Question 1

Why should I choose The Anxiety Center?

Accepted Answer

We undestand that there are many available clinicians in the region, many of whom are excellent in their own right. The Anxiety Center is specifically designed to provide high-quality cognitive behavioral therapy and psychopharmacological treatment for anxiety disorders and their most commonly co-occurring conditions. The clinicians at TAC differentiate themselves from others by their commitment to patient experience, their level of expertise in treating childhood anxiety disorders, and their knowledge of the state-of-the-art treatment methods.
 
While generalist knowledge may be adequate under some mild circumstances, our clinicians are committed to providing optimal results for every patient regardless of the degree of need. To do that, you can be sure that you will be assessed using the best-in-class instruments and be provided with flexibility in service hours, service delivery locations, and contact availability. We are able to match the intensity of services to the individual need of the child or adult.
 
There are many reasons to choose The Anxiety Center but let's outline 5 specific differences in our model of care:
 
1. Technological Integration: We offer seamless integration of the best tech in therapy, including but not limited to virtual reality, neurofeedback, breathing retraining devices, smartwear, and digital measurement-based monitoring.
 
2. Measurement-Based Care: Our treatment is guided by frequently monitoring patient symptoms and feedback using secure digital platforms to accelerate needed treatment adaptations for improved outcomes.
 
3. Medication Management: We provide a responsive patient-centered approach to medication management. Your prescriber will work within the context of your clinical team and deliver frequent symptom monitors to minimize the risk of side effects when medication is indicated.
 
4. Total Accessibility: Our clinicians are accessible via text, phone call, and video conferencing to reinforce therapy skills and to provide relief to parents.
 
5. Team-Based Approach: Our treatment protocols are centered on patient need and our team of clinicians cans quickly mobilize to provide a continuum of services up to intensive outpatient programming (several hours per day).
 
6. Mobility: Our team is able to provide services wherever they are needed. If a child or adult needs to be serviced in the home, we will do that ,or if the most effective exposures should be conducted in the community, we will go there.
 
7. Continuity of Care: Our services extend well beyond the center and include expert school-based consultation and advocacy, as well as comprehensive after-care programming.
 
We believe that these treatment strategies improve the quality of the patient's experience and ultimately improve outcomes.

Question 2

Is treatment worth the investment? Does it even work?

Accepted Answer

The answer is a resounding yes. In clinical research CBT generally outperforms waitlist controls, placebo controls, other psychological treatments (for example, psychodynamic therapy), and in some cases, psychiatric medications for patients seeking treatment for anxiety disorders. As a general rule though, findings suggest that both CBT and medication are equally effective in the treatment of non-psychotic disorders and should be chosen in consideration of preference, risks of side effects, and patient motivation. In many cases a combined approach leads to the best results! Our treatment model at TAC is a collaborative one. We will provide you with all the latest information, listen to your concerns, and devise a plan specifically for you. There will be no pressure to use medication, nor will you be criticism if you do choose that route.

Question 3

What is coordinated medication management?

Accepted Answer

In an effort to provide all the best treatments in behavioral health we offer medication management delivered by a highly skilled psychiatric nurse practitioner. When your medication management is done through our center we are able to closely coordinate the psychological and biological treatment efforts. Given your prescriber is a part of the TAC treatment team, there will be ongoing communication between clinicians to your benefit. At TAC, medication titration and response is closely monitored using frequent measurement of patient symptoms. This allows us to make real-time adjustments based upon the collected data with goal of minimizing side-effects and increasing therapeutic response.

Question 4

What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a family of psychotherapies that has been shown to be effective in thousands of research studies including a high number of randomized control trials (the gold standard for clinical research). All that is to say that CBT is firmly established as the therapy of choice for a wide range of mental health disorders including anxiety disorders. Although there are some variances between different cognitive behavioral therapies, they all should be time-sensitive, structured, actionable, and present-oriented. You and your child will work to identify the most important treatment goals and then be taught how to overcome obstacles that get in the way. At The Anxiety Center, we do not follow cookie cutter manualized approaches to CBT. We design the treatment plan based on your specific profile, detailing the biopsychosocial processes (behaviors) that are maintaining their disorder and identifying the treatment methods that are most likely to change those processes.
 
Please don't get caught up in feeling like you need to know all the different therapies available like Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Parent Child Interaction Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The list is overwhelming. We will simplify all of that for you and make sure that you are informed about what is most pertinent to your condition.

Question 5

Do all Therapists provide Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Accepted Answer

The unfortunate reality is that many therapists do not consistently or properly implement cognitive behavioral therapy. It has become fashionable for therapists to describe themselves as offering CBT even when in practice they do something quite different; it is often necesary and appropriate to ask what kind of training your potential therapist has received. National agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the International OCD Foundationhave identified a need for greater use of these treatments, including proper training and supervision of more professionals. The Cincinnati Anxiety Center aims to be a resource in the community to provide that training and advance best practices in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders.

