How can therapy help with anxiety?

Control your anxiety, stop worries and begin to take action. Learn how online anxiety therapy sessions with me (a trained psychotherapist) can help with anxiety relief.

It’s said that roughly 301 million people (an estimated 4%) of the global population have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety includes constant worry, fear and tension. Anxious people can find a small stressor overwhelming, leading to avoidance coping. I will share how online anxiety therapy can help you treat your mental health and anxiety for long-lasting results.

Types of anxiety disorders

  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): includes constant worry, fear and tension about threats.

  • Social Anxiety Disorder: (SAD) involves an irrational fear of being observed, judged, or embarrassed that causes severe anxiety in social situations.

  • Postpartum Anxiety: excessive worrying and nervousness that occurs after childbirth or adoption.

  • Health Anxiety: a fear and belief that one is at risk of developing a serious illness.

  • Panic disorder: a condition that includes frequent, sudden panic attacks.

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves obsessions and compulsions that create distress and interfere with daily life.

  • Phobias are irrational fears of a situation or object.

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves anxiety symptoms following a traumatic experience.


How can online therapy help with anxiety?

Online therapy for anxiety is an effective way to find stress and anxiety solutions. I use CBT, exposure therapy, hypnosis, and somatic therapy via Zoom, customizing each session to the client's needs. While anxiety can't be "cured," my virtual therapy sessions aim to identify root problems, reduce symptoms, and maintain a calm nervous system. Clients are encouraged to try soothing activities (like a daily 5-minute ritual), as well as use anxiety support services to complement their weekly therapy.


(1) Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Anxiety is commonly treated using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT for anxiety looks at negative thoughts (cognitive distortions) and replaces them with more balanced ways of thinking. The client focuses on a more realistic way of thinking which leads to more positive emotions and actions.

CBT founder, Aaron Beck identified 5 cognitive distortions (1963: arbitrary interpretation, selective abstraction, overgeneralisation, magnification and minimisation, inexact labelling, personalisation, absolutistic thinking) which David D. Burns later adapted to 10 cognitive distortions (1980: all or nothing thinking, overgeneralisation, mental filter, disqualify the positive, mind reading, magnification and minimisation, emotional reasoning, should statements, labeling, personalisation and blame).

〰️Q: What negative thoughts do you keep repeating? What is the more realistic thought?


False beliefs and negative mindset

Anxiety coping strategies often involve catastrophising (thinking of the worse-case scenario, e.g. “if I make a mistake it will be a disaster”). Coupled with catastrophising, anxious thoughts often include false fearful beliefs about ourselves and the world.

Digital therapy for anxiety helps to locate these false fearful beliefs. If we’re busy, it’s often easier to create quick snap judgements about others, not seeing them or the situation accurately. Often our beliefs are negative as we focus on threats and dangers.

By noticing our false fearful beliefs we see how this leads to a negative mindset (emotions and actions are distorted). We can then identify false fearful beliefs, bringing more neutrality to the belief.

〰️Q: What is a false fearful thought you’d like to change?


(2) Exposure therapy: taking small actions

Online mental health support for anxiety often uses exposure therapy. Avoiding stressors may feel good short term but increases anxiety long term. Exposure therapy involves gradually facing the anxiety trigger, starting by imagining it, and then slowly taking action with support. This process builds confidence and reduces fear by repeating the task until it feels manageable.

〰️Q: What is one thing you’ve been putting off? What is one small action you can do now?


(3) Hypnotherapy for self-belief

Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to create a deep state of focus and calm, going deeper into your subconscious mind to enhance positive change. Since anxious people tend to over-think, self-doubt and be fearful about the future - hypnosis can calm the mind.

Through the power of suggestion, hypnosis can be used to find the root cause behind the anxiety. Perhaps it’s a limiting belief or emotional block. By uncovering this, the symptoms of anxiety can be lessened. Instead of fear, nervousness and dread, we work together to create uplifting feelings of confidence. In the online therapy session, hypnosis can last from 15 minutes to 45 minutes.

〰️Q: How do you wish you felt each day? Imagine how that feels in your body for 5 minutes.


Seeking online therapy for anxiety? Book a free 15-minute consultation.

TLDR

  • If you start online online therapy for anxiety (with me), sessions include a range of therapeutic tools (CBT, exposure therapy and hypnosis).

  • Anxiety includes many mental health disorders including GAD, Social Anxiety, Postpartum Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Panic Disorder, OCD, Phobias, and PTSD.

  • Integrative therapy includes various therapeutic models (not just one), bespoke to the client’s needs. Find the root cause and get clarity on limiting beliefs and emotional blocks.

  • Sustainable online therapy: Rather than a quick fix, focus on sustainable change through exposure to the fear, repeating what makes you uncomfortable until you become more confident.

Seeking online therapy? Book your 1 hour consultation here.

Want a quick chat? Email me: therapywtanya@gmail.com or phone me: +44(0)7401699753

Previous
Previous

Being mixed-raced, belonging & anxiety

Next
Next

Anxiety, acceptance & entropy