CBT for health anxiety and other disorders has a proven track record of success. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is usually provided weekly or twice-weekly and lasts for 10 to 20 weeks. More intensive/frequent outpatient care, for example 10 to 20 hours in a week, may also be provided for some conditions depending on therapist availability. All treatments can be done alongside medication.

Once the main treatment is completed, clients are usually offered two to three booster sessions over the following three months to maintain therapeutic gains. Professor Veale can assess for medication and other non-pharmacological therapies that are evidence based including wake and light therapy, exercise, dietary interventions or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

How CBT Works for Health Anxiety

CBT for health anxiety specifically focuses on breaking the cycle of worry about health and bodily sensations. People with health anxiety often misinterpret normal bodily functions or minor symptoms as signs of serious illness. This leads to excessive checking (such as body scans, frequent doctor visits, and online symptom searching) and seeking reassurance from others, which paradoxically maintains and intensifies anxiety.

The therapy aims to help individuals recognize these patterns and understand how their responses, such as checking or reassurance-seeking, reinforce their fears and keep their anxiety alive. By addressing these behaviors, CBT empowers the person to make meaningful changes that reduce their distress and improve their quality of life.

The CBT Process for Health Anxiety

The first step in CBT is to understand the processes that maintain health anxiety. For instance, individuals may struggle with a need for certainty about their health, leading to compulsive behaviors like checking their body for signs of illness or repeatedly seeking medical opinions. These behaviors temporarily relieve anxiety but ultimately reinforce it by creating an ongoing cycle of worry and doubt.

Next, CBT focuses on testing out whether this need for certainty is worsening the problem. A person with health anxiety will be encouraged to experiment with reducing their checking behaviors, tolerating uncertainty, and observing what happens to their anxiety over time. This may include delaying or resisting the urge to seek reassurance and noticing the natural reduction in anxiety that can follow.

 

Techniques Used in CBT for Health Anxiety

CBT for health anxiety may integrate various therapeutic approaches to strengthen its effectiveness, such as:

    • Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT): Helps individuals develop a kinder, more understanding attitude toward themselves when they experience anxiety or health-related worries.
    • Imagery Rescripting: Allows individuals to reframe distressing health-related thoughts or memories in a way that reduces their impact.
    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Although typically used for trauma, EMDR can help with processing and reducing distress from past health scares or medical traumas.

The Importance of Practice and Patience

As with any learning process, CBT requires time, courage, and consistent practice. The therapist acts as a guide and supporter, but much like seeing a physiotherapist for physical recovery, individuals must actively engage in the therapeutic exercises. This involves testing predictions about their health

concerns, resisting checking behaviors, and practicing tolerance for uncertainty. Over time, these practices help reduce the intensity of health anxiety and allow the individual to regain control over their thoughts and behaviors, ultimately leading to a better quality of life.

Costs

The cost for a therapy session varies between £100 – £140 and depends on the level of experience of the therapist.

Insurance

We only accept self-funding patients. However, some insurance companies will allow you to claim for your appointments and will reimburse you once you have paid us. Please check with your insurance company if your policy allows this.

Young people

Some of our therapists see young people under the age of 18 for conditions like OCD and BDD. The minimum age treated is in each biography.

Progress

We encourage clients to complete a questionnaire regularly so that progress can be monitored in an easily understandable way and to determine our recovery rates.

We also ask you to complete a Satisfaction Survey at the end of each treatment.

Referral

You can be referred by your GP or consultant direct to a therapist or you can refer yourself to the centre. In this case, one of our senior clinicians will first see you for an assessment.

Terms

You will be provided with the terms and conditions of treatment once you have registered and before each appointment.

Where we operate

We operate remotely by videoconference or in person in North London, at:

45b Stanford Road
Friern Barnet
London N11 3HY

You can phone us, email us and see a map here.

The nearest tube station is Arnos Grove (Piccadilly Line).

The nearest train station is New Southgate.

There is usually ample car parking, without parking restrictions, to be found on Stanford Road.

There is a bus stop near the top of Stanford Rd on Friern Barnet Road towards Bounds Green or Brunswick Park (nos 221, 382).

When we operate

Weekdays from 8am to 8pm, depending on the therapist.