I’ve Got Anxiety – Should I Go for Quick Tools and CBT, or Dive into the Deeper Stuff?
At Forma Counseling, one of the questions we hear most often is some version of this: “I know I have anxiety, and I need it to calm down… but do I just learn some breathing tricks and CBT worksheets, or do I need to dig into my childhood, my attachment wounds, my ‘deeper issues’?”
The short answer: it depends on what kind of anxiety you have and what kind of life you want on the other side of therapy. Both methods have their benefits, but it’s important to understand what each entails and how they could fit into your therapeutic experience.
“There’s no wrong answer. Some people need stabilization first (tools/CBT) and depth work later. Others feel ready to dive straight into the deeper waters.”
Two Broad Categories of Anxiety (and Two Broad Treatment Paths)
Skill-Deficit or Situational Anxiety This is the anxiety that shows up when life is legitimately hard: new job, chronic illness, a move, postpartum, a toxic workplace, or years of pushing yourself too hard. Your nervous system is doing its job (ringing the alarm), but the volume is turned up too high. Here, evidence-based tools and CBT (or CBASP, ACT, mindfulness-based approaches) are often exactly what you need. You learn to challenge distorted thoughts, regulate your body with breathing and grounding, and build a toolbox you can use in real time. Most people feel meaningfully better in 8–16 sessions. It’s practical, structured, and fast-acting.
Characterological or Complex Anxiety This is the anxiety that’s been your roommate for as long as you can remember. It’s less “about” any one thing and more a way of being: hyper-vigilance, perfectionism, constant self-criticism, fear of abandonment or engulfment, somatic symptoms that don’t fully respond to breathing exercises. Often there’s a history of early insecurity, trauma, or relationships where emotions weren’t safely held. CBT tools still help with day-to-day management (and we always teach them), but they tend to feel like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone. The anxiety keeps creeping back because it’s rooted in older, relational patterns that live outside conscious awareness.
This is where depth-oriented work shines: psychodynamic therapy, IFS (parts work), EMDR, somatic experiencing, or attachment-focused approaches. We slow down, get curious about where the alarm system first learned to scream, and gradually help your nervous system update its software. It usually takes longer (6 months to 2 years), but the relief is often more transformative and lasting.
So Which One Is Right for Me?
Ask yourself these questions honestly:
When I’m not in an obvious stressor, does the anxiety mostly go quiet — or is it still humming in the background?
Have short courses of CBT or medication in the past given me solid, lasting relief — or just temporary volume control?
Do I feel like “I shouldn’t be this anxious given my life circumstances,” or does my anxiety feel oddly familiar, like an old friend I can’t quite shake?
Am I craving quick relief so I can function better right now, or am I ready to understand myself at a level I never have before?
There’s no wrong answer. Some people need stabilization first (tools/CBT) and depth work later. Others feel ready to dive straight into the deeper waters.
At Forma, We Don’t Make You Choose Up Front
We start with a thorough assessment and often blend both approaches from day one: you get immediate skills so life feels more manageable, while we gently begin the deeper exploration. Many clients are surprised to discover they can handle the “scary depth stuff” once they’re no longer drowning in symptoms.
If your anxiety feels situational and skill-based → let’s get you breathing easier in weeks. If it feels like an old, familiar companion → let’s finally understand why it moved in, and whether it still needs to pay rent.
Either way, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Reach out today and we’ll help you decide which door to open first.
You deserve relief — and you deserve to know yourself. Sometimes those are the same journey, just at different speeds.
Ready when you are. Forma Counseling | Washington, DC Maryland, Virginia, WA & South Carolina
