Health Anxiety Therapy in Tunbridge Wells
When worry about your health takes over
Most people experience the occasional health worry, a headache that lingers a little too long, an unfamiliar sensation that catches your attention. But for some people, these moments don’t pass. Instead, they spiral into hours of checking, researching, and seeking reassurance, only for the worry to return again shortly after.
Health anxiety is characterised by a persistent preoccupation with having or developing a serious illness. It’s not about being overly cautious with your health. It’s about being trapped in a cycle of worry that feels impossible to break, even when doctors have reassured you that nothing is wrong.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and effective, evidence-based treatment is available.
At a glance
- Affects around 2-5% of the population at some point
- CBT recommended by NICE guidelines
- Typically 8-16 sessions of therapy
- Available online and in-person in Tunbridge Wells
Recognising health anxiety
Health anxiety affects people in different ways, but it typically involves three interconnected patterns:
Body scanning
Constantly monitoring your body for symptoms, noticing every sensation, and interpreting normal physical feelings as signs of serious illness.
Reassurance seeking
Repeatedly visiting doctors, asking loved ones for reassurance, or researching symptoms online, only to feel temporarily relieved before the worry returns.
Avoidance
Avoiding health-related information, medical appointments, or certain activities for fear of discovering something wrong, or avoiding anything that might trigger symptoms.
Common patterns we see
Symptom checking
Repeatedly examining your body for lumps, marks, or changes. Monitoring your heart rate, breathing, or other bodily functions throughout the day.
Reassurance seeking
Frequently asking doctors, partners, or family members whether you are okay. Feeling reassured briefly before the doubt creeps back in.
Googling symptoms
Hours spent researching symptoms online, often late at night. Every search leads to worse possibilities, and the reassurance never lasts.
Medical avoidance
Avoiding GP appointments, health screenings, or medical TV programmes because you fear hearing bad news or triggering new worries.
Anxiety-driven sensations
Physical symptoms caused by the anxiety itself, such as a racing heart, tingling, dizziness, or stomach problems, which then fuel further worry.
Catastrophic thinking
Jumping to worst-case conclusions about any bodily sensation. A headache becomes a brain tumour; a mole becomes skin cancer; fatigue becomes a sign of something sinister.
The health anxiety cycle
Health anxiety keeps going because the things you do to feel better actually make the problem worse. Checking your body draws attention to normal sensations. Googling symptoms always turns up frightening possibilities. Seeking reassurance provides temporary relief, but trains your brain to need it again and again. Understanding this cycle is the first step towards breaking it.
How we help
Our Clinical Psychologists use evidence-based approaches to help you break the cycle of health anxiety and build a different relationship with your body and with uncertainty.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), the NICE-recommended treatment for health anxiety, helps you identify and challenge catastrophic thoughts, reduce checking and reassurance-seeking, and build tolerance for uncertainty.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you develop a new relationship with anxious thoughts, learning to notice them without getting hooked in, and refocusing on what matters to you.
- Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) addresses the self-criticism and shame that often accompany health anxiety, helping you respond to your worries with kindness rather than frustration.
- EMDR can be helpful when health anxiety is linked to a traumatic health experience, such as a serious illness, a frightening medical procedure, or the illness or death of someone close to you.
- Mindfulness-based approaches teach you to observe bodily sensations without immediately interpreting them as dangerous, breaking the automatic link between sensation and panic.
Your psychologist will work with you to understand what drives your particular pattern of health anxiety and choose the approach that fits best.
What to expect from therapy
Free consultation
A 15-minute call to hear about what you're experiencing and answer any questions. We'll match you with the right psychologist for your needs.
Understanding your health anxiety
Together, we'll map out your specific cycle of worry, checking, and reassurance-seeking, so you can see exactly what keeps the anxiety going.
Breaking the cycle
Gradually reducing checking and reassurance-seeking while developing new ways to respond to bodily sensations and uncertain thoughts.
Living with uncertainty
Building a healthier relationship with your body and with not knowing, so that health worries no longer dominate your life.
You can break the cycle
Health anxiety is treatable. With the right support, you can stop the constant checking and worrying, and start trusting your body again.
Get in touchFrequently asked questions
What is health anxiety?
Health anxiety is a condition where you spend excessive time worrying about being or becoming seriously ill, even when medical tests and doctors have reassured you. It involves persistent checking of symptoms, seeking reassurance, and difficulty trusting that you are well.
How is health anxiety treated?
CBT is the most effective treatment for health anxiety and is recommended by NICE guidelines. It helps you understand the cycle of worry, reduce reassurance-seeking and body-checking behaviours, and develop a healthier relationship with uncertainty about your health. Other approaches such as ACT and mindfulness can also help.
How long does health anxiety treatment take?
Most people see significant improvement within 8-16 sessions of CBT for health anxiety. Treatment focuses on breaking the cycle of checking and reassurance-seeking, building tolerance for uncertainty, and developing more balanced ways of responding to physical sensations.
Can health anxiety cause physical symptoms?
Yes. The anxiety itself can produce very real physical sensations including a racing heart, dizziness, tingling, muscle tension, and stomach problems. These symptoms then fuel further worry, creating a vicious cycle. Understanding this connection is a key part of treatment.
Our health anxiety specialists
Our HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologists have experience working with health anxiety and related conditions. We'll match you with the right psychologist for your needs.
Dr Sarah Maynard
Sarah has a particular interest in anxiety related to physical health conditions. She works with health anxiety using ACT, CFT, and EMDR, drawing on 20 years of experience.
Dr Nicola Meynen
Nicola is a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist with over 20 years of experience treating anxiety disorders, including health anxiety. She uses CBT and mindfulness-based approaches.
Dr Brett Hayes
Brett works with anxiety, phobias, and OCD using CBT, ACT, and EMDR. He has experience across NHS and private settings, supporting people with health-related fears and worry cycles.
Dr Abbie Barnes
Abbie takes a flexible, collaborative approach using CBT, ACT, CFT, and EMDR. She has a decade of NHS experience across mental and physical health settings.
Dr Natalia Dylewska
Natalia specialises in trauma, anxiety, and stress-related difficulties using EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and compassion-focused approaches. She has extensive NHS experience.
Dr Maya Kuhl
Maya uses CBT, ACT, and CFT to support people with health-related psychological difficulties. She brings experience from NHS physical health and mental health settings.
