Proven-effective tools for when you feel like the world is closing in on you.

Anxiety has many faces. It can look like chronic avoidance, rumination, fear of uncertainty, reassurance seeking, catastrophic thinking, or fear of losing control. There’s more than a dozen recognized categories of anxiety, but they all have one thing in common—they all get in the way of living your life. Your work suffers, your family suffers, you suffer. But you don’t have to. Written by psychologist and anxiety expert David A. Clark, this essential guide offers targeted, proven solutions to take charge of your anxiety—and your life.

This is What Anxiety Looks Like dives right into relatable case studies, using a story-based approach to help you overcome the 13 most common causes of anxiety, so you can live with less worry and fear. Drawing on powerful and evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and grounded in decades of research and clinical experience, Clarke offers real-world tips and strategies to help you find the relief you’re seeking—starting right now.

With this guide, you’ll also learn to:

• Identify the disturbing thoughts and habits that make your anxiety worse
• Use targeted skills to manage your symptoms
• Break the cycle of anxiety, worry, and catastrophic thinking
• Find lasting calm and peace of mind

In our increasingly uncertain world, there’s plenty to worry about. But you can move past the mental habits that shape your anxiety—no matter what it looks like. This book will help you get started today.

David A. Clark's profile page

David A. Clark, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, and professor emeritus at the University of New Brunswick in Canada. He is author of several books on depression and anxiety, including Overcoming Obsessive Thoughts, The Anxiety and Worry Workbook, The Anxious Thoughts Workbook, and The Negative Thoughts Workbook. He has coauthored several books with the pioneer of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Aaron T. Beck, including Cognitive Therapy for AnxietyDisorders.

“This evidence-based book dissects anxiety piece by piece, offering relatable insights into its driving forces. Each chapter focuses on a specific anxiety-fueling element, explaining its mechanics and providing relevant case studies. The author’s vast experience in writing self-help books is evident in the interventions offered, and provides accessible ways for readers to dismantle their anxiety. An invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand and overcome their anxiety.”
—Guy Doron, PhD, associate professor at Reichman University, director of the ROCD research unit, and cofounder and chief scientist of GGtude.LTD

Guy Doron, PhD

“This is wonderful and timely take on this topic for our times. David A. Clark has come up with an engaging and highly relatable way of communicating the things that matter most for solving and also learning to live with anxiety. A wonderful distillation of all his work over decades told in way that feels like a fireside chat—warm, wise, patient, and right on the science too. Even if you’ve read other books on the topic, there is so much that’s fresh here.”
—Peter J. Bieling, PhD, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at McMaster University, and clinical consultant for the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program

Peter J. Bieling, PhD

“Anxiety is a normal emotion, yet it is painful for those who suffer from its ravages. Renowned clinical psychologist David A. Clark has written an excellent step-by-step guide to help readers understand how a cascade of dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors can lead to a heightened sense of danger and worsen anxiety in the long run. His clear, incisive book—replete with clinical wisdom, rich examples, and practical tips—is a must-read for anyone who has struggled to overcome anxiety.”
—Lata McGinn, professor of psychology in the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University, cofounder of Cognitive & Behavioral Consultants (CBC), and president of the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Consultants (WCCBT)

Lata McGinn

“In This Is What Anxiety Looks Like, Clark writes an exceptionally clear and engaging volume on the personal stories of people suffering with anxiety. Working from the inside-out, Clark focuses on the key psychological mechanisms maintaining each person’s specific anxiety cycle, and then carefully and elegantly demonstrates how step-by-step cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment strategies were delivered to target these mechanisms and reduce anxiety. This wonderful book is recommended for anyone seeking to better understand the nature, causes, and successful treatment of anxiety.”
—Neil A. Rector, PhD, professor in the departments of psychiatry and psychological clinical science at the University of Toronto; director of the Forest Hill Centre for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Toronto, ON, Canada; and coauthor of The Aging Well Workbook for Anxiety and Depression

Neil A. Rector, PhD

“A brilliant decision to identify twelve core processes common in most anxiety presentations. The strategies identified to address these maintaining factors are sensible, easily understood, and spot-on! Clark’s clinical wisdom and expertise are on full display. If anxiety interferes with how you want to live your life, you will find many helpful gems in these pages. Anxiety is manageable, and Clark shows the reader how to do it.”
—Maureen L. Whittal, PhD, associate clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, and cofounder of Anxiety Canada

Maureen L. Whittal, PhD

“This is what a self-help book looks like: modern, easy, and accessible to everyone. Written in an engaging and straightforward way without any jargon, it’s packed with the latest insights on anxiety treatment. Perfect for the general population since it tackles the everyday anxiety we all face. Practical tips make it incredibly useful, and it’s absolutely not tedious. It truly raises the standard for quality in self-help books!”
—Claudio Sica, PhD, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Florence in Italy, and author/editor of about ninety international publications on anxiety and personality disorders

Claudio Sica, PhD

“With colorful examples of people experiencing anxiety who readers will certainly identify with, David A. Clark expertly describes the most common psychological processes that underlie chronic anxiety. Even better, he identifies the best and most evidence-based strategies for counteracting each of these processes. A must-have book for anyone starting their journey toward an anxiety-free life.”
—Peter J. Norton, PhD, professor of psychology at the Cairnmillar Institute in Australia, and author of The Anti-Anxiety Program and Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety

Peter J. Norton, PhD

“In This Is What Anxiety Looks Like, Clark masterfully distils cutting-edge therapeutic techniques into easy-to-understand language. Real individuals (composites of Clark’s cases) model different problems and their solutions, offering compelling demonstrations of how readers can address their own anxiety. Drawing on a lifetime of expertise, Clark weaves relatable stories, offering practical paths for self-help. There has never been a book like this before, so rich and yet so accessible.”
—Gary P. Brown, PhD, professor of clinical psychology at the Royal Holloway University of London

Gary P. Brown, PhD