Calm, Supportive Anxiety Counselling in Sutton Coldfield & Online
Anxiety is a natural response, but it can become a problem
Anxiety is a natural human response designed to protect us from danger. It’s part of how we stay alert and respond when something feels threatening.
It can become a problem when it feels constant, overwhelming, or out of proportion to the situation.
Over time, anxiety can start to affect your day-to-day life, relationships, and overall well-being, leaving you feeling on edge, drained, or unable to switch off.
How anxiety may show up
- Persistent worry
- Racing thoughts
- Tension in the body
- Restlessness
- Panic
- Difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
Why anxiety can develop
Anxiety can develop for many reasons, and it doesn’t always have one clear cause. It may be linked to what you’ve been through, what you’re managing in the present, or patterns that have built up over time.
Common contributing factors can include
- Past experiences
- Ongoing stress
- Trauma
- Health concerns
- Major life changes
- Learned patterns of thinking that keep the mind in a state of alert
Sometimes there is no single clear cause, which can feel unsettling, but understanding what may be contributing to your anxiety is often the first step towards feeling calmer and in control.
How anxiety counselling can help you
Anxiety counselling offers a safe, confidential space to explore what may be contributing to your anxiety and how it is being maintained. It can help you pause, make sense of what you’re experiencing, and understand why anxiety shows up in the way it does for you.
Together, we’ll begin to identify what triggers your anxiety and what keeps it going, so you feel less caught off guard and more able to respond with confidence.
In counselling, we may explore
- Your triggers, including situations, relationships, or pressures that set anxiety off
- Thought patterns, such as “what if” thinking, catastrophising, or harsh self-criticism
- Bodily responses, including tension, restlessness, racing heart, panic symptoms, or difficulty sleeping
Over time, you can gain
- Practical coping strategies you can use day to day
- Reduced fear-driven behaviours, such as avoidance, checking, or reassurance-seeking
- A greater sense of calm and control, even when anxiety is present
The goal is not to eliminate anxiety entirely. The goal is to help you respond to it in ways that feel healthier, more balanced, and less restrictive — so anxiety has less influence over your choices, confidence, and wellbeing.
General Anxiety
Anxiety can affect many areas of life, from sleep and concentration to relationships and work. You may feel constantly on edge, restless, or stuck in “what if” thinking.
Common experiences
- Sleep and concentration issues
- Feeling on edge or restless
- “What if” thinking and overthinking
- Anxiety impacting work or relationships
How counselling can help
- Understand your anxiety triggers
- Learn calming strategies
- Develop tools to manage anxious thoughts more effectively
The aim is not to eliminate anxiety entirely, but to help you feel more in control and less ruled by fear.
Health Anxiety
Health anxiety can be overwhelming, often leaving you caught in cycles of worry, checking, and reassurance-seeking.
My own cancer diagnosis in my early 40s was unexpected and required significant reflection to understand its ongoing impact.
Common experiences
- Persistent worry about health
- Checking symptoms or seeking reassurance
- Anxiety amplifying physical sensations
- Feeling stuck in cycles of fear
How counselling can help
- Explore the fears beneath the worries
- Reduce fear-driven behaviours
- Develop healthier ways to respond to uncertainty
Helping you feel more at ease in your body and daily life.
Confidence Building
Anxiety often goes hand in hand with low confidence, self-doubt, and fear of getting things wrong. Over time, this can lead to avoidance, people-pleasing, or holding yourself back from opportunities.
Common experiences
- Low confidence and self-doubt
- Fear of mistakes or judgement
- Avoidance or people-pleasing
- Holding back from opportunities
How counselling can help
- Understand how anxious thoughts and past experiences shape self-belief
- Gently challenge unhelpful beliefs
- Develop self-trust and confidence
Helping you feel more secure in decisions, communicate more openly, and approach situations with greater confidence and resilience.
Case Study
When Nicky first came to me for counselling, her anxiety showed itself physically, mentally and emotionally. In her first session, her levels of anxiety were so high that she was struggling to breathe, so we started by focusing on the physical symptoms, exploring breathing exercises and mindful approaches to enable her to feel grounded and safe in the here and now.
Only then, when Nicky felt able to manage the physical impact of her anxiety, did we begin to explore her emotions. We started in the present and then gently, over time, explored her history of experiences, always at her own pace.
Through counselling, Nicky’s understanding of her life and experiences grew over time. She was able to choose how her past influenced her present and learned to love and support the inner child from an early age. Nicky evolved from an anxious person full of self-doubt to a confident woman looking forward to her future and the opportunities it presented.
Counselling FAQS
Where is the counselling held?
I offer counselling online, by telephone and face-to-face. Face-to-face sessions are held at a community hub in Sutton Coldfield. Online counselling is via Zoom or GoogleMeet. I will send you a link that you can access via a laptop or mobile. With telephone counselling, I will call you from a private, secure space.
How much does counselling cost?
How many counselling sessions will I need?
This is something we will discuss as part of our first session, as I offer both short-term (up to 6 weeks) and longer-term therapy. As part of therapy, we will also have regular reviews to ensure you are still getting what you need from our work together.
How do I prepare for a counselling session? Will there be homework?
There is nothing in particular that you need to do to prepare for a counselling session. During our time together, I may suggest resources that you may want to explore in between sessions; that is your choice. Some clients also find it helpful take up journaling to record their thoughts and experiences during the therapeutic process, again, it is up to you.
What if I am late or have to cancel at the last minute?
If you are running up to 15 minutes late for a session, please call me on my mobile (0774 6120590) as we can still have our session in our 50-minute slot, although I will be unable to extend the session due to other client appointments. I require a minimum of 24 hrs notice by phone or email for appointments to not incur a payment (50% of my fee plus room fee where applicable). Should you cancel again with less than 24 hours’ notice, you will incur the full fee, and we will not be able to book additional appointments until this is paid.
What if I am not happy with our sessions?
If you are not happy with my professional practice, please discuss this with me in the first instance so that we can try to resolve the difficulty. If we are unable to do this, and you wish to take those concerns further, you can contact my professional body, the BACP.