Counselling For Anxiety

In the UK, over 8 million people are experiencing anxiety at any one time.

Anxiety can stem from a variety of factors, often working in combination. Sometimes, it’s triggered by stressful life events such as relationship issues, trauma, work pressure, financial difficulties, or health concerns. Certain personality traits, like being highly self-critical or having low self-esteem, can also contribute to anxiety. Read on to learn about the symptoms, causes, how counselling can help, how to determine if you have anxiety (questionnaire) and self-help ideas.

How can counselling help with anxiety?

Dealing with anxiety is a personal journey, and what works for one person may not work for another. Alongside CBT and other forms of therapy, counselling can also be useful in coping with anxiety.

As a person-centered counsellor, my aim is to provide you with a safe and supportive environment where you can freely explore your feelings and experiences with anxiety. I’ll listen without judgment, helping you understand the root causes of your anxiety and how it affects your life. By working together to understand your emotions, we can help you build resilience, boost your self-esteem, and regain control over your life.

How do I know if I have anxiety?

The questionnaire below is a self-assessment tool called the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). It is used by GPs and mental health professionals to screen for and assess the severity of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Although not an official diagnosis, it is useful in working out where you score on what is called the ‘Anxiety Severity Scale’. The results can serve as a basis for discussion with your GP or a mental health professional, such as myself.

How to use the questionnaire
The questionnaire below has seven questions based on typical anxiety symptoms. Answer each question by selecting the answer that best describes how often you’ve been bothered by each symptom in the last two weeks. Click the ‘calculate’ button at the bottom of the questionnaire to get your score..

ANXIETY QUESTIONNAIRE

Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
1. Feeling nervous, anxious or on edge? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
2. Not being able to stop or control worrying? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
3. Worrying too much about different things? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
4. Trouble relaxing? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
5. Being so restless that it is hard to sit still? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
6. Feeling bad about yourself – or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
7. Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen? Not at all
Several days
Over half the days
Nearly every day
Please click on the "Calculate" button below to get your score: 
SCORE:
/21


SCORESEVERITY
0 – 4Minimal anxiety
5 – 9Mild anxiety
10 – 14Moderate anxiety
15 – 21Severe anxiety

Your score and next steps

Remember, this is not an official diagnosis, use the results as an indicator to the possibility of anxiety and as guidance on your next steps. Typically, an initial chat with your GP is the first port of call to discuss an official diagnosis and then options such as counselling.

Is there anything I can do to help myself?

Yes, the World Health Organisation suggests the following to manage the symptoms of depression and promote overall well-being:

Avoid or cut down on alcohol and don’t use illicit drugs, which can make anxiety worse
Exercise regularly, even if it’s just a short walk
Stick to regular eating and sleeping habits as much as possible and eat a healthy diet
Learn relaxation techniques, such as slow breathing and progressive muscle relaxation
Develop the habit of mindfulness meditation, even if it’s just a few minutes per day

Counselling stories

My client work, as you can imagine, is very private and confidential. However, I have created a few fictitious examples of person-centred counselling scenarios, some of them below, so you can get a flavour of how it might help you. They’re in PDF format and don’t worry, they’re quite short!

Karl – anxiety and adjusting to civvy street
Christine – her first session and coping with depression

Why Get In Touch?

BACP registered and qualified counsellor
Safe, non-judgemental and confidential
No pressure, go at your own pace!
Fully insured and enhanced DBS checked
Trauma-Informed and non-pathologising
Neurodiversity aware e.g Autism/ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia
UK-wide online counselling
Face to face counselling within a 5 mile radius of Albaston e.g. Gunnislake, Calstock, Harrowbarrow, St. Ann’s Chapel, Metherell, Callington, Stoke Climsland, Bere Alston