Therapy for Anxiety in London
Compassionate, humanistic therapy that helps you understand anxiety, develop self-compassion, and find peace in your body and mind.
If you're living with anxiety, you know how exhausting it can be. The racing thoughts, the constant worry, the physical tension in your chest or stomach. Anxiety can make everyday situations feel overwhelming and rob you of peace and presence.
You don't have to face anxiety alone. As a BACP registered humanistic therapist, I offer a warm, non-judgmental space where you can explore what's driving your anxiety and develop a healthier, more compassionate relationship with yourself.
My approach goes beyond symptom management. Rather than just teaching coping techniques (though we'll do that too), we explore the deeper meanings and causes of your anxiety—what it's trying to tell you, and how you can respond with understanding rather than fear.
Types of Anxiety
Anxiety takes many forms. You might recognise yourself in one or more of these:
Generalised Anxiety (GAD)
Persistent worry about many things—health, relationships, work, finances. Feeling on edge, difficulty relaxing, catastrophic thinking.
Social Anxiety
Fear of judgment or embarrassment in social situations. Avoiding social events, intense self-consciousness, physical symptoms (sweating, trembling) in company.
Health Anxiety
Excessive worry about physical symptoms or illness. Frequent checking of symptoms, seeking reassurance, difficulty believing medical reassurance.
Panic Attacks
Sudden intense fear with physical symptoms: racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, feeling of impending doom. Often leads to avoidance of triggers.
Performance Anxiety
Fear of being judged or failing in work, creative, or academic situations. Perfectionism, procrastination, self-doubt.
Existential Anxiety
Worry about life's big questions: meaning, mortality, freedom, uncertainty. Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of life.
How Humanistic Therapy Approaches Anxiety
While CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) focuses on changing anxious thoughts and behaviours, humanistic therapy takes a broader, more exploratory approach:
We explore anxiety as a meaningful experience—not just a problem to be eliminated. Anxiety often contains important information: unmet needs, unexpressed feelings, parts of yourself you've pushed away, or situations that don't align with your values.
Rather than fighting anxiety, we develop a different relationship with it—one based on curiosity, compassion, and understanding.
Person-Centred Exploration
Creating a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your anxiety without shame. Many people feel anxious about their anxiety. Here, you're met with unconditional acceptance.
Body-Based Awareness (Gestalt)
Anxiety lives in the body—tight chest, shallow breathing, clenched jaw. Gestalt techniques help you become aware of physical sensations, breathe through them, and ground yourself in the present moment.
Understanding Patterns (Transactional Analysis)
Exploring recurring anxiety patterns: What triggers it? What do you fear will happen? How do you respond? TA helps you recognise ego states (Critical Parent, Anxious Child) and choose new responses.
Self-Compassion
Anxiety often comes with harsh self-criticism: "I should be able to handle this", "I'm weak", "Everyone else copes better." We work to develop a kinder, more understanding relationship with yourself.
Underlying Causes
Anxiety can be rooted in trauma, attachment patterns, perfectionism, control issues, or existential concerns. We explore these deeper layers rather than just managing surface symptoms.
What to Expect in Anxiety Therapy
Working with anxiety in therapy is a gradual, compassionate process:
A Safe Space to Feel
Many people with anxiety try to avoid or suppress their feelings. In therapy, you're invited to feel your anxiety in a safe container, with support. This helps desensitise you to the experience.
Developing Awareness
We notice when anxiety arises, what triggers it, how it shows up in your body, and what thoughts accompany it. Awareness itself is a powerful tool for change.
Coping Strategies
We develop practical tools: grounding techniques, breathing exercises, ways to challenge catastrophic thinking, and strategies for managing panic. These give you a sense of control.
Exploring Deeper Layers
As you develop coping skills, we can explore the deeper roots of your anxiety: past experiences, relationship patterns, perfectionism, fear of judgment, or existential concerns.
Building Self-Compassion
Anxiety often involves harsh self-judgment. We work to develop a kinder, more accepting relationship with yourself—including the anxious parts.
Integration
Over time, you learn to recognise anxiety as information, respond to it skilfully, and develop confidence in your ability to handle difficult feelings. Anxiety may not disappear entirely, but it loses its power over you.
Body-Based Approaches to Anxiety
Anxiety is a deeply physical experience. Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode even when there's no real danger. Gestalt therapy offers powerful body-based techniques:
Body Awareness
Noticing where anxiety lives in your body: tight chest, shallow breathing, clenched jaw. Awareness helps you catch anxiety early.
Grounding Techniques
Bringing your attention to the present moment through your senses: feet on the floor, sounds around you, breath in your body.
Breathing Practices
Slowing and deepening your breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest), countering fight-or-flight.
Exaggeration
Amplifying a physical tension (e.g., clenching your fists tighter) to bring it into full awareness, then releasing it consciously.
Movement
Physical movement can discharge anxious energy. We might explore gentle stretching, walking, or simply shifting position.
Self-Soothing
Learning to comfort yourself physically: hand on heart, gentle rocking, warm drinks. Developing a toolkit of self-care practices.
Timeline and Outcomes
How long does anxiety therapy take? This varies depending on the type and severity of your anxiety:
- •Short-term support (8-12 sessions): Learning coping strategies, reducing acute symptoms, developing initial awareness
- •Medium-term work (3-6 months): Exploring underlying causes, addressing patterns, developing self-compassion
- •Long-term therapy (6+ months): Deep exploration of trauma, attachment, or existential anxiety; significant personality change
Realistic outcomes: Therapy can help you:
- •Reduce anxiety symptoms and frequency
- •Develop effective coping strategies
- •Understand what triggers your anxiety
- •Build self-compassion and reduce self-criticism
- •Develop confidence in handling difficult feelings
- •Address underlying causes (trauma, perfectionism, etc.)
- •Live more fully and freely
Frequently Asked Questions
Find Peace with Anxiety
Book a free 15-minute consultation to discuss how therapy can help you develop a healthier relationship with anxiety.