Anxiety therapy in London
What is anxiety therapy?
Anxiety is not one condition. Generalised anxiety, panic, health anxiety, specific phobias and social anxiety share a mechanism but are maintained by different cycles and treated differently. All five respond to CBT, which NICE recommends as the first-line psychological treatment. At The Lyceum, Sanah Younis, a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist, treats each with the approach its formulation calls for, in Chiswick, Ealing and Richmond, or online across the UK. Anxiety can be understood as a threat-detection system firing out of context. The aim is not to erase fear, which is neither possible nor the point, but to restore flexibility by dismantling the cycle of distress and avoidance. Threat overestimation, a safety behaviour that brings brief relief and avoidance that prevents disproof can be present across the anxiety difficulties described here. Anxiety is often the presenting issue and may be connected to other parts of life. The work is practical because the brain needs behavioural evidence, not only insight. An assessment is the place to work out which cycle is most relevant. How we measure progress Generalised anxiety: GAD-7 with WSAS. Panic attacks: GAD-7 with PDSS. Health anxiety: GAD-7 with SHAI. Specific phobias: GAD-7 with the Specific Phobia Scale. Social anxiety: GAD-7 with SPIN. Patients frequently arrive already mislabeled, told they are simply stressed, a control freak, or that they must have OCD. Part of the first work is telling one kind of anxiety from another, because the label decides the treatment. Generalised worry, the panic that convinces you it is a heart attack, the health fear that sends you back to the doctor, the phobia that reorganises a life, the social fear of being watched: they look alike from outside and are entirely different cycles underneath. Naming the right one is where recovery starts.
Practical questions
How long does CBT for anxiety take?
The pace and scope are set through assessment. Where focused work or a formal review is appropriate, this is agreed collaboratively rather than assumed from a page.
How much does anxiety therapy cost in London?
Published fees are £110 for online appointments and £140 for face-to-face sessions. Current availability, practical arrangements and funding options can be discussed before booking. View fees and funding information.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between anxiety and panic disorder?
Generalised anxiety commonly centres on persistent, shifting worry, while panic disorder involves recurring surges of intense fear and concern about further attacks. An assessment can identify which pattern is most relevant before agreeing a treatment focus.
Is health anxiety the same as OCD?
They can both involve checking, intrusive worries and a wish for certainty, but their cycles and treatment focus can differ. An assessment can explore what is being feared, what keeps the pattern going and whether CBT-based support is appropriate.
How long does anxiety therapy take?
Focused CBT work is commonly planned over 8 to 20 sessions, with the pace and scope set through assessment. Where a difficulty is maintained by an older belief, further Core Beliefs & Schema Restructuring work may be agreed and reviewed formally every six sessions.
Can anxiety be treated online?
Online CBT may be discussed alongside face-to-face work in Chiswick, Ealing and Richmond. An initial conversation can clarify current availability and whether the format is suitable for your circumstances.
What are the main types of anxiety?
Generalised anxiety, panic, health anxiety, specific phobias and social anxiety can overlap in how distress feels while being maintained by different cycles. An assessment can explore which pattern is most relevant before agreeing a focused CBT approach.
Can CBT help with anxiety?
CBT can examine the threat predictions, avoidance and safety behaviours that may be keeping an anxiety pattern active. The focus is agreed through assessment because the approach differs for persistent worry, panic, health fears, phobias and social anxiety.