What's the best therapy for anxiety?

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) are the most evidence-backed approaches for anxiety. They address the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain anxiety — producing durable results rather than just managing symptoms.

How many sessions does anxiety therapy take?

Many clients see significant improvement in 8–16 sessions. Generalized anxiety typically requires more sessions than situational stress or specific phobias. Andrew will give you a realistic estimate after your first appointment.

What's the difference between stress and an anxiety disorder?

Stress is a response to a specific identifiable stressor — it typically resolves when the stressor does. An anxiety disorder involves worry or fear that is disproportionate, persistent, and interferes with daily life even without a clear trigger present.

Does therapy actually cure anxiety?

Therapy doesn't eliminate anxiety the way medication targets symptoms. What it does is give you insight into what drives yours and practical tools to interrupt the cycle — so anxiety no longer controls your decisions or runs your daily life.

Is virtual therapy effective for anxiety?

Yes. CBT and ACT for anxiety are equally effective in-person and via video. Many clients find that the flexibility of virtual sessions actually makes it easier to keep appointments consistently — which matters a great deal for outcomes.

Stress & Burnout Therapy Scarborough | Garnet Counselling | Andrew Garnet MSW, RSW

When Stress Becomes More Than Stress

Everyone feels stressed. But when stress is chronic — when it's been weeks, months, or years of operating at or past your limits — it stops being just stress and starts becoming a health issue. It affects your sleep, your physical health, your relationships, your concentration, and your sense of self.

Burnout is the endpoint of prolonged, unresolved stress: a state of complete emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. It's common in demanding professions — first responders, healthcare workers, teachers, caregivers, business owners — and it doesn't go away with a vacation.

Signs You May Be Dealing With Chronic Stress or Burnout

Constant fatigue that doesn't improve with rest
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Feeling detached, numb, or cynical — especially about work
Physical symptoms: headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, frequent illness
Irritability and short temper that's affecting your relationships
Anxiety that feels free-floating or out of proportion
Loss of enjoyment in things you used to find meaningful
Feeling like you're never doing enough — no matter how much you do

Approaches Used for Stress & Burnout

MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) — The most extensively researched intervention for chronic stress. Builds the capacity to respond to difficulty rather than react to it, reducing the physiological stress response over time.

MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) — Combines mindfulness with CBT to help you recognize and interrupt the thought spirals that amplify stress and fuel anxiety and depression.

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) — Helps you stop fighting against what you can't control, clarify what matters most to you, and take meaningful action — even when stress is present.

CBT — Identifies perfectionistic thinking, unhelpful beliefs about work and self-worth, and the cognitive patterns that keep people trapped in cycles of overwork and exhaustion.

DBT Skills — Practical, evidence-based skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and building a more balanced life.

A Note on Work-Related Stress

Organizational stressors — unreasonable workloads, toxic environments, lack of autonomy — are real and valid. Therapy isn't about teaching you to better tolerate a bad situation. It's about helping you get clarity on what you can and can't change, building the internal resources to navigate it, and making decisions that are aligned with your own wellbeing and values.

Approaches Used

✓ MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)
✓ MBCT
✓ ACT
✓ CBT
✓ DBT Skills

Related Services

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best therapy for anxiety?: CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) are the most evidence-backed approaches for anxiety. They address the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain anxiety — producing durable results rather than just managing symptoms.
How many sessions does anxiety therapy take?: Many clients see significant improvement in 8–16 sessions. Generalized anxiety typically requires more sessions than situational stress or specific phobias. Andrew will give you a realistic estimate after your first appointment.
What's the difference between stress and an anxiety disorder?: Stress is a response to a specific identifiable stressor — it typically resolves when the stressor does. An anxiety disorder involves worry or fear that is disproportionate, persistent, and interferes with daily life even without a clear trigger present.
Does therapy actually cure anxiety?: Therapy doesn't eliminate anxiety the way medication targets symptoms. What it does is give you insight into what drives yours and practical tools to interrupt the cycle — so anxiety no longer controls your decisions or runs your daily life.
Is virtual therapy effective for anxiety?: Yes. CBT and ACT for anxiety are equally effective in-person and via video. Many clients find that the flexibility of virtual sessions actually makes it easier to keep appointments consistently — which matters a great deal for outcomes.

Stress & Burnout Therapy