Question 6

What is Exposure Therapy?

Accepted Answer

It is impossible to talk about anxiety treatment without mentioning exposure therapy. Exposure Therapy is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that was developed to help people gradually confront their fears, and it is now considered the most effective single treatment for anxiety disorders. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid the feared objects, activities, or situations, which in turn solidifies the fear response in the brain. Through a neurobiological process called extinction learning, a person with anxiety is able to learn safety in such a way that it is strong enough to block out (or inhibit) the original fear. That new learning is what leads to reduction in anxiety symptoms over time and results in more adaptive behavior.

Question 7

How long will treatment last?

Accepted Answer

It's good to know that we all want therapy to end as soon as possible, while ensuring that your child's needs have been fully addressed. It is difficult to give a firm number, but based on most clinical research you can expect your child's treatment to last between 5-20 sessions depending on the particular condition. That being said, in more severe cases it would not be unexpected for treatment to last longer. After the initial intake, your therapist will be able to provide a more accurate estimate.
 
The length of time it takes for a psychotropic medication to take effect depends on several factors including the class of medication and individual biological factors. In most cases of anxiety and depression, the first type of medication that will be trialled is a Selective Seretonic Reuptake Inhibitor. When on an SSRI we have found that some patients may start to see improvements within only a few weeks while for others it may take take up to two months or longer for it to reach full effectives. That is why it is important to have open lines of communication with your clinical team during medication titration to assist in coping with symptoms and making medication adjustments.

Question 8

Does my child need to undergo the initial assessment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for a number of reasons. The initial assessment provides information on your child's particular presentation and helps ensure the quality of the assessment process. Although your child may have received a diagnosis elsewhere, our clinicians will need to obtain further descriptive and functional details on your child in order to develop the best treatment plan. The assessment process includes a telephone screen, structured diagnostic interview, computer-based assessment, and face-to-face meeting (total time 60-90 minutes). Following this assessment, you will be provided with more specific treatment recommendations.

Question 9

Do you only treat anxiety?

Accepted Answer

No. We specialize in treating anxiety disorders, however, we provide effective, evidence-based treatment for children and adults presenting with other related problems, including depression, bipolar, OCD, sleep-related problems, ADHD, behavioral problems in children and adults, and many more.

Question 10

Are there conditions you won't treat?

Accepted Answer

We work hard to accommodate the needs of most children and adults who require up to intensive outpatient or homebound services. In cases where children do require a higher level of service than we provide, we will assist families in obtaining the correct placement. However, in general, those who are abusing or dependent on alcohol or substances are not eligible for treatment until they maintain sobriety for a 3-month period (90 days). We also do not treat those in acute psychiatric crisis who present a danger to themselves or others, since we do not provide the necessary emergency mental health services.

Question 11

We live far away. Can I (or my child) receive teletherapy or telepsychiatry?

Accepted Answer

Yes! One of our goals is to make our treatments available wherever they are needed. Unfortunately many of the treatments we offer are most likely to be available in larger metropolitan areas. This often leaves those in suburban and rural areas without access to the appropriate services. At The Anxiety Center we are offering telehealth as a solution to bridge the gap between expert clinicians and families in need. Our telehealth options involve the use of web-based communication services to deliver treatment directly to your home and simply require internet access. In addition to eliminating geographic barriers to treatment, telehealth provides live coaching in the very environment the problems are occurring. If you live an area where the services we provide are unavailable, we would love to discuss how we can leverage the available technology to meet your needs.

Question 12

Are you able to provide faith-based therapy?

Accepted Answer

At The Anxiety Center we recognize that spirituality plays a vital role in the lives of many of the families with whom we work. Current research also suggests that spirituality can play an important role in addressing mental health concerns. Moreover, many prefer that spirituality be woven into psychological treatment. At The Anxiety Center we make it a priority to assess spirituality with all patients. However, integration of faith-based content into treatment is done only at the discretion of the patient, or the child's family. Depending on your religious orientation, it is at times possible to connect you with a therapist who practices your same faith. If we do not have a therapist with your particular religious orientation we are happy to partner with religious leaders to address any concerns that you may have.

Question 13

What if my child refuses to come in for therapy?

Accepted Answer

Although we would love for every child to come in at a stage where they are ready and willing to participate in treatment, we understand that it is sometimes not the case. Fortunately we have the capability to conduct our initial assessment at your home and conduct therapy in that setting if necessary. Alternatively, there are also evidenced-based therapies focused on development of parent managment skills that have been shown to be effective in clinical trials and may provide an adequate starting point for treatment.

Question 14

What are your insurance policies fee policies?

Accepted Answer

Please refer to our Fees + Insurance page for answers.

Frequently asked questions