Therapy can help people who experience anxiety, including those diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or who experience panic attacks.
GAD involves excessive and uncontrollable worry about multiple topics, lasting for at least six months—though many people experience it for far longer. Anxiety often manifests as persistent worry about potential negative outcomes. It can be debilitating, as thoughts jump from one concern to another, affecting quality of life. Therapy provides a safe space to explore what is happening and begin making meaningful changes to manage anxiety.
Below, you'll find more information about anxiety.
"Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." – Corrie ten Boom
Emotions serve an evolutionary purpose—they help us respond to potential dangers. Anxiety, in particular, allows us to evaluate our environment and take urgent action if risks are detected. Problems arise when this natural mechanism becomes overly sensitive, leading to unnecessary suffering.
Several factors usually contribute to anxiety:
Anxiety can be thought of as an emotional response to uncertainty. From childhood, we develop psychological "maps" to understand our environment and predict outcomes. In uncertain situations, these predictions become less reliable, triggering the brain's threat-detection systems and producing both physical and psychological anxiety symptoms.
Sometimes, anxiety can create a self-reinforcing cycle, where we fear our own anxious feelings.
Anxiety can present in various ways, including phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), situational or separation anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Modern life is vastly different from that of previous generations. Technology and complex social environments require increasingly sophisticated mental "maps." Pressure to meet external expectations, often at odds with our inner needs, can lead to insecurity, uncertainty, and anxiety. Therapy is a supportive space to explore these pressures and regain balance.
Anxiety can manifest physically, emotionally, and cognitively. Typical symptoms include:
Anxiety is common—about 1 in 10 adults may experience a disabling anxiety disorder at some point—but it is very treatable, and therapy can be highly effective.
Therapy helps by addressing both the psychological foundations of anxiety and the management of its symptoms. Techniques can reduce anxiety levels and help restore balance.
You can also take steps to manage anxiety in the moment. For example:
Within a short period, you may notice your symptoms beginning to subside—you are regaining control over your body's response.
Anxiety is a common experience, and therapy can be very effective in managing it. This includes generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) as well as panic attacks.
GAD involves excessive, uncontrollable worry about a variety of topics, often lasting six months or more. Anxiety often takes the form of "what if" thinking—worrying about things that might go wrong. This can be debilitating, as the mind jumps from one worry to another, affecting quality of life. Therapy provides a safe space to explore these patterns and begin making meaningful changes.
Anxiety has a natural purpose—it helps us detect potential danger and respond quickly. Problems arise when this system becomes overactive, producing excessive worry that interferes with daily life. Anxiety is influenced by a combination of factors, including genetics, personality, thought patterns, life experiences, and environmental stressors.
Anxiety can become a cycle: we fear uncertainty, which increases worry, which in turn heightens physical and emotional symptoms. Therapy can help break this cycle by addressing underlying thought patterns and learning practical coping strategies.
Anxiety is very common, and effective support is available. Therapy can reduce symptoms, help you understand triggers, and restore a sense of control over your thoughts, emotions, and body.