Health Anxiety Counselling York | York Therapy Clinic

Health Anxiety Counselling in York

Counselling for Health Anxiety in York

While being mindful or conscious about monitoring your health is natural, especially when faced with illness or uncertainty, it can also become detrimental to the way we live and get in the way of experiencing life.

For some people, these worries can become overwhelming, persistent and distressing, leading to a health anxiety that might be focused on worry about developing a specific illness (such as cancer, dementia, or heart attack) or about health in general.

This excessive fear of illness or disease can interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

Here at York Therapy Clinic, our team of specialist psychologists, counsellors and therapists offer dedicated support through providing the best quality health anxiety counselling in York to help you regain control and find relief from constant health-related worries.

What is Health Anxiety?

Health anxiety, often referred to by some people as “hypochondria”, is characterised by excessive concern about having or developing a serious medical condition or illness.

Worries and anxiety about health can lead to problems such as over-checking or scanning the body for problems (such as lumps, pains, or checking you’re breathing properly), frequent visits to doctors, and/or constant reassurance-seeking.

In some cases, individuals may avoid medical checkups altogether due to fear of receiving bad news or fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness even if having been checked by other doctors.

Common signs of health anxiety include:

Constant worry about having or developing a serious illness
Telling yourself that there’s something wrong with you even after being checked out by a doctor
Repeatedly checking or scanning for signs of illness or changes in the body
Seeking frequent reassurance from doctors, loved ones, or online sources
Avoiding medical appointments due to fear of diagnosis
Experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety, such as headaches, dizziness, or stomach discomfort, which reinforce health fears
Difficulty concentrating on anything other than health concerns

Although health anxiety can feel overwhelming, therapy and counselling for health anxiety can help you overcome your difficulties and help you break the cycle of excessive worry to regain peace of mind.

Health Anxiety Therapy York

At York Therapy Clinic, our experienced team of psychologists, counsellors, and therapists use a range of evidence-based therapies to help overcome health anxiety.

Approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help to challenge unhelpful thought patterns, reduce excessive worry and help you calm reassurance-seeking behaviours to eliminate fear and anxiety.

Additionally, techniques from Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) can also help you develop understanding of your anxiety, increase self-compassion and reduce self-criticism, which can all contribute to health anxiety and distress.

Our therapy sessions are available face-to-face at a number of difference clinic locations in York, as well as online via Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp Video, offering flexible options to suit your needs.

Overcoming Health Anxiety

Health anxiety can be exhausting and have huge impact on our health, the way we feel and our day to day life. With the right support, it is possible to break free from constant worry and regain confidence in your well-being and ability to manage your concern in a healthy way.

Our team at York Therapy Clinic are dedicated to helping you overcome health anxiety and develop effective strategies for long-term relief so that you can get back to living life on your terms.

If you or a loved one is struggling with health anxiety, contact our specialist therapists in York today on 07788 129245 or fill in the form below to book an initial appointment.