You may be coming to counselling feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure why things feel the way they do. In therapy, this may show up in different ways for different people, and often develops over time through life experiences, stress, or distressing experiences.

 Anxiety may be a result of ongoing Stress or related to trauma . 

Anxiety can feel like being constantly on alert, even when nothing is immediately wrong. Your body and mind can get stuck in this state, making it hard to think clearly, settle, or feel at ease.

Anxiety is a natural fear response to life experiences, but it can become overwhelming and begin to affect every aspect of your life, creating a cycle of negative thoughts and feelings.

These responses can be influenced by past experiences, patterns of behaviour, and/or current stressors, sometimes building gradually until things become difficult to manage.

Many people have heard things like, “just stop worrying,” “calm down,” or “you’re overreacting,” but for someone experiencing anxiety, switching off or calming down can feel near impossible. If it were easy, you’d probably do it already.

That’s because it’s not just emotional, it’s physical. The nervous system becomes overloaded, making it harder to think clearly, make decisions, or feel like yourself.

Working with the nervous system is a key part of my approach. At its core, this means creating a sense of safety in your body so your system can begin to settle and recognise the difference between past experiences and what’s happening now.

This is why we go at your pace — not mine. We work gently with what feels manageable, sitting with and listening to your experience moment by moment.