Anxiety

What is Anxiety?

The anxiety that people experience as part of an anxiety disorder is no different to “normal” anxiety except that it is more intense, frequent, and easily activated, sometimes to the point of overwhelming distress and panic.

The point at which anxiety is considered a disorder is somewhat arbitrary. It really depends on the degree to which anxiety is interfering in a person’s life and/or causing them to suffer.

The main point is that if your anxiety stops you from doing important things that you would like to do, causes you considerable distress, or interferes with your ability to function socially, academically, personally, or at work, then you are suffering more than you need to as a result of your anxiety.

Research over the last few decades has substantially advanced understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders, underpinning effective psychological treatment for anxiety.

Common anxiety-related problems include:

What is the difference between anxiety treatment and general counselling?

As a practice we offer expertise in providing treatment and counselling for anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Although they overlap in many ways, psychological treatment for anxiety disorders is somewhat different to general counselling or therapy. Anxiety disorder treatment involves acquiring specific knowledge, skills and strategies relevant to particular anxiety conditions. While this takes place in the context of an individualised therapy process, anxiety treatment goes beyond general anxiety management skills such as relaxation. It involves learning what causes and maintains your particular anxiety disorder for you, and how to overcome it.

If anxiety gets out of hand, it can interfere with enjoying life and reaching your potential. An anxiety disorder can hold you back at work, stop you doing things you’d like to do, interfere with social and family relationships, and undermine confidence and self-esteem. People often become quite depressed about feeling excessively anxious, which only makes their situation more stressful, isolating, and difficult.

Fortunately, the vast majority of anxiety disorders are treatable. A substantial amount of research in the last few decades has focused on understanding anxiety disorders, which has given anxiety practitioners good knowledge of what underlies various different anxiety conditions, and what helps to overcome them.

Unfortunately, many of the understandable and common-sense things that people do to reduce their anxiety in the short term may exacerbate it in the long term.

Effective treatments and therapies for anxiety and anxiety disorders break this cycle. Treatments help you to understand what really drives your anxiety, to learn more constructive techniques for managing your anxiety in the short term, and develop lasting changes that cultivate more comfortable levels of anxiety in the long run.

Anxiety Therapy and Treatment

Needless to say, anxiety is a normal and inevitable part of human experience. We all know what it feels like to be nervous – even extremely anxious – about events such as a job interview, public speaking, a date, or some other challenging situation.

A certain amount of anxiety can be helpful as it provides energy, excitement, and focus for the task. However, in a significant proportion of people anxiety can become incessant, extreme, and out of proportion to the situation, despite the person’s best efforts to stay calm. When anxiety interferes significantly with a person’s life or wellbeing it is often referred to as an anxiety disorder.

Meet Our Team

Our compassionate psychologists each have over 10 years of experience, providing tailored therapy to your needs and preferences.

Fees and Rebates

We believe quality care should be accessible. Our varying fees offer affordability and accessibility to uncompromised care. Medicare and Private Health Fund rebates may further apply.