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Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety therapy can help you to understand the root cause of your anxiety difficulties and process them to help with current symptoms. We use an integrative and holistic approach to help people with anxiety.

We all have anxious feelings from time to time from our experiense of life. If you are feeling anxious, fearful, tense and worried most of the time when there is no obvious present trigger, it could mean that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder.

According to the Mental Health UK 1 in 10 people will be experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time. That is an average of 8 million persons in the UK population. Less than 50% of people experiencing a general anxiety disorder access treatment.

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What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is what we might feel when we experience the fear emotion. It might be a feeling of impending doom, feeling worried, tense or panicky. It is caused by symapthetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system. This is more commonly known as fight or flight - stress response. When this response is triggered under genuinely stressful circumstances it is normal. It is designed to protect us and is a normal part of functioning. Perhaps you can recall being a small child having to take your first exam and feeling anxious?

When Does Anxiety Become A Mental Health Problem?

Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when anxiety symptoms are experienced:

  • even when there is no specific current threat
  • when anxiety symptoms are particularly strong and last for long periods of time.
  • when symptoms experienced are out of proportion with the current situation
  • when you experience symptoms regularly and have panic attacks
  • when your everyday functioning is not possible and you use avoidance to manage symptoms.
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Anxiety symptoms

Anxiety symptoms might manifest physically and or mentally. Physical symptoms might include: panic attacks, sleep difficulties, hyperarousal, hypervigilance, irritability, fatigue, headaches, nail biting, or a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach. Psychological symptoms might include intrusive thoughts, avoidance of triggering situations, obsessive thinking or worrying for a lot of the time.

What Causes An Anxiety Disorder & Who Is At Risk?

Anxiety disorders can be caused by a wide variety of influences. Examples might include: trauma, abuse, bullying, addiction, attachment difficulties, stressful life circumstances for exampe a long term health condition, societal stresses, for example inability to pay bills, change in circumstances or a life triggering event: for example a big T trauma.  Younger people are at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety than older people and women are more likely to experience anxiety than men.

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Psychotherapist

Matthew Alderton - MA, BSC, Dip, Dip Psych. I trained at The Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education in London. I am also an EMDR practitioner.

EMDR is the leading evidence based treatment for PTSD. Anxiety is closely related to trauma symtoms making EMDR an important tool to help with anxiety. I also use psychotherapy and body psychotherapy to help with anxiety and anxiety related difficulties.

I am approachable and down to earth helping you to feel safe and relaxed in talking through your anxiety related symptoms.

Anxiety Therapy Approaches

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy helps you to gain insight and understanding into your anxiety difficulty and process it in a safe space. Psychotherapy will empower you to take the relevant steps to help yourself and feel like the real you.

Behavioural Therapy

Behavioural therapy can help you to address the way your thinking is affecting your anxiety levels. When we get our thinking function working for us as opposed to against us anxiety becomes more manageable.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing therapy can help you to get to the root cause of an anxiety difficulty. It can help you to reprocess these difficulties making current symptoms more manageable as well as helping to reduce them.

Body Psychotherapy

Anxiety is as much somatic as it is mental. Addressing anxiety with a body based approach (Body Psychotherapy) is important to help with symptoms and transform anxiety. We might use techniques like trauma release, polyvagal theory, mindfulness, EFT and breathwork.

Anxiety Therapy Benefits

Present

If you are suffering from anxiety symptoms you are probably not spending much time in the present moment. A somatic approach can help restore balance and get you to live back in the present.

Connect

When we are worrying less we are able to connect with ourselves. When we connect with ourselves we worry less.

Symptom cessation

Anxiety therapy can help you to manage anxiety symptoms as well as reduce them. Feeling stressed or anxious is addictive but so is feeling, relaxed, happy and calm.

Happiness

As you move back into the present you will be able to get on with your life and bring happiness back into it.

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Our Client's Experience Of Anxiety Therapy

PF - Watford

" I feel less anxious and more relaxed in relation to my health and working life"

AF - Potters Bar

"I no longer feel like i have an underlying sense of dread when going about my daily life"

JTG - St Albans

"I now understand where my anxiety comes from and am no longer triggered by similar circumstances"

MC

"When I started anxiety therapy i felt anxious and depressed. I now feel whole and grounded and ready tackle the challenges I have in life"

Anxiety Therapy FAQ's

What happens in an anxiety therapy session?

An anxiety therapy session involves you talking through your difficulties relating to anxiety. We work in a collaborative way on the root cause of anxiety. You might process these difficulties with psychotherapy or a more specific approach like EMDR.

How long does anxiety therapy last?

The length of anxiety depends on the anxiety cause. If it is something related to attachment , complex trauma or you have related difficulties, therapy is likely to last for longer than if you have only recently started to suffer from anxiety symptoms.

How can I get the most out of anxiety therapy?

It is importan to attend regular therapy sessions and keep an open mind in relation to therapy. It is also important to  implement anxiety management strategies regularly ro help with long lasting change.

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Anxiety Therapy London

Come and see me in picturesque Little Venice Paddington London for anxiety therapy.

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Anxiety Therapy Hertfordshire

Come and see me in leafy green Hertfordshire for anxiety therapy.

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Anxiety Therapy Online

See our online therapy and what it entails guide.

View Our Online Therapy For Anxiety Guide PDF

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Contact Form

The best way of reaching me is via my contact form at the below link. I look forward to receiving your enquiry.