Anxiety Therapy & Counselling
Get help with anxiety through online or in-person therapy
When anxiety makes everyday life feel like too much
Qualified counsellors offering support for anxiety online across the UK and face-to-face across England, at a pace that works for you.
- NCPS Organisational Member
- Professionally registered therapists
- Phone answered 24/7
What does living with anxiety actually feel like?
If you’ve been waking up at 3am with your heart racing and no idea why – that’s anxiety. If you’ve started avoiding places or situations that used to feel ordinary, or if you spend hours replaying conversations and second-guessing yourself – that’s anxiety. If your mind feels like it can’t switch off, even when everything around you is technically fine – that’s anxiety too.
It’s one of the most common things people bring to counselling, and one of the most misunderstood. Because anxiety doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like being busy, organised, always prepared. Sometimes it looks like being quiet. Sometimes it looks like nothing at all – until it doesn’t.
You might have been told you’re a worrier, or that you overthink things. But there’s a difference between ordinary worry and anxiety that has started to shape what you do, where you go, and how you feel about yourself.
Anxiety affects people differently – and you don’t need to have had a panic attack, or to feel constantly overwhelmed, to find that it’s getting in the way of your life. Whatever form yours takes, it’s worth taking seriously.
Some things people living with anxiety describe:
- A persistent sense of unease or dread that’s hard to pin down
- Difficulty sleeping – lying awake with thoughts that won’t slow down
- Physical symptoms: tightness in the chest, shallow breathing, an unsettled stomach
- Avoiding situations that trigger the feeling – and the list getting longer over time
- Replaying conversations or interactions, convinced something went wrong
- Catastrophising – the mind jumping to the worst possible outcome
- Feeling exhausted by the effort of keeping it all together
- Finding it hard to be fully present – even in moments that should feel good
- Snapping at people you care about and not quite knowing why
Why does anxiety take hold?
Anxiety is, at its root, a protective response. The physical sensations you feel – the racing heart, the shallow breathing, the heightened alertness – are your nervous system doing exactly what it evolved to do: preparing you to respond to a threat. The problem is that this system doesn’t always distinguish well between genuine danger and a difficult email, an awkward social situation, or an uncertain future.
For some people, anxiety has roots in earlier experiences – times when the world felt unsafe, unpredictable, or overwhelming, and the mind learned to stay alert as a way of coping. For others, it develops in response to particular stressors – a difficult period at work, a relationship challenge, a loss, a major life change. Sometimes there’s no obvious trigger at all.
Understanding what’s underneath your anxiety is often an important part of working with it. This isn’t about finding something to blame – it’s about gaining a clearer picture of what’s actually happening, so that you can begin to respond to it differently.
Types of anxiety we support
Anxiety takes many forms, and each person’s experience is unique. Our therapists have experience working with:
- Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) – persistent, wide-ranging worry
- Social anxiety – intense anxiety in social or performance situations
- Health anxiety – preoccupation with illness or physical symptoms
- Panic disorder – recurrent panic attacks and the fear of having them
- Phobias – intense fear responses to specific situations or objects
- Anxiety linked to past trauma or difficult experiences
- Anxiety in the context of ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent experiences
If you’re not sure exactly what type of anxiety you’re dealing with – or whether it’s anxiety at all – a free consultation is a good place to start exploring.
What counselling can offer when you’re living with anxiety
Counselling doesn’t remove anxiety – but it can change your relationship with it.
Working with a counsellor offers a confidential space to explore what’s driving your anxiety without needing to have the answers in advance. Many people find that simply being able to talk honestly – without needing to reassure anyone else or manage how they’re perceived – is itself a significant relief.
Over time, counselling can help you understand the patterns behind your anxiety: the thoughts, beliefs, and reactions that keep it going. This understanding doesn’t make anxiety disappear, but it can make the experience less frightening and give you more choices about how to respond to it.
Depending on the approach used, your therapist might work with you to explore the roots of your anxiety, to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, to build practical skills for managing anxious moments, or to process experiences that may be contributing to how you’re feeling now.
A note on confidentiality: Sessions are confidential. There are limited circumstances in which this may need to change – for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or where we have a legal obligation to disclose. Your therapist will explain these limits clearly before you begin your work together.
What people often find helpful
While every counselling relationship is different, here are some of the things people living with anxiety often find valuable from the process:
- Beginning to understand what triggers their anxiety – and why
- Feeling less alone with it, and less defined by it
- Learning to recognise and gently challenge catastrophic thinking
- Developing practical techniques for anxious moments
- Working through experiences or beliefs that may be maintaining the anxiety
- Building more trust in their own capacity to cope
- Making changes to patterns of avoidance that have narrowed their world
These are possibilities, not guarantees. Results vary between individuals, and counselling is a collaborative process – how much it helps will depend on many factors including the type of support offered and what feels right for you
How we work with anxiety
We offer a range of evidence-based approaches, matched to what’s most appropriate for you.
- Counselling & Psychotherapy – A space to talk, explore, and be heard. Counselling can help you understand your anxiety more deeply, work through what may be driving it, and develop a different relationship with it over time.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – CBT is one of the most thoroughly researched approaches to anxiety. It works by helping you identify and gently challenge the thinking patterns and behaviours that maintain anxious responses, building practical skills as you go.
- EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is particularly helpful for anxiety that has roots in specific distressing memories or experiences. It can help process these memories so they feel less overwhelming in the present.
- Mindfulness including MBCT – Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy to help you notice anxious thoughts without getting caught in them. It’s particularly useful for people whose anxiety shows up as persistent rumination or worry cycles.
Our dedicated booking team and your therapist will discuss the most suitable approach or combination of approaches for what you’re experiencing. You don’t need to know which is right before you start.
What to expect when you reach out
Taking the first step is often the hardest part. Here’s exactly what happens.
1. Book a free 15-minute consultation
This is a relaxed, informal conversation – not a therapy session. There’s no pressure to share everything at once. You can ask questions, get a feel for how we work, and start to think about what kind of support might be right for you. No commitment required.
2. We match you with the right therapist
Based on what you’ve shared, our dedicated booking team will suggest a therapist from our team of 90+ whose experience, approach, and availability suit your needs. If the first match doesn’t feel right, we’ll find someone who does – at no extra cost.
3. Your first session
Your first session is a chance to begin to understand each other. Your therapist will listen to what’s been going on, explain how they work, and help you think about what you’d like to get from the process. Most people find it less daunting than they expected.
4. Ongoing sessions at your pace
Sessions are typically weekly, though we can discuss what works best for you. Online sessions are available via Zoom throughout the UK. Face-to-face sessions are available across 20+ counties in England.
A note on reduced-rate sessions
If cost is a concern, reduced-rate sessions may be available with one of our trainee counsellors. Trainee counsellors are qualified to at least Level 5 in therapeutic counselling and work under regular qualified supervision. If you are matched with a trainee counsellor, you will be informed clearly before your sessions begin, in line with professional ethical standards.
Online or face-to-face?
All our therapists offer sessions online via Zoom. Research consistently shows online counselling can be as effective as face-to-face therapy for anxiety. Many people find working from home – in a familiar, private space – particularly helpful when anxiety makes getting to new places feel daunting.
If you prefer in-person sessions, we have therapists available across more than 20 counties in England. Your consultation is a good time to discuss your preference.
Session fees for anxiety support
No hidden costs. Your therapist and fees are discussed during your free consultation.
Counselling & Psychotherapy
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Online via Zoom or telephone
- Face-to-face where available
- Mon–Fri, limited weekend availability
Mindfulness including MBCT
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
- Particularly helpful for worry cycles
- Online or in-person options
CBT
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Structured, evidence-based approach
- Online or in-person options
- Practical skills you can use daily
EMDR
From £95
per session
- For anxiety with traumatic roots
- Trained EMDR practitioners
- Online or face-to-face
Looking for a more affordable option? We may be able to offer sessions at a reduced rate – just ask during your free consultation.
What our clients say
Trauma, Confidence And Anxiety.
After a life changing trauma 5 years ago, I needed help understanding who I am, loneliness, anxiety and low self esteem was an everyday cycle. Jayne was amazing, very perceptive and I learnt much about myself and I have been able to go forward with my life. Thank you to Jayne.
Response from Hope Therapy and Counselling Services
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. It takes courage to seek help after experiencing such a life-changing trauma, and we’re so glad to hear that Jayne was able to support you during this time.
Superb CBT Support
Very helpful, Always had good resources sent after each session. Ali was approachable and easy to talk with
CBT for Anxiety
Alison, was really good, it took us a few attempts to get the initial meeting, but once we started, she made me feel at ease, she listened to everything I had to say and just really helped.
Frequently asked questions
Counselling can offer a genuine space to understand what is driving your anxiety and explore ways of responding to it differently. Many people find that working with a therapist helps them feel less overwhelmed over time. Results vary between individuals, and the right approach depends on what kind of anxiety you are experiencing. A free 15-minute consultation is a good starting point to explore whether it could help you.
Research consistently shows that online counselling can be as effective as face-to-face therapy for anxiety, and many people find the flexibility and comfort of working from home genuinely helpful. All our therapists offer online sessions via Zoom or similar platforms. If you have a preference for in-person sessions, we have therapists available across 20+ counties in England.
Your first session is a chance to begin to understand each other. Your therapist will listen to what is going on for you, explain how they work, and help you think through what you are hoping to get from the process. There is no pressure to share more than you feel ready for. Most people find the first session less daunting than they expected.
Yes. Sessions are confidential. There are limited circumstances in which this may need to change — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or where we have a legal obligation to disclose. Your therapist will explain these limits clearly before you begin your work together.
This varies depending on the type of anxiety you are experiencing, how long you have been living with it, and what feels useful to you. Some people find significant benefit in six to eight sessions; others prefer to work over a longer period. This is something your therapist will explore with you as your work develops — there is no fixed programme.
Counselling and CBT sessions start from £65 per session. Mindfulness including MBCT starts from £65. EMDR starts from £95. Everything is discussed clearly during your free consultation before you commit to anything. A reduced-rate option may be available with one of our trainee counsellors — ask during your consultation if this would be helpful.