’s how,” with a blurred diagram in the background showing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connected in a cycle.

How CBT Helps Reduce Anxiety: A Simple Diagram That Explains Why It Works

When anxiety feels overwhelming, it can be hard to understand what is actually happening or where to start. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers a simple, practical framework for understanding anxiety and changing how it impacts daily life. One of the most helpful tools used in CBT is a basic diagram that works for both adults and children. It is simple, but very powerful. Here is how it works and why it helps. Every Emotion Has Three Parts CBT begins with a core idea:

Skylar Weisenborn

Jan 313 min read

How ERP Changes the Anxiety Cycle

Exposure and Response Prevention, often called ERP, does more than help anxiety improve over time. It changes how the brain responds to fear. To understand this, it helps to look at the anxiety cycle and how ERP interrupts it. The Old Anxiety Pattern Let’s use contamination OCD as an example. Imagine touching a doorknob. Anxiety rises immediately because the brain has learned, inaccurately, that touching a doorknob is dangerous. Once anxiety appears, the brain pushes for reli

Skylar Weisenborn

Jan 313 min read

How ERP Actually Helps Anxiety

Exposure therapy can sound intimidating when anxiety already feels overwhelming. Many clients and caregivers worry ERP means being pushed too far too fast. Those fears are common and they make a lot of sense. When anxiety is already taking up so much space, the idea of facing fears can feel like too much. Misunderstandings about ERP often make it seem harsher than it really is. ERP is actually designed to be structured supportive and collaborative. It is not about forcing fe

Skylar Weisenborn

Jan 303 min read

What to Expect in Our Dayton Transdiagnostic Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

If you are here, it usually means something has been feeling heavy for a while. You might be dealing with anxiety, mood changes, stress, emotional overload, or just feeling stuck and unsure what to do next. Wherever you are starting from, you belong here. Starting an Intensive Outpatient Program can feel overwhelming, especially when you are managing anxiety, mood difficulties, stress-related concerns, or challenges with emotional regulation. Whether you are feeling anxious,

Amy Dudley

Jan 84 min read

What to Expect in Our Indianapolis Transdiagnostic IOP Program

If you are considering an Intensive Outpatient Program and wondering what the experience is actually like, this guide will walk you through exactly what to expect from The Anxiety Center’s Indianapolis Transdiagnostic IOP. This program was designed for people navigating anxiety, mood challenges, emotional dysregulation, stress-related concerns, and other overlapping mental health struggles without forcing anyone into a rigid diagnostic box. Instead, we focus on what truly dri

Cori Henderson

Jan 83 min read

What to Expect from Our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program

Welcome to The Anxiety Center’s Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program. This program is designed to provide teens and their families with high quality evidence based mental health care in a supportive outpatient setting. Our adolescent IOP serves teens between the ages of 14 and 17. The program is rooted in evidence based treatments that help individuals manage anxiety regulate emotions and build effective coping skills. The Adolescent IOP is a group based program that oper

Michael Siman

Jan 64 min read

Promotional graphic for The Anxiety Center titled “6 Most Common Concerns People Have Before Starting IOP” with a smiling man on the right side against a blue gradient background.

6 Most Common Concerns People Have Before Starting Group Therapy IOP for Anxiety, OCD, or Trauma

Starting an Intensive Outpatient Program for anxiety or OCD can feel overwhelming. Many people come in with the same fears and questions. Those concerns are completely valid. Below are the most common concerns we hear from patients before starting IOP. What if my anxiety or OCD looks different from everyone else’s? This is one of the most common concerns we hear. It is also one of the most misunderstood. While the themes and triggers of anxiety and OCD can look different from

Michael Siman

Jan 53 min read