Working with anxiety in adults.

What it can look like

Anxiety is not a single experience. For some people it is a near-constant background hum, a tightness in the chest or stomach that comes online before the day starts and stays until sleep. For others it arrives in distinct episodes, a sudden surge with no apparent trigger that takes minutes or hours to settle, often misread as a heart problem the first time it happens.

It is also a pattern of doing, not just feeling. The lists in the head. The double-checking. The conversations rehearsed before they happen and replayed after. The avoidance of situations that have been costly before, which protects in the short term and narrows life over time.

Where it tends to overlap with other things

People often arrive describing anxiety and discover, in the work, that several things are happening at once. Sleep that has been broken for years is rarely separate from anxiety. Burnout reads as anxiety from the outside but does not respond to the same supports. Trauma, ADHD, autism, perimenopause, chronic pain, and grief all change how anxiety presents and what helps.

What it costs to keep carrying it

Long-term anxiety is rarely just an internal problem. Over time it shapes work choices, relationships, sleep, the body, and the sense of what is possible. People often describe a slow narrowing: fewer activities, fewer rooms entered, fewer conversations had. Recognising this pattern is often the first part of changing it.

Why it is so common, and why that matters

Anxiety is the most prevalent group of mental health concerns in Australia. That is not a reassurance about severity. Anxiety can be very serious. But it is a reminder that whatever shape it has taken, it is well-described in the research, and there are recognised pathways for getting support.

How we work

Like every session, the first is 50 minutes — and it is mostly listening. We map what you are carrying, when it started or worsened, what you have already tried, and what you want from the work. No pressure to commit to a number of sessions. We work in a way that is individually tailored, drawing on what fits the person and the presentation rather than running everyone through the same protocol. For most people seeing us with anxiety, a GP and a Mental Health Treatment Plan are part of the picture. We write to your GP at the points that matter, with your consent.

The evidence

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent group of mental health concerns in Australia, more common than affective disorders such as depression. Around 17.2 per cent of Australians aged 16 to 85 met criteria for a 12-month anxiety disorder in 2020-2022, and 31.8 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). Current Australian and international clinical guidelines describe psychological therapy and pharmacotherapy as recommended first-line interventions for adult anxiety disorders, often delivered in combination and within a stepped care framework (Gray et al., 2024; Mareya et al., 2024).

Practical info

Standard 50-minute sessions are 240 dollars, with a 20 dollar surcharge for Saturday and weekday sessions from 5pm. The Medicare rebate with a Mental Health Treatment Plan is 98.95 dollars per session, with up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year. We see adults at Kew (Suite 413, 89 High Street), Croydon (88-90 Main Street), and online via telehealth Australia-wide. The first step is the Meet and Greet: 15 minutes, online or in-person, no obligation.