Anxiety is a common and treatable condition. Effective psychological treatments are available even if you have been experiencing anxiety for a long time. The most appropriate treatment depends on the nature and severity of your anxiety and on your preferences and circumstances.
Assessment
Therapy starts with a detailed assessment of the anxiety you are experiencing. The likelihood of genetic and developmental factors is considered, as are your current living circumstances, including work, financial and interpersonal stress. We also look at internal sources of anxiety you may or may not be aware of, such as psychological conflicts (wanting two outcomes that oppose each other) and how those conflicts affect your thoughts and behaviour.
Psycho-education
A further part of anxiety treatment is acquiring science-based knowledge about anxiety. The more you understand it, the more effective you will be in managing it. This part of therapy, called psycho-education, covers the causes of anxiety and its effects on mind and body, along with the knowledge, skills and tools to manage the symptoms. Equipped with accurate information, practical strategies and skills, you are better placed to take control of your anxiety and live a fuller life.
Structured therapies
Psycho-education is closely linked to structured, direct therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). These are generally short-term and skills-based. They focus on identifying and dealing efficiently with the unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to anxiety, and they teach coping strategies and relaxation techniques. The training includes safely confronting anxiety by learning to accept and regulate it without falling into destructive and unhelpful avoidance.
MBSR is an outstanding practice that, once mastered, significantly reduces stress and anxiety. The exercises retrain your brain to function in a more present-focused and less judgemental way, so you are less distressed when anxious thoughts and feelings arise.
Hypnotherapy
I recommend some sessions of hypnotherapy as another effective treatment for anxiety, used together with the therapies above. During hypnotherapy for anxiety I guide you into a state of deep relaxation, known as a trance, in which your mind is more open and receptive to suggestion. I also use positive affirmations, visualisation and relaxation exercises to help you overcome anxiety.
Hypnotherapy helps you identify and change the negative thought patterns and beliefs behind your anxiety, and it speeds up the uptake of coping skills and relaxation techniques you can use every day.
In my practice I propose an integrated combination of therapies, each well supported by psychological research, as the most effective treatment for anxiety. See clinical psychology and hypnotherapy.