What is the best therapy for anxiety?

CBT is the therapy NICE recommends for anxiety. It works by changing the thoughts and behaviours that keep anxiety going, rather than only talking about how you feel, and it teaches skills you keep for life.

Can anxiety be cured, or does it come back?

Anxiety is highly treatable. The goal is not to remove anxious thoughts, which everyone has, but to change your relationship with them so they no longer control you. CBT also teaches you to catch and break the loop yourself, which reduces relapse.

How can I enquire about private anxiety therapy?

You can contact The Lyceum directly to discuss suitability, practical arrangements and current availability.

High-functioning anxiety: why the people who look fine are often struggling most

What is high-functioning anxiety?

High-functioning anxiety is the name I give to the quiet, performance-driven worry that sits behind punctuality, competence and a smile. I often meet people who look like they have it together—career successes, reliable friendships, carefully managed routines—but who describe nights of restless thinking, physical tension and a persistent fear of making mistakes. Because their coping strategies produce visible results, their distress can be overlooked by colleagues, family and sometimes themselves. High-functioning anxiety combines perfectionism, chronic rumination, excessive responsibility and avoidance of vulnerability, which means symptoms stay hidden even as they shape choices and relationships. As a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist and clinical lead at The Lyceum Clinic, I’m Sanah Younis and I work warmly and collaboratively with clients across West London, including Chiswick, Hammersmith and Ealing, as well as online. In therapy we gently map the patterns that maintain hidden anxiety—thoughts, behaviours and body responses—and use practical CBT strategies to reduce reactivity and build flexibility. That might look like learning to test anxious predictions with behavioural experiments, breaking unhelpful “all-or-nothing” standards into manageable steps, and developing skills to calm the nervous system so nights and workdays feel less exhausting. High-functioning does not mean healthy, and recovery often involves trading short-term control for longer-term resilience. Many people tell me their anxiety feels oddly productive—fuel for achievement—but it exacts a cost: poor sleep, missed moments with loved ones and a constant background tension that becomes exhausting over time. In my work I track outcomes collaboratively, set measurable goals and use small, achievable experiments so progress feels real and sustainable. If you recognise these patterns in yourself, you don’t have to keep shouldering them alone. Contact The Lyceum Clinic to arrange an initial conversation with me, Sanah Younis, so we can explore whether CBT might help you feel steadier, more present and more able to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard for.