Written by Luisa Kos
Table of contents
Understanding anxiety and how it impacts your overall mental health
Anxiety is a natural response to stress, but when it becomes persistent or overwhelming, it can begin to affect your overall mental health. You may feel anxious without a clear reason, or find that everyday situations trigger a heightened sense of unease. Over time, this can develop into one of several mental health conditions that impact how you think, feel, and respond to the world around you.
When anxiety becomes more intense, it can move beyond occasional worry and develop into excessive anxiety or even severe anxiety. This can affect your ability to focus, make decisions, and feel in control. At The Therapist Finder, we understand that anxiety is more than just worry. It is a mental illness that can affect your confidence, relationships, and sense of wellbeing, especially when left unsupported.
Symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety can present in different ways, and your experience may not look the same as someone else’s. While the main symptom is often a persistent sense of worry, anxiety also includes a range of psychological symptoms and physical symptoms that can affect both your mind and body. Common symptoms include:
- Feeling tense or constantly on edge
- A rapid heartbeat or pounding heart
- A churning feeling in your stomach
- Feeling sick or experiencing digestive discomfort
- Trouble concentrating or feeling mentally overwhelmed
- Difficulty with sleeping habits
- Experiencing panic attacks that can last just a few minutes
- Avoiding social situations due to fear or discomfort
- Feeling trapped or unable to relax
- Persistent worry about everyday life or future events
If you recognise these other symptoms, it may indicate that anxiety is beginning to take a stronger hold. With the right support from a mental health provider, you can start to understand what is happening and take steps to reduce anxiety.
How anxiety symptoms can impact day-to-day life
Anxiety can affect your daily life in ways that feel subtle at first, but over time can become more disruptive. You may find it harder to complete routine tasks, manage responsibilities, or feel present in your everyday life. Even simple decisions can begin to feel overwhelming.
It can also affect your relationships. You might withdraw from social situations, struggle to communicate how you feel, or avoid interactions altogether. Conditions such as social phobia can make it difficult to engage with others, leading to isolation and reduced confidence.
In more severe cases, anxiety can worsen over time and can begin to impact your ability to work, maintain routines, or enjoy activities you once valued. Without support, anxiety can begin to shape your choices and limit your freedom, making it harder to feel in control of your life.
How can I benefit from therapy?
Therapy offers you a safe and structured space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours without judgement. Through talking therapies, you can begin to understand what may be contributing to your anxiety and how it is affecting your mental health. This process helps you gain clarity and build awareness around your experiences.
Working with a therapist through The Therapist Finder allows you to develop a personalised treatment plan that supports your needs. Therapy can help you manage overwhelming fear, improve coping strategies, and regain confidence in your ability to navigate life’s challenges. With the right guidance, you can experience anxiety in a more manageable way and start to feel more in control.
Therapeutic approaches for supporting your anxiety disorder
There are a range of effective treatments available for anxiety, and the right approach will depend on your individual needs. At The Therapist Finder, you can connect with professionals who use a variety of evidence-based treatment options to support your mental health.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. It helps you understand how your thoughts influence your feelings and actions, providing practical tools to reduce anxiety and manage triggers.
Psychodynamic Therapy
This approach explores past experiences and unconscious patterns that may contribute to anxiety. It is particularly helpful if your anxiety connects to stressful or traumatic experiences or a traumatic event in your life.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness helps you stay grounded in the present moment. It can support you in managing racing thoughts, improving awareness, and reducing the intensity of anxiety symptoms.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
CFT helps you develop a kinder relationship with yourself. If you struggle with self-criticism or low self-worth, this approach supports emotional resilience and self-acceptance.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between mind and body. It can help address physical conditions linked to anxiety, such as muscle tension, fatigue, and other physical symptoms.
Integrative Approach
Many therapists use an integrative approach, combining different methods to suit your needs. This allows your therapy to adapt as you progress and ensures your support remains personalised.
What to expect in therapy
If you’re new to therapy, it’s natural to feel uncertain about what to expect. Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
- Initial session: This is an opportunity to explore your concerns, challenges, and goals in a safe and confidential space.
- Understanding your patterns: Together, we will identify patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be contributing to your anxiety.
- Developing strategies: You will learn practical tools and coping techniques tailored to your specific needs.
- Building emotional resilience: Over time, therapy will help you develop a healthier relationship with your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
- Sustained progress: The goal is not just symptom relief but lasting personal growth and well-being.
