Health anxiety involves an excessive preoccupation with illness or physical symptoms. Individuals may worry about having a serious medical condition despite reassurance or normal test results. This cycle of fear often leads to frequent checking, seeking reassurance, avoiding certain activities, or misinterpreting bodily sensations. Health anxiety can become overwhelming and significantly impact daily life. Counselling provides a safe, structured environment to understand these fears, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and develop healthier responses to uncertainty and physical sensations.
Counselling is a highly effective approach for managing health anxiety. Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), exposure-based techniques, and psychoeducation help individuals challenge unhelpful thought patterns and reduce reassurance-seeking behaviours. At iTT, our counsellors support clients in understanding the roots of their anxiety, managing uncertainty, and building confidence in their ability to cope with normal physical sensations.
A typical counselling treatment plan for health anxiety includes:
Signs include excessive worry about illness, frequent checking, seeking reassurance, misinterpreting symptoms, and avoiding situations that trigger health fears.
Yes. Counselling helps challenge unhelpful thinking patterns, reduce checking behaviours, and build healthier responses to physical sensations and uncertainty.
Many people begin seeing improvements within 6–12 sessions, although long-term support may be helpful depending on severity and personal history.
Not necessarily. If medical causes have already been ruled out, counselling can focus on the psychological aspects of health anxiety.
At iTT, our counsellors provide compassionate, evidence-based support to help you gain confidence, reduce fear, and develop a calmer relationship with your health.
We want to ensure that all of our patients receive the information they need to make an informed decision about their treatment. If you have any questions or if you require assistance with anything, please let us know.
Independent Talking Therapies
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