About Me

Anxiety disorders that resist standard treatments - chronic worry, panic attacks that won't respond to typical interventions, and performance anxiety that derails careers - can sometimes need more than generic cognitive-behavioral approaches to create lasting change. Jennifer Abel has spent over 30 years specialising exclusively in anxiety disorders, becoming one of the world's leading experts in treating resistant anxiety presentations and developing innovative strategies that help clients achieve rapid relief where other approaches have failed.

As former Assistant Director of Penn State's Stress and Anxiety Disorders Institute under T.D. Borkovec (the leading expert in Generalised Anxiety Disorder), Dr. Abel represents the highest level of expertise in evidence-based anxiety treatment. Her bestselling books - including The Anxiety, Worry, & Depression Workbook (4.6/5 stars with 450+ Amazon ratings) and the popular Melt Worry & Relax Card Deck - have helped thousands of practitioners and clients worldwide. Her invitation by the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies to write their GAD pamphlet reflects her recognition as a premier authority in worry and anxiety treatment.

Dr. Abel's expertise spans all anxiety disorders with particular specialisation in Generalised Anxiety Disorder, panic disorder, OCD, performance anxiety, insomnia, and compassion fatigue. Her integrative approach combines cognitive-behavioral therapy with mindfulness, schema therapy, DBT, and ACT techniques, creating personalised treatment plans for clients who haven't responded to standard protocols. She specialises in helping athletes and musicians enhance performance without medication, treating resistant anxiety presentations, and working with high-achievers whose anxiety interferes with their professional success.

What sets her training apart is practical innovation combined with deep research expertise. Abel doesn't just teach textbook techniques - she shows practitioners how to adapt evidence-based interventions for clients who don't fit standard presentations. Her workshop evaluations consistently rate above 4.25 out of 5, with some participants calling her training "the most informative and skill-building workshop" they've attended.

For your practice, expect to gain specific techniques for treatment-resistant anxiety, innovative interventions for chronic worry, and tools for working with performance-focused clients. Her approach particularly benefits clinicians working with high-achievers, those struggling with standard CBT outcomes, or practitioners wanting specialised expertise in anxiety disorders.

Quick Win: Abel's "worry postponement" technique helps clients reduce rumination by scheduling specific worry times - often providing relief within days and creating space for more productive coping strategies.

Qualifications

• Ph.D., Adult Clinical Psychology, West Virginia University, 1987–1992
• Post-Doctoral Studies, Penn State University, 1992–1994
• M.A., Adult Clinical Psychology, West Virginia University
• B.A., Psychology and Music, University of Missouri, Kansas City, 1981–1984
• Licensed for teletherapy in 35–40+ states
• 30+ years specialising in anxiety disorders

Authored Books

• The Anxiety, Worry, & Depression Workbook: 65 Exercises, Worksheets & Tips to Improve Mood and Feel Better (bestseller, 4.6/5 stars, 450+ Amazon ratings)
• Melt Worry & Relax Card Deck: 56 CBT & Mindfulness Strategies to Release Anxiety
• Resistant Anxiety, Worry, and Panic: 86 Practical Treatment Strategies for Clinicians (2014)
• Active Relaxation: How to Increase Productivity and Achieve Balance by Decreasing Stress and Anxiety (2010)
• Melt Worry & Relax Card Deck for Kids (co-author, in press, includes art therapy)

Professional Experience

• International Speaker & Author, Anxiety Expert, 2018–present
• Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, St. Louis, MO, 1994–2018, 2022–present
• Assistant Director, Stress and Anxiety Disorders Institute, Penn State University (post-1994)

Training & Education

• Internship, University of Mississippi Medical Center (Panic Disorders, Eating Disorders, PTSD rotations)
• Practicum, Anxiety Disorders Center, Chestnut Ridge Hospital
• Practicum, FCI Morgantown Prison (behavioral medicine focus)

International Training

• Professional trainer for mental health professionals in USA, Canada, Australia
• Over 300 workshops and seminars delivered
• Specialised programs in performance enhancement and anxiety treatment

Clinical Specialties

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and chronic worry
• Treatment-resistant anxiety presentations
• Performance anxiety for athletes and musicians (non-medication approaches)
• Panic disorder and agoraphobia
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Social anxiety and phobias
• Insomnia and sleep anxiety
• Compassion fatigue and burnout in healthcare professionals

Ready to help anxiety clients achieve breakthrough results where standard treatments have failed? Discover how Dr. Abel's innovative, research-backed strategies can help transform your ability to treat even the most resistant anxiety presentations with confidence and effectiveness.