Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek psychological support. If worry, avoidance, or persistent tension are making it harder to live and work the way you’d like to, working with a psychologist can help you understand what’s driving it and develop more effective ways to respond.
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia via secure telehealth, including people experiencing a range of anxiety presentations.
What Is Anxiety?
Some degree of anxiety is a normal and adaptive human experience. It’s the nervous system’s way of responding to perceived threat or uncertainty. Anxiety becomes a problem when it is persistent, excessive, or disproportionate to the situation, and when it begins to interfere with how you live, work, and relate to others. Anxiety often occurs alongside depression, and the two can be worked on together.
Anxiety can show up in many different ways. Some people experience it as constant worry that’s hard to switch off. Others notice it in specific situations, such as social interactions, health concerns, or certain environments. For others, it comes in the form of sudden intense physical symptoms. Common anxiety presentations include:
- Generalised anxiety: persistent, wide-ranging worry that is difficult to control, often across many areas of life
- Social anxiety: intense discomfort in social situations, often involving concern about being judged, embarrassed, or evaluated by others
- Health anxiety: excessive preoccupation with illness or physical symptoms
- Panic: recurrent panic attacks and fear of future attacks or their consequences
- Specific phobias: intense fear of particular objects, situations, or experiences
- Anxiety related to trauma, life transitions, or other presentations: anxiety that develops alongside or as part of another experience
Common Signs of Anxiety
Anxiety can present very differently from person to person. Common signs include:
- Persistent or intrusive worry that’s difficult to control or switch off
- Physical symptoms such as muscle tension, restlessness, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath
- Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
- Avoiding situations, people, or activities that trigger anxious feelings
- Feeling on edge, irritable, or easily startled
- Overthinking decisions or seeking frequent reassurance
- Physical complaints such as headaches, stomach upset, or fatigue without a clear medical cause
For a closer look at how anxiety can show up day to day, see Signs of Anxiety in Adults.
How Psychology Can Help With Anxiety
Working with a psychologist for anxiety involves developing a clearer understanding of how anxiety works for you specifically, and building more effective ways of responding to it.
This might involve identifying the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain anxiety, developing skills for tolerating uncertainty and discomfort, learning to relate to anxious thoughts differently rather than treating them as facts, and working through underlying experiences that contribute to anxiety responses.
Therapy for anxiety doesn’t aim to eliminate anxious feelings entirely. Anxiety is a normal part of being human. The aim is to reduce the degree to which it limits your life and to give you more workable ways of responding when it arises.
Therapeutic Approaches
Veronica draws on a range of evidence-based approaches when working with anxiety, tailored to each person’s presentation and needs. These may include:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – identifying and working with the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain anxiety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – developing psychological flexibility and learning to relate differently to anxious thoughts and feelings
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – where anxiety is connected to specific past experiences or trauma
- Exposure-based approaches – gradually building tolerance and confidence in situations that have been avoided (typically within a CBT framework)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a diagnosis to see a psychologist for anxiety?
No. Many people seek support for anxiety without a formal diagnosis in place. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP isn’t required to book, but it does make you eligible for Medicare rebates on sessions.
How many sessions will I need?
This varies depending on the nature and severity of your anxiety and what you’re working on. Some people benefit from a focused short-term approach; others prefer to work over a longer period. Your psychologist will be able to talk through an estimated timeframe once they understand your situation.
Is telehealth effective for anxiety treatment?
Yes. Research supports telehealth as an effective format for evidence-based anxiety treatment, including CBT and ACT. For some people, working from a familiar environment can make anxiety-related work more accessible.
Do I need a GP referral to book?
You don’t need a referral to book an appointment. A GP referral (Mental Health Treatment Plan) makes you eligible for Medicare rebates on sessions. You can read more on the Fees and Funding page. For a fuller breakdown of what seeing a psychologist costs across Australia, see how much it costs to see a psychologist.
If you’re considering support for anxiety and would like to learn more about working together, you’re welcome to read more about therapy or get in touch.
If you’re in crisis or need immediate support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or call emergency services on 000.