Therapy is a journey, and change takes time. However, even small shifts in mindset and behaviour can lead to significant improvements in your quality of life.
Anxiety can also impact your overall physical health
Anxiety does not only affect your thoughts and emotions. It can also have a direct impact on your physical health. Many people experience symptoms such as a rapid heartbeat, fatigue, or tension that can feel like a physical health problem.
When anxiety continues over time, it can contribute to physical conditions such as headaches, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep. These symptoms can make it harder to maintain your wellbeing and can increase stress levels further.
If left untreated, anxiety may begin to affect your immune system, energy levels, and overall health. At The Therapist Finder, we recognise the importance of addressing both the emotional and physical impact of anxiety to support your recovery.
Most common types of anxiety disorder
Anxiety can take many forms, and understanding the different mental disorders can help you recognise what you may be experiencing.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
GAD involves persistent and excessive worry about a range of everyday situations. You may feel worried most of the time without a clear cause.
Panic disorder
Panic disorder involves recurring panic attacks, often accompanied by intense physical symptoms. These episodes can feel sudden and overwhelming.
Social anxiety disorder
This condition, often referred to as social phobia, involves fear of social situations where you may feel judged or embarrassed. It can lead to avoidance and isolation.
Phobias
Phobias include specific phobias, where you experience strong fear of particular objects or situations. These fears can interfere with daily activities.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia involves fear of being in places where escape may feel difficult. You may avoid environments that feel unsafe or unpredictable.
Separation anxiety disorder
This involves intense fear of being separated from people you feel close to. It can affect both adults and children.
Understanding these conditions can help you identify your experience and explore suitable treatment options with support from The Therapist Finder.
What causes anxiety?
Anxiety can develop for many different reasons, and often a combination of factors plays a role. Some of the more common ways for anxiety to develop include:
- Genetics and family history of mental health conditions
- Stressful or traumatic experiences, including domestic violence or child abuse
- A significant traumatic event or ongoing life stress
- Environmental factors and lifestyle pressures
- Physical conditions or underlying health concerns
- Other mental health conditions such as depression
- Exposure to dangerous situations or prolonged stress
Understanding what may trigger anxiety disorders is an important step towards managing them. With the right support, you can begin to make sense of your experiences and move forward with confidence.
Take the first step with The Therapist Finder
If anxiety is making life feel overwhelming, you don’t have to face it alone. Therapy can help you break free from unhelpful patterns, build emotional strength, and move towards a life with greater peace, clarity, and connection.
Finding the right therapist for you
Not every therapist is the right fit for everyone. Here are some things to consider when choosing a therapist:
- Experience & specialisms: Do they have experience working with anxiety or related concerns such as trauma, depression or burnout?
- Therapeutic style: Do they take a structured, practical approach or a more exploratory, reflective one?
- Comfort & connection: Do you feel safe, understood, and comfortable sharing with them?
- Evidence-based approaches: Do they use scientifically supported methods like CBT, mindfulness, or psychodynamic therapy?
A good therapist will support you without judgment and help you gain insight, confidence, and tools to manage life’s challenges more effectively.
Find a specialist
Finding the right therapist for anxiety is a crucial step towards healing and personal growth. A good therapist should provide a safe, non-judgmental space where you feel understood and supported. Look for someone with experience in treating anxiety, ideally using evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, or Mindfulness-Based techniques. Consider their therapeutic style – whether you prefer a structured, goal-oriented approach or a more open, exploratory process. It’s also important to feel a genuine connection with your therapist, as trust and rapport play a key role in effective therapy. Many therapists offer an initial consultation, which can help you determine if their approach aligns with your needs. The right therapist will not only help you manage symptoms but also empower you to develop healthier coping strategies and create lasting change. Back to The Therapist Finder.
Trish Riley
I help individuals and couples explore difficulties with sex, intimacy and relationships in a safe, respectful and culturally sensitive space. This may include concerns such as low desire, erectile or ejaculation difficulties, painful sex, vaginismus, orgasm difficulties, sex anxiety, attachment patterns, communication problems, anxiety, depression or low confidence. As an integrative psychosexual and relationship therapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches to help you understand what may be affecting your sex life, self-esteem and relationships, and to find a way forward that feels right for you. I offer a free 15-minute introductory call.
