Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people look for help, and one of the most crowded shelves in any bookstore. Many of the books on it are written by people with no clinical training. The seven below are by psychologists, psychiatrists and researchers, and most are built on approaches that are also used in therapy: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness.
They are not interchangeable. Some are workbooks with exercises; some explain what is happening in the brain; one is an older, calm classic. The notes below say who each tends to suit.
A book is not a substitute for therapy, and it cannot rule out a medical cause for symptoms like a racing heart. If anxiety has started to shape your days, read when anxiety becomes the default or see our list of individual counseling in Charlotte.
If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
The list
1.The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
Edmund J. Bourne / New Harbinger Publications
Best for: A thorough, all-in-one workbook
This is the reference book of the list: large, practical and organized by problem. It covers panic, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, OCD, PTSD, worry and fear, with chapters on relaxation and breathing, exposure, lifestyle, mindfulness and relapse prevention. The new edition adds material on climate anxiety, worry about illness and uncertainty about the future.
It suits people who like to work through exercises at their own pace, and the publisher notes it is recommended by therapists. Its size can be daunting; you do not need to read it cover to cover.
- New Harbinger lists the eighth edition in paperback, published July 2025 (488 pages).
- The publisher lists panic disorder, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, PTSD, worry and fear among the topics covered.
2.Mind Over Mood
Dennis Greenberger and Christine A. Padesky / Guilford Press
Best for: Learning CBT skills step by step
Written by two clinical psychologists, with a foreword by Aaron T. Beck, the developer of cognitive therapy, Mind Over Mood teaches CBT through worksheets. It covers anxiety alongside depression, anger, guilt and shame, which suits people whose anxiety comes mixed with low mood.
Guilford also publishes a clinician's guide to it, so it pairs naturally with counseling. Readers who dislike filling in forms may find the worksheet format heavy going.
- Guilford Press lists the second edition in paperback on October 15, 2015 (341 pages).
- Guilford lists Dennis Greenberger, PhD, as a clinical psychologist and founder of the Anxiety and Depression Center in Newport Beach, California, and Christine A. Padesky, PhD, as a clinical psychologist and cofounder of the Center for Cognitive Therapy in Huntington Beach, California.
3.The Mindful Way through Anxiety
Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer / Guilford Press
Best for: Chronic worry, and people tired of fighting their anxiety
Two psychology professors explain why the usual strategies, avoiding feared situations and pushing worry out of mind, tend to keep anxiety going. They teach mindfulness practices tailored to anxiety, with free audio exercises from the publisher.
It suits people with persistent, general worry who want to change their relationship to anxious feelings rather than argue with each thought. People with frequent panic attacks may want a more exposure-focused book as well.
- Guilford Press lists the paperback as published January 18, 2011 (307 pages).
- Guilford lists Susan M. Orsillo, PhD, as Professor of Psychology at Suffolk University and Lizabeth Roemer, PhD, as Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
4.The Worry Trick
David A. Carbonell / New Harbinger Publications
Best for: Worriers who keep trying to argue themselves out of it
David Carbonell, a clinical psychologist, draws on ACT and CBT to show how worry persuades us there is danger, and how avoidance and reassurance-seeking can make it worse. The tone is practical.
It suits people caught in loops of what-if thinking. If your anxiety is mostly physical, such as panic or a constant sense of dread in the body, a broader book like Bourne's may cover more ground.
- New Harbinger lists the paperback as published February 2016 (232 pages).
- The publisher describes the approach as based in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
5.Rewire Your Anxious Brain
Catherine M. Pittman and Elizabeth M. Karle / New Harbinger Publications
Best for: Understanding the brain science behind anxiety
Psychologist Catherine Pittman and co-author Elizabeth Karle explain two pathways in anxiety: the amygdala, which reacts before you know why you are afraid, and the cortex, where worry and rumination live. They then suggest ways of working with each.
It suits readers who feel less alarmed once they understand the mechanism. The newly revised edition includes goal-focused self-assessments. People who want more exercises and less explanation may prefer a workbook.
- New Harbinger lists the revised edition in paperback, published December 2025 (240 pages).
- The publisher describes the book as explaining the roles of the amygdala and cortex in anxiety.
6.Unwinding Anxiety
Judson Brewer / Avery (Penguin Random House)
Best for: Anxiety tangled up with habits
Judson Brewer is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who studies habits and addiction. His book treats anxiety partly as a habit loop, and connects it to the things people do to cope, such as stress eating, procrastination and doom scrolling. It uses curiosity and mindfulness practices to interrupt the loop.
It suits people who notice that anxiety drives behavior they want to change. It is less focused on panic attacks or specific phobias.
- Penguin Random House lists the Avery ebook and audiobook as published March 9, 2021 and the paperback as August 30, 2022 (304 pages).
- The publisher describes Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, as an addiction psychiatrist and neuroscientist and a full professor at Brown University.
7.Hope and Help for Your Nerves
Claire Weekes / Berkley (Penguin Random House)
Best for: Physical anxiety symptoms and panic
Dr. Claire Weekes is best known for pioneering work on nervous illness and anxiety. Her book is plain, gentle and steady, and it focuses on the physical side of anxiety: the racing heart, trembling hands and churning stomach. She walks readers through understanding their own symptoms step by step.
It suits people frightened by their own symptoms who want calm, direct reassurance. The language is older and there is little modern research in it; pair it with a CBT book if you want structure.
- Penguin Random House lists the Berkley paperback as published May 26, 2020 (288 pages), with an ebook edition from September 4, 1990.
- The publisher describes the author as best known for her pioneering work in the study of nervous illness and anxiety.
Choosing one
Pick by the shape of your anxiety rather than by the most popular title.
- Want one book that covers everything: The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook.
- Anxiety mixed with low mood: Mind Over Mood.
- Constant worry: The Worry Trick or The Mindful Way through Anxiety.
- Frightened by physical symptoms: Hope and Help for Your Nerves.
- Want the science: Rewire Your Anxious Brain or Unwinding Anxiety.
When a book is not enough
Self-help works best when anxiety is mild to moderate and you have the energy to practice. Consider talking to a therapist if anxiety is keeping you from work, sleep or relationships, if you are avoiding more and more, or if you are relying on alcohol to cope. Anxiety often sits alongside low mood; see when low mood will not lift.
New physical symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath, should be checked by a doctor first. Questions about medication belong with a prescriber, not a book. Laura Bass Counseling works with adults on anxiety through individual counseling.
Questions people ask
- Do self-help books for anxiety actually work?
- Some people find them useful, especially books built on CBT, which is also used in therapy. They tend to help most when you practice the exercises rather than only read.
- Should I read one of these if I am already in therapy?
- Often, yes. Ask your therapist which fits the work you are doing; a workbook such as Mind Over Mood can be practiced between sessions.
- Which book is best for panic attacks?
- The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has dedicated material on panic, and Hope and Help for Your Nerves focuses on the physical symptoms. If panic is frequent, a therapist can help you work through it.
- What if anxiety comes with thoughts of self-harm?
- Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources
- The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, New Harbinger Publications
- Mind Over Mood, Second Edition, Guilford Press
- The Mindful Way through Anxiety, Guilford Press
- The Worry Trick, New Harbinger Publications
- Rewire Your Anxious Brain, New Harbinger Publications
- Unwinding Anxiety, Penguin Random House
- Hope and Help for Your Nerves, Penguin Random House
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 988 Lifeline
Published by Laura Bass Counseling as general information, not personal advice or an endorsement. Details change: confirm anything you rely on with the organization itself. Published .