Nova Southeastern University

Anxiety Treatment Clinic

About the Clinic

The Anxiety Treatment Clinic is dedicated to increasing the understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders. We provide state of the art treatments with proven effectiveness. Highly trained therapists in cognitive-behavior therapy are responsible for implementing the program. We rely on the latest research in implementing our programs and we also do extensive research on our outcomes.

Individual and group therapy are available to children, adolescents, and adults.

What to Expect

Some treatments may best be delivered in a short period, but with multiple sessions per week. Others may occur weekly. Therapy is focused to relieve the current anxiety. For the most part, therapy involves facing fears, which can be a very difficult process. Previous research with the therapies used in this clinic display strong reductions in anxiety over a relatively short period of time.  The initial visit to the clinic consists of an evaluation by the clinic staff to determine current feelings and symptoms. The evaluation is then discussed with the client with both the therapist and client working together to determine the goals of treatment.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is concerned with excessive fear of being negatively evaluated by others. People with social anxiety feel they will be humiliated or embarrassed in many different situations. The experience of social anxiety is commonly described as having physiological components (e.g. sweating, blushing, trembling, and feeling nauseous) and cognitive components (e.g. belief that one may be judged negatively; looking for signs of disapproval). This fear leads the person with social anxiety to avoid situations in which their actions may be observed. Some of the more common anxiety provoking situations include: public speaking, dating or speaking with new people, eating in front of others, and being in a group of people

Panic Disorder

A panic attack is an intense fear reaction (also called the fight of flight response) that is not in line with the true danger of the situation (it is a false alarm).  The intense fear response is a natural way to react when one is exposed to extreme danger.  It can include several of the following symptoms: shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling faint, racing heart, trembling or shaking, sweating, choking sensations, nausea, feelings of being detached or of things seeming unreal, numbness or tingling sensations, hot flashes or cold chills, chest pain or discomfort, fears of going crazy, fears of losing control, and fears of dying.
For some people, the fear of having panic attacks can lead to panic disorder.  That is, the intense fear and worry about having a panic attack can lead to changes in one’s lifestyle.  For some people, worry about the return of panic often leads to the avoidance of situations in which help may not be available or from which escape is difficult.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder is primarily characterized by obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are repetitive thoughts, impulses or images that are anxiety provoking. They occur against one's will, are intrusive and persistent. One example of a compulsion is that objects or other people might be “contaminated” by contact. Another type of obsession focus on fears and doubts that doors have been left unlocked, appliances have been left on, important materials have been thrown away, and so forth.  Other obsessions take the form of unwanted urges or impulses to do something harmful. Some people experience horrific or upsetting images having to do with religious figures. For people with OCD, the fear or other unpleasant emotions are out of proportion to the actual risk.  Thus, they can carry out compulsions to rid themselves of the worry.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental rituals that the person feels forced or compelled into doing, in order to relieve anxiety. Examples of compulsions include hand-washing, showering, or cleaning to remove “contamination”; checking to prevent feared dangers such as fire or loss of important materials; repeating actions or thoughts to prevent a catastrophic event from happening; having to arrange objects in a particular way; needing repeated reassurance from others that a feared event has not or cannot happen; or repeating phrases or images in one’s mind to prevent a catastrophe.

Excessive Worry (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)

Normal worry is common, but for people with excessive worry (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), much of their day is spent worrying to the point where it interferes with normal functioning.  This excessive worry can lead to symptoms such as feeling keyed-up or on edge, restlessness, excessive muscle tension, feeling fatigued, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and irritability.  Unlike other anxiety disorders, GAD can arouse anxiety in almost any situation, without a specific trigger. In fact, many people suffering from this disorder are anxious all the time and the focus of their concerns shift frequently.

Specific Phobia

Some people have exaggerated fears of certain objects or situations. Although, they usually recognize that the fears are excessive and irrational, the objects are still avoided. Examples of specific phobias include animals, air travel, blood and injections, heights, and driving.  These fears are excessive and cause significant functional impairment in a person’s life.