David A. Carbonell
David A. Carbonell is an American clinical psychologist and author who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and whose books and online resources have helped hundreds of thousands of people understand and overcome chronic anxiety, panic attacks, and worry. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Carbonell has maintained a practice focused exclusively on anxiety treatment since 1990 and holds the title of “Coach” on his widely visited website AnxietyCoach.com.
His book Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick (2004) introduces the “Panic Trick” — the counterintuitive idea that the fear of panic itself is what perpetuates panic disorder, and that the path out is through acceptance and paradoxical responses rather than avoidance and control. The workbook approach, with its practical exercises and humor, has been praised by both patients and clinicians for making CBT-based panic treatment accessible and engaging.
His 2016 book The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It applies a similar framework to generalized anxiety and chronic worry, arguing that the effort to suppress or solve anxious thoughts is itself the mechanism that amplifies them. Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as well as CBT, the book has been praised for its clarity, its self-deprecating humor, and its genuinely helpful practical guidance.
Carbonell is a fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and has been featured in media including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and various podcasts on mental health. He continues to practice, write, and develop online resources for anxiety sufferers worldwide.
