Anxiety Counselling
Practical, evidence-based treatment for worry, panic, social anxiety and avoidance.
Anxiety is one of the most treatable presentations in psychology, and one of the most exhausting to live with. It narrows a life quietly — an invitation declined this month, a promotion never applied for, and eventually a life arranged entirely around what feels manageable.
Treatment focuses on understanding what keeps the anxiety going, then changing it. That means learning to work with physical arousal, testing the predictions your mind makes, and gradually stepping back into what you've been avoiding — at a pace you set.
We treat generalised anxiety, panic, social anxiety, health anxiety and performance anxiety in adolescents and adults.
What to expect
Early sessions map the cycle keeping the anxiety in place. From there you learn to work with physical arousal rather than suppress it. Graded exposure starts once you have the skills to handle it, at a pace you set, never sprung on you.
How many sessions will I need?
We agree the likely number of sessions with you at the first appointment, once we understand what's happening. A Mental Health Care Plan funds up to ten individual sessions per calendar year, and an initial referral commonly covers six before your GP reviews it. We set a review point rather than committing you to an open-ended course.
Evidence base
Source: nice.org.uk
Cognitive behavioural therapy and exposure-based treatment are first-line recommendations for anxiety disorders in the UK NICE guidelines and in the Australian Psychological Society's review of evidence-based psychological interventions.
How we work with this
The shape of treatment, step by step — adjusted to what you bring and the pace you set.
Understand the cycle
We map the thoughts, sensations and safety behaviours that keep anxiety in place so it stops feeling random.
Build tolerance, not control
Skills from CBT and ACT for staying steady with uncomfortable sensations instead of fighting them.
Graded exposure
A step-by-step return to the situations you've been avoiding, planned with you and never sprung on you.
Questions about Anxiety Counselling
How many sessions will anxiety treatment take?
That is agreed with you at the first appointment rather than estimated beforehand. A Mental Health Care Plan funds up to ten individual sessions per calendar year, which covers a full course of treatment for many people.
Will I have to do exposure?
Graded exposure is the most effective component for panic, social and specific anxiety, so it forms part of treatment. You set the steps and the pace, and nothing happens without your agreement beforehand.
Can therapy help if I am already on medication?
Yes. Psychological treatment and medication work through different mechanisms and are frequently combined. We coordinate with your GP or psychiatrist where you want us to.
Is anxiety treatment available by telehealth?
Yes, including exposure work, which adapts well to video sessions. Medicare rebates apply identically to telehealth and in-person appointments.
Related services
Depression Counselling
Support for low mood, exhaustion and the loss of interest in things that used to matter.
Trauma Counselling
Careful, paced treatment for single-incident and complex trauma, including PTSD.
EMDR Treatment
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing — a structured therapy for distressing memories.
Book with Peter
Sessions run 50 minutes, in our Melbourne CBD rooms or by secure video. No referral needed to begin.