What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is more than just worry.
It’s a state of inner tension — often physical — that can make it hard to feel settled, safe, or present.
For some, it’s constant; for others, it arrives in waves.
It is the nervous system’s way of preparing for danger — whether that danger is real, remembered, or imagined.
While anxiety is an appropriate human response, when it is chronic or overwhelming it can disrupt your ability to work, connect, or rest.
How Anxiety Can Feel
Everyone experiences anxiety differently, but common signs include:
Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating
Tight chest, shallow breathing, or heart palpitations
Restlessness or agitation
Digestive issues or nausea
Trouble sleeping
Hypervigilance or fear of something going wrong
You might feel like you can’t switch off — or like something bad is just around the corner. These responses are the body’s way of trying to stay safe.
A Somatic Approach to Anxiety
In our work together, we’ll focus on how anxiety lives in the body. Somatic psychotherapy supports you to:
Recognise early signs of anxiety before it escalates.
Develop internal resources for grounding and safety.
Work gently with the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that accompany anxiety.
Re-pattern the nervous system toward greater calm and connection.
This isn’t about pushing anxiety away.
It’s about building your capacity to be with it — with support, care, and curiosity.
What You Might Notice Over Time
As we work together, many clients begin to experience:
Greater ability to pause and reflect, rather than react
More restful sleep and deeper breath
Feeling more present in relationships
Confidence in navigating stress or overwhelm
A renewed sense of self-trust
The goal isn’t perfection — it’s resilience, flexibility, and greater ease.
Curious About Working Together?
If anxiety has been affecting your relationships, work, or sense of self, you’re not alone.
Book a free 20-minute consultation here to explore whether somatic therapy might be a good fit for you.
You can read more about me here.
The things I got asked most often:
Do I need a diagnosis to begin therapy?
Not at all. Many people experience anxiety without ever receiving a formal diagnosis. What matters is your felt experience.
Will therapy make my anxiety go away?
Therapy doesn’t “fix” anxiety because nothing is broken — but it can help you understand it, integrate it, experience it differently, and reduce its intensity and impact on your life, eventually leading you to a place where you may rarely experience it.
What does a somatic session for anxiety look like?
Somatic therapy purely for anxiety is not really a thing but when it shows up, we will track your nervous system and perhaps be curious about where anxiety shows up in your body. With the support of someone whose system is more regulated in the session, slowly you can build a greater window of tolerance for it.
How long will it take to feel better?
Everyone is different. Some people feel relief after a few sessions; others engage in longer-term work. There’s no pressure — we go at the pace that feels safe and useful.
What if I feel anxious about starting therapy?
That’s completely normal. We’ll move slowly, with care. The free consult which you can arrange here, is a gentle way to start, with no commitment required.