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.

What is anxiety?

Most people experience stress and anxiety at some point in their lives.

Stress is the body’s response to a stressful situation and typically disappears once the situation has resolved.

Unlike stress, anxiety can linger and escalate into a disorder, affecting daily life.

Anxiety is often described as a feeling of dread where there is no actual threat.

Symptoms

Frequent nervousness in the past 6 months.

Problems falling asleep.

Bad dreams or waking up worried.

Body feels tense or uptight, feeling ‘on edge’.

Frequent frustration, irritability or urge to shout.

Causes

A family history of anxiety disorders.

Traumatic events like bullying or domestic violence.

Substance abuse issues (alcohol or drugs).

Physical health problems (lung issues, chronic pain).

Co-occurring mental health issues, like depression.

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

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

contact Me