Mr. Dustin Holden, LMFT, CST, MA

Collectively, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issues diagnosed in the United States -- even more common than depression. Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with anxiety, and it is extremely common for a person with anxiety to have another illness at the same time, such as depression, a physical illness, or substance abuse.

Treatment for anxiety usually involves medication and psychotherapy together. Medications used may include antidepressants (which also work for anxiety), anti-anxiety medications, or beta blockers (which can be used to control the physical symptoms of anxiety). Psychotherapy can be useful to teach patients new ways of thinking and reacting so that they can manage their feelings of worry and fear. Support groups can also be very effective for anxiety, and they can be a form of treatment themselves for social phobias. Stress management, relaxation techniques, and meditation all help reduce feelings of anxiety or of being out of control. Finally, having a strong support network of family and friends is an excellent way to help manage the difficulties of life with anxiety.

Closely related to family therapy, couples therapy is a type of counseling that seeks to help couples improve their relationship. A therapist may teach each partner in the relationship specific skills, such as managing or expressing their emotions, conflict resolution, communication skills, and problem solving. Both people in the couple need to be committed to learning new skills themselves as well as putting effort into supporting the relationship. The typical goals of couples therapy are to decrease conflict, unhappiness, and resentment, as well as increase communication, intimacy, and connection.

Couples therapy may be offered privately, at a university, or in a group practice. It is usually short-term therapy, lasting a few weeks until the participants have learned new skills and have the ability to repair their relationship. Its effectiveness depends on the willingness of both participants to commit to therapy and make the relationship a priority. For many couples it can be extremely helpful.

During sex therapy, individuals or couples will talk about their sexual issue and their background. It is common to be given exercises to work on outside of therapy to improve communication, intimacy, or physical response. Sometimes these exercises bring up strong emotions, and then those emotions can be discussed during therapy. The goals of sex therapy are usually to obtain reliable information about sex, to improve verbal and physical communication between a couple, and to improve sexual performance.

Because of the nature of sex therapy and how vulnerable it makes most patients feel to discuss their sex life, it is extremely important to choose a sex therapist wisely. Referrals can usually be obtained via physicians or clergy, but it is also important to seek a credentialed therapist. The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) offers certification to sex therapists, which ensures proper training and education, as well as a strict code of ethics.