Therapy Resources and Tools for Anxiety — Curated by Dr. Jaime Bercuson, PsyD
Resources
& Tools
Evidence-based tools, worksheets, and recommendations to support your mental health journey. Curated by Dr. Jaime Bercuson, PsyD.
This page offers free, evidence-based anxiety therapy resources curated by Dr. Jaime Bercuson, PsyD. It includes CBT worksheets (Thinking Traps, Thought Records, Grounding Techniques), DBT handouts (Radical Acceptance), recommended books for anxiety and women's mental health, apps for meditation and cognitive behavioral practice (Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, Woebot), crisis and emergency hotlines (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, SAMHSA, National Domestic Violence Hotline), and links to authoritative psychoeducation resources from NIMH, ADAA, APA, and Anxiety Canada.
Practical tools you can use today
These are some of the worksheets and handouts I recommend most often. All are free to download and use on your own or alongside therapy.
Thinking Traps by Anxiety Canada
Identify common cognitive distortions like fortune-telling, catastrophizing, and black-and-white thinking. One of the most practical CBT tools for understanding how anxiety distorts your thoughts.
Radical Acceptance
A visual reminder of what radical acceptance looks like in practice — a core DBT distress tolerance skill. Accepting reality as it is doesn't mean approving of it; it means choosing to stop fighting what you can't change. View image →
Wise Mind
A DBT mindfulness skill that helps you find the balance between emotion and logic. The Wise Mind Venn diagram shows how Emotional Mind and Reasonable Mind overlap — and how to access that centered place where you can honor your feelings while still thinking clearly. Helpful for moments when you feel torn between what you feel and what you "should" do. View image →
Thought Record Worksheet
Track and challenge anxious thoughts using this classic CBT tool. Helps you identify the situation, your automatic thought, emotions, evidence for and against, and a more balanced perspective.
Grounding Techniques (5-4-3-2-1)
A simple sensory-based technique to bring you back to the present moment during anxiety or panic. Name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch, 2 you smell, and 1 you taste.
Books I recommend to clients
These are the books I return to again and again — practical, evidence-based, and written with real people in mind.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
The go-to self-help workbook for anxiety, now in its 7th edition. Covers relaxation, cognitive restructuring, exposure, and lifestyle changes.
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
The classic CBT book that has helped millions. Practical techniques for challenging negative thoughts and improving mood.
The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
Hands-on exercises for the four core DBT skills: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
For women who carry the mental load. Explores the science of stress and practical strategies for completing the stress cycle.
Untamed
A memoir about breaking free from the expectations placed on women. Resonates deeply with high-achieving women navigating anxiety and self-discovery.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
A practical guide to establishing healthy boundaries in relationships, work, and family — essential for women who tend to overextend.
Worth watching
Videos I recommend to clients on relationships, mental health, and personal growth.
The Best Relationship Advice You Will Ever Receive
Whether you're married, dating, or single — this video will change the way you show up in your love life. One of my favorite recommendations for clients navigating relationships.
Tools for between sessions
These apps are not a replacement for therapy, but they can be a valuable supplement — especially for building daily mindfulness and coping habits.
Calm
Guided meditations, sleep stories, and breathing exercises. Great for daily mindfulness practice.
Headspace
Structured meditation courses for anxiety, stress, and focus. Good for beginners.
Insight Timer
Free meditation library with thousands of guided sessions. Trusted by 125,000+ mental health professionals.
Woebot
An AI-powered CBT chatbot that helps you practice cognitive behavioral techniques between therapy sessions.
If you or someone you know needs immediate help
These resources are available 24/7 and are completely free and confidential. You do not need to be a client to use them.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988
Available 24/7
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Free, confidential 24/7 support
SAMHSA National Helpline
Call 1-800-662-4357
Free referrals and information 24/7
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Call 1-800-799-7233
24/7 confidential support
Trusted psychoeducation resources
These organizations offer authoritative, research-backed information on anxiety and mental health.
Resources FAQ
Some of the best free resources for anxiety include CBT worksheets like Thinking Traps by Anxiety Canada, the Thought Record Worksheet by Therapist Aid, and grounding techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory exercise. Free apps like Insight Timer offer thousands of guided meditations. Authoritative psychoeducation sites like NIMH, ADAA, and APA also provide excellent, research-backed information on anxiety disorders and treatment options.
Top recommended books for anxiety include "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund Bourne (the go-to self-help workbook, now in its 7th edition), "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David Burns (the classic CBT book), and "The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook" by Matthew McKay et al. For women specifically, "Burnout" by Emily and Amelia Nagoski and "Set Boundaries, Find Peace" by Nedra Glennon Tawwab are highly recommended.
Recommended apps for anxiety management include Calm (guided meditations and breathing exercises), Headspace (structured meditation courses for anxiety and stress), Insight Timer (free meditation library trusted by 125,000+ mental health professionals), and Woebot (an AI-powered CBT chatbot for practicing cognitive behavioral techniques between therapy sessions).
Free CBT worksheets are available from several trusted sources. Anxiety Canada offers a Thinking Traps worksheet for identifying cognitive distortions. Therapist Aid provides a Thought Record Worksheet for tracking and challenging anxious thoughts, as well as a Grounding Techniques (5-4-3-2-1) worksheet. These evidence-based tools are commonly used in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help manage anxiety.
Resources are a great start. Therapy is the real work.
If you're ready to move beyond self-help and work with a therapist who specializes in anxiety for women, schedule a free 15-minute consultation.