What Is
A True Anxiety Specialist?
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A true Anxiety Specialist is a licensed mental health professional (counselor, psychologist, clinical social worker) or licensed medical professional (psychiatrist) who exclusively focuses on the treatment of anxiety disorders.
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They have advanced training in treating anxiety disorders far beyond a general therapist or general physician.
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Anxiety Specialists use evidence-based therapies when treating anxiety
What Is
An Anxiety Treatment Center (ATC)?
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A private or public mental health practice dedicated exclusively to treating people with anxiety disorders or anxiety issues
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Run by a mental health therapist/s who have advanced training in treating anxiety disorders
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These practices usually designate themselves by using the terms anxiety and treatment in their name.
Why Have
I Never Heard of An ATC Before?
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The field of mental health (1950's) is relatively new when compared to the medical field (1600's).
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Unfortunately the field of mental health is not as specialized as the medical field.
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Since the 1990s ATCs and anxiety specialists have become a new emerging specialty within the field of mental health.
Are There
ATC's In Every State?
Most states have between 1-3 ATC's. Michigan has 3. Below are a few notable ATC's in the United States
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The Anxiety Treatment Center of West Michigan
How Do
ATC's Treat Anxiety?
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ATC's use a mix of evidence-based psychotherapies.
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Types of evidence-based therapies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Exposure & Response Prevention Therapy (ERP)
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They focus on helping clients reduce anxiety or adapt to anxiety
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Provide structured cognitive skills to better manage anxiety
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Modify unhelpful behavior that reinforces anxiety and unnecessary anxiety experiences
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Help clients become their own anxiety therapist after treatment is over.
Why Don't
ATC's Accept Insurance
90% of ATC's nationwide do not partner with managed care.
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ATC's are the experts in the field of anxiety treatment & not insurance providers. Providers often dictate the length of treatment & how treatment should be done.
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Insurance providers often fail to cover some of the most effective techniques performed by ATC's such as between session anxiety coaching, and on-site or prolonged exposure therapy.
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ATC's are dedicated to providing the best techniques available for anxiety rather than providing subpar treatment that fits within insurance guidelines.
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Finally, most insurance providers do not reimburse anxiety specialists at a rate that respects the years of training they have undergone to become anxiety specialists.