Health Anxiety Counselling & Therapy in Glasgow
Specialist Support — Anxiety Therapy Glasgow. Break free from health worries
Do you find yourself constantly checking your body for signs of illness, booking repeated GP appointments, or searching symptoms online late at night? Health anxiety (sometimes called hypochondria) can take over your life. Even when medical tests are clear, the fear persists. Triggers for health anxiety can include a family member becoming ill, which can heighten health worries and make you more vigilant about your own symptoms.
You’re not alone. Many people experience health anxiety, but with the right health anxiety counselling in Glasgow and structured therapy you can break the cycle of checking, worrying, and reassurance seeking. Health anxiety is a mental health concern, and addressing your mental health is key to recovery. Working with a specialist Glasgow therapist, you’ll learn to calm health fears and regain peace of mind.
Understanding Health Anxiety
Every sensation can send you spiralling — a headache feels like a tumour, a chest twinge feels like a heart attack. For a person experiencing health anxiety, physical symptoms such as pain or headaches are often misinterpreted as signs of severe illness or serious disease, leading to persistent distress and obsessive worry. You’ve memorised symptom lists, searched endlessly online, and booked countless GP appointments. But reassurance never lasts.
Common health anxiety patterns include:
Constantly checking your body (pulse, lumps, marks, sensations)
Repeated GP visits that only bring short-term relief
Avoiding health news, medical shows, or illness conversations
Lost sleep from late-night symptom Googling
Believing multiple serious conditions are present
Dismissing negative test results and continuing to worry about physical symptoms
Health anxiety can affect not only the person experiencing it but also their family and social life, impacting emotional wellbeing and daily functioning.
Without treatment, the cycle continues. But health anxiety therapy in Glasgow offers practical, proven ways to break free.
Why Choose Therapy for Health Anxiety in Glasgow?
General counselling can provide a place to talk, but health anxiety therapy in Glasgow and specialist anxiety therapy approaches offer focused support designed to tackle the unique patterns of this condition. Talking therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, is a primary method for treating health anxiety and related mental health problems like depression.
With structured therapy, you can:
Break the cycle of reassurance seeking
Reduce obsessive checking and internet searching
Build tolerance for uncertainty about health
Restore trust in your body and medical professionals
Regain balance so health worries no longer control your life
Psychological therapies and psychological therapies services are available through NHS services, and you can access them either by GP referral or self referral. These services offer a range of talking therapies, including CBT, to help with treating health anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
If you are unsure about your options, seek further information from your GP or local psychological therapies services.
When health anxiety takes over
I’m Rebecca, an experienced therapist in Glasgow specialising in anxiety disorders. My approach is practical, compassionate, and tailored to your personal triggers.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Health Anxiety
CBT helps you challenge catastrophic thoughts and reduce compulsive checking behaviours. We’ll work on:
Identifying anxious thought cycles
Building alternative, balanced responses
Practicing real-world strategies for reassurance resistance
Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
For some clients, gradual exposure to feared health situations (e.g., reading health articles without spiralling) helps break the checking and reassurance loop.
Compassion-Focused Therapy
Since health anxiety often comes with self-criticism and shame, compassion-focused therapy helps you develop kindness toward yourself while reducing fear-driven behaviours.
how i can help
Peace with your body is possible without constant checking
imagine if you…
Stop compulsive body checking and symptom monitoring
Resist the urge to Google symptoms
Tolerate normal body sensations without panic
Reduce doctor visits and reassurance-seeking
Exercise without fear of triggering illness
Trust your body's resilience and strength
Separate real health needs from anxiety-driven fears
Enjoy life without constant health preoccupation
Online therapy in Glasgow
You can access health anxiety therapy in Glasgow through secure online sessions , or from anywhere across the UK.
As an experienced Glasgow therapist, I make therapy accessible and flexible to suit your lifestyle. No being locked into weekly sessions when you don’t need it, we make the frequency and focus work with you.
Real Client Story (Anonymised)
“For years I was convinced I had a serious illness. I checked my body every morning, booked repeated GP visits, and spent hours online looking up symptoms. Even when tests were clear, I couldn’t relax. Therapy with Rebecca helped me break the reassurance cycle. I feel calmer, and for the first time in years, I’m living without constant fear.” – Former Client, Glasgow
faqs
Common questions about therapy for health anxiety
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We never dismiss real health concerns Part of treatment involves learning to distinguish between anxiety-driven worry and legitimate health needs. We work alongside your medical care, not instead of it.
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No. We'll help you develop a healthy, appropriate relationship with medical care. This might mean reducing excessive visits, but always in a way that feels safe and manageable for you.
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We use specialized CBT and ACT for health anxiety, focusing on reducing body monitoring, challenging catastrophic interpretations of symptoms, and building tolerance for uncertainty about health.
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Absolutely. While longstanding patterns take time to shift, we see remarkable recoveries even in people who've struggled for decades. The key is addressing both the thoughts and behaviors maintaining the anxiety.
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We start where you are. Initial work might focus on delaying checks by minutes, not stopping entirely. Every small victory builds toward bigger changes. You're never pushed beyond what you can handle.
health anxiety treatment for
Cancer worry/phobia
Heart disease anxiety
Neurological symptom worry
Chronic googling/cyberchondria
Multiple symptom preoccupation
Medical test anxiety
Medication phobias
Contamination fears (illness-focused)
Ready to get started?