CBT for Health Anxiety in Cheadle Hulme & Online
Worries about health can take up a lot of space, from noticing changes in your body to seeking reassurance that never quite settles the fear.
I offer individual CBT to help you understand what is happening and explore manageable ways of responding. We agree the work together, with sessions in Cheadle Hulme or online where suitable.
When Health Anxiety Starts to Get in the Way
You may recognise some of these experiences. Not every example will fit, and we will take time to understand what is happening for you:
- You notice a sensation, such as a headache, a lump, a twinge or a change in your heartbeat, and your mind jumps to something serious.
- You check your body often, such as pressing, looking or monitoring your pulse, to see whether something has changed.
- You search symptoms online and feel worse afterwards.
- Reassurance from a doctor or loved one helps for a while, but the doubt soon comes back.
- Some people avoid doctors, tests or health information altogether because it feels too frightening.
- The worry often grows after a health scare, the illness of someone close to you, or a period of stress.
- For children and teenagers, it might look like repeatedly asking whether they're ill, worrying about germs or being sick, or frequent tummy aches or headaches that lead to time off school.
- If you're Autistic or have ADHD, body signals can sometimes feel confusing or hard to interpret, which may make uncertainty about your health feel more unsettling.
Making Sense of Health Anxiety Together
Health anxiety is persistent worry about having, or developing, a serious illness. The worry can feel very real and very urgent, and it is often about genuine sensations. It isn't "all in your head", and having health anxiety doesn't mean you can't also have a physical condition.
For this reason, new, changing or worrying symptoms should always be checked by your GP or another medical professional. Understanding health anxiety sits alongside appropriate medical care, not in place of it.
What can keep health anxiety going is the way worry, attention and behaviour interact. When you're anxious about your health, you're more likely to notice normal bodily sensations and interpret them as signs of danger. Checking, searching online and seeking reassurance can bring relief, but the relief often doesn't last. They can also keep your attention on your body and leave the underlying doubt unresolved.
For example, someone might notice a headache, search online and read about serious causes. They check their symptoms every hour and feel more anxious, which brings more tension and more headaches.
Together, we can understand what you fear, what you notice in your body and what you do in response. We can then explore ways of living with uncertainty that feel safer and more manageable, while still looking after your health sensibly.
Sessions Shaped Around You
Therapy is shaped around you. In our first session, we explore how you think, communicate and learn, what feels comfortable, and what you would like support with. Adjustments are available to everyone, whether or not you have a diagnosis.
We can vary the pace, take breaks, use visual tools or written summaries, and consider sensory needs. Between-session tasks can be broken into realistic steps. If you are Autistic or have ADHD, we also consider how your experiences, attention, energy and environment affect the work, without expecting you to fit one way of doing therapy.
For children and young people, I consider developmental needs from the beginning so that materials and the approach are suitable, and review this as we work together. Parents are an essential part of therapy for younger children, helping reinforce new ways of thinking and regulating; their involvement varies with need.
Location, Fees & Common Questions
Sessions are weekly, last 50 minutes and cost £85. We can meet in person in Cheadle Hulme or online where suitable. Payment is by bank transfer within 24 hours after your session.
In-person sessions are at 11 Station Road, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 5AF. The room is quiet, has low-level lighting and is wheelchair accessible using a lift. Parking is free for up to three hours at the ASDA next door. You are welcome to bring sensory supports.
How long will therapy take?
The length of therapy depends on your needs and goals. We agree an initial plan and review the work together, rather than giving everyone the same number of sessions.
Does working on health anxiety mean ignoring symptoms?
No. Your concerns are taken seriously. We can explore patterns of worry while keeping appropriate medical advice in mind; therapy does not replace medical assessment.
A free 20-minute telephone or video consultation gives you space to share a little of what you are experiencing, ask questions about the process and explore your next steps.
Arrange a Free 20-Minute Consultation