Anxiety Treatment in St Albans & Borehamwood

If you’re suffering from anxiety, you’ll know just how much it can affect the way you feel and the way you live your everyday life.

Anxiety can show itself in many different ways. You may find yourself constantly worrying, feeling on edge or unable to switch off. You may avoid particular situations, experience panic attacks or find that anxiety is beginning to affect you socially, personally or professionally.

At Behavioural Freedom, I help people understand what is causing and maintaining their anxiety and, most importantly, learn practical ways to manage it and regain a greater sense of control.

I use Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH), combining cognitive behavioural techniques with hypnosis, relaxation and practical strategies that you can use both during and beyond your sessions with me.

There is no ‘off the shelf’ approach. Everyone experiences anxiety differently, which is why your treatment is tailored around you, your individual circumstances and what you want to achieve.

I work with many different forms of anxiety, including generalised anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, social anxiety and anxiety linked to particular situations or events.

My aim is to help you feel calmer, more confident and better equipped to deal with the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that have been holding you back.

If anxiety is affecting your life and you would like to find out whether I can help, please contact me for an initial conversation.

Phobias

A phobia is an intense fear of a particular object, situation or experience. Although you may know logically that the level of fear is out of proportion to the actual danger, the anxiety you feel can still be very real and difficult to control.

Phobias can include fears of flying, confined spaces, driving, dentists, heights, spiders, needles, illness and many other situations or experiences.

If a fear or phobia is restricting what you do or stopping you from enjoying your life, treatment can help you understand and change the thoughts and behaviours that are keeping that fear in place.

You can read more about how I work with phobias on my CBT for Phobias page.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is more than simply feeling shy or nervous in certain situations. It can involve a strong fear of being judged, embarrassed or rejected by other people and may lead you to avoid situations you would otherwise like to take part in.

This might include meeting new people, speaking in front of others, eating out, shopping, attending social events or dealing with people in positions of authority.

If social anxiety is affecting your confidence or limiting what you feel able to do, we can work together on practical ways to reduce that fear and help you feel more comfortable in social situations.

You can find out more on my Social Anxiety page.

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, usually involves persistent worry about a number of different areas of life rather than one particular situation.

You may find it difficult to switch off from worrying, even when you recognise that the level of anxiety is greater than the situation warrants. It can also be accompanied by physical symptoms such as disturbed sleep, fatigue, muscle tension, headaches or feeling constantly on edge.

Treatment focuses on helping you recognise the patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be maintaining the anxiety and developing more helpful ways of responding to them.

Panic Attacks

A panic attack can involve a sudden and overwhelming feeling of fear or anxiety, often accompanied by physical sensations such as a racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness or feeling that something terrible is about to happen.

The experience can be extremely frightening, and it is common to begin worrying about having another attack or avoiding situations where you fear one might happen.

I can help you understand what is happening during a panic attack and work with you on techniques and strategies to reduce the fear and regain confidence.

How I Treat Anxiety

At Behavioural Freedom, I use Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (CBH) to help you understand and change the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that may be contributing to your anxiety.

CBH brings together cognitive behavioural techniques with hypnosis and relaxation. During our sessions, I will help you recognise unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour and teach you practical techniques that you can use to manage anxiety both during treatment and in your everyday life.

CBT is widely used in the treatment of anxiety and focuses on the connection between the way we think, feel and behave. Relaxation techniques can also be helpful in learning how to manage some of the physical symptoms that often accompany anxiety.

By incorporating these approaches into Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, I can tailor our work to you and the particular difficulties you are experiencing.

An important part of my approach is giving you practical skills that you can continue to use long after our sessions have finished. My aim is not simply to help you cope in the short term, but to help you feel more confident in your ability to manage your thoughts, feelings and responses in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Treatment

How do I know if I need help with anxiety?
If anxiety is starting to affect your everyday life, relationships, work or the things you normally enjoy, it may be worth seeking support. You don’t have to wait until anxiety feels overwhelming before asking for help.

What happens during anxiety treatment?
Treatment is tailored to you and the particular difficulties you are experiencing. During our sessions, we will look at the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that may be maintaining your anxiety and work on practical techniques to help you manage them more effectively.

Can Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy help with anxiety?
Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy combines cognitive behavioural techniques with hypnosis and relaxation. I use this approach to help clients understand their anxiety, change unhelpful patterns and develop practical strategies they can continue to use outside our sessions.

Do you offer anxiety treatment online?
Yes. I offer online sessions as well as face-to-face appointments in St Albans and Borehamwood, so you can choose the option that works best for you.

Please contact me today to start the journey back to behavioural freedom.