Anxiety
Anxiety can leave you feeling as though your mind and body are constantly preparing for something to go wrong. You may spend significant time worrying, overthinking, replaying conversations, or trying to anticipate problems before they happen.
For some people, anxiety feels like racing thoughts and constant "what ifs." For others, it shows up physically through tension, restlessness, a racing heart, or a persistent sense of unease. You might appear calm or capable to others while internally feeling overwhelmed, on edge, or unable to switch off.
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Anxiety can look different for everyone. You may notice:
Constantly worrying about what might happen
Overthinking decisions or everyday situations
Replaying conversations and questioning what you said
Frequently seeking reassurance from others
Feeling restless, tense, or unable to relax
Experiencing racing thoughts or difficulty switching your mind off
Avoiding situations that make you feel anxious or uncertain
Feeling highly alert to changes in other people's moods or behaviour
Struggling with uncertainty or feeling a strong need to stay in control
Experiencing physical symptoms such as a racing heart, tight chest, nausea, or muscle tension
Having difficulty sleeping because your mind remains active
Feeling exhausted from constantly thinking, preparing, or anticipating
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Anxiety is often your mind and body's way of trying to anticipate danger, reduce uncertainty, or protect you from something going wrong.
You may have learned to think ahead, prepare for every possibility, closely monitor others, or stay in control because uncertainty has not always felt safe. Worrying, overthinking, reassurance seeking, and avoidance can provide temporary relief, but over time they can keep anxiety feeling powerful and difficult to escape.
For some people, anxiety develops following stressful or traumatic experiences. For others, it may be connected to perfectionism, relationships, health concerns, significant life changes, or years of feeling responsible for managing everything around them.
Understanding what your anxiety is responding to, and the patterns that keep it going, can be an important part of creating change.
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Therapy can help you develop a clearer understanding of your anxiety and what happens when worry or fear begins to take over.
Together, we can explore the thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and patterns that contribute to your anxiety. This may involve learning to respond differently to worry, reducing avoidance and reassurance seeking, building your capacity to tolerate uncertainty, and understanding the experiences that may sit underneath your need to stay alert or in control.
Our psychologists use evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches to help you develop a different relationship with anxiety, rather than simply telling you to "stop worrying" or think positively.
Taking the next step
Anxiety can take up a significant amount of mental and emotional space, even when others cannot see how much you are carrying.
Our psychologists can help you understand what is driving your anxiety, recognise the patterns keeping it going, and develop ways of responding that allow you to feel more present, flexible, and engaged in your life.