Health Anxiety Therapy
Health anxiety can feel exhausting, frightening and difficult to switch off. You may find yourself checking symptoms, Googling sensations, seeking reassurance or worrying that something serious has been missed.
At EmotionMatters, we offer calm, evidence-informed therapy to help you understand the anxiety cycle, reduce reassurance-seeking and rebuild a steadier relationship with your body and health.
- Private therapy in London and online
- Support for health anxiety, body checking and reassurance loops
- Senior clinicians offering confidential, evidence-informed care
This page helps with:
- Fear of illness or serious disease
- Reassurance-seeking and repeated checking
- Googling symptoms compulsively
- Panic around body sensations
- Difficulty trusting medical reassurance
When Health Anxiety Starts Taking Over
You may recognise:
- Repeatedly checking symptoms online
- Feeling temporarily reassured, then anxious again
- Monitoring your body for signs something is wrong
- Asking others whether they think you are okay
- Worrying that doctors have missed something
- Avoiding appointments, tests or health information
- Seeking appointments or tests repeatedly to feel certain
- Feeling panicked by normal body sensations
- Struggling to sleep, focus or relax because of health fears
- Feeling embarrassed or frustrated that you cannot “