Selina Rainford-Clarke
I am an Integrative Therapist with eight years of training and experience supporting a wide range of clients. My work focuses on helping individuals address current difficulties in a supportive and respectful therapeutic space. I have experience working with issues including trauma, sexual abuse, alcohol and substance misuse, depression, anxiety, PTSD, family and relationship difficulties, anger and behavioural struggles, and sexuality or LGBTQ+ related concerns.
Erika Zazzu
MBACP registered, trauma-informed psychotherapist based in York, offering sessions in person and online. She works with adults navigating the aftermath of difficult or traumatic experiences, helping them to understand the patterns that keep them stuck and develop greater freedom and self-compassion. Erika holds particular expertise in self-esteem, people-pleasing, and boundary difficulties, and is a specialist in supporting neurodivergent clients — especially those who are late-diagnosed with ADHD or autism. She also has specialist training in recovery from narcissistic or emotionally unavailable relationships.
Matthew Whitfield
I have worked in voluntary settings and private practice for 9 years. I have particular experience in working with clients who identify as LGBTQ+ or who are exploring their sexuality and/or gender expression. I am a cisgender gay man and use he/him pronouns. I am a UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy) accredited psychotherapist and subscribe to its Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Conduct.
Zoe Silk
NCPS-accredited counsellor based in Broadstone, Dorset. She is a registered and accredited member of the National Counselling Society, whose register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. She offers a peaceful, non-judgemental, confidential therapy space, working collaboratively with clients to find the best way forward for their individual needs.
Dr Daksha Hirani
Offering trauma focused sessions to worldwide clients, I have a passion in helping my clients overcome mental health challenges they are experiencing. I use solution focused approaches, equipping clients with powerful tools that empower them to make value based choices time and time again. My aim is to work towards a marked sense of well-being and increased contentment with greater effectiveness in all aspects of your life. I have a deep knowledge of a range of mental health issues including depression, anxiety, burnout, narcissistic abuse, trauma and a variety of health conditions. Typically, in no more than 6, 50min sessions, clients overcome something which is troubling them. They are surprised and, on occasion, amazed at the changes they have made to their lives over such a short period of time. The sessions may also be longer term to explore deeper issues.
Matt Thomas
Hi, I’m Matt (he/him), a BACP registered Humanistic Therapist. I offer face to face sessions in Brighton and Hove and also work online and via telephone. Experiencing difficult feelings and struggling emotionally at times is a natural part of life. I can support you with this by making problems feel lighter – I will help you explore difficult events and feelings and help you to understand them in a safe, non-judgemental space. I can also help you find practical, tangible solutions to help manage your life that may draw on existing skills and resilience. Issues around race and LGBTQIA+ and your experience of the world are particularly important to me. Similarly, I will help you connect with your identity if you perhaps feel a little lost. I offer an initial online session at no cost to you. After that I charge £50 per 50 minute session.
Katja Hajek
I am a Clinical Psychologist and therapist with many years of experience working both in the NHS and also privately. I have both experience in working with more severe mental health issues such as depression and bipolar disorder, and more recently with day to day problems such as stress, anxiety, relationship problems, low self esteem etc. I have a special interest in couple therapy, especially problems relating to communication. I am a good listener, I can create a safe environment in which we can explore your difficulties, I have a variety of approaches I can choose from to taylor my approach to your problem.
Kelsey Wiemer
Life can leave us feeling disconnected—from ourselves, our bodies, our relationships, and the life we want to be living. Whether you’re experiencing anxiety, low mood, OCD, chronic stress, trauma, or simply feeling stuck, therapy offers a space to slow down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin responding to life in new ways. Rather than focusing solely on symptoms or diagnosis, we’ll explore the patterns that keep you stuck and build the skills that support flexibility, resilience, and lasting change. Together, we’ll develop greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships, and bodily experiences so you can respond with intention instead of running on autopilot. My approach is collaborative, active, and tailored to you. Alongside evidence-based CBT, I integrate mindfulness, compassion, and embodied practices where appropriate, recognising that meaningful change happens through both mind and body. For clients who are interested, I also offer CBT-informed yoga and mindfulness practices as part of our work together.
Valerija But
I have extensive work experience in health/community settings and over 15 years in private practice. Approaches I draw from in my work include, Psychoanalytic, Existential Psychotherapy and Transactional Analysis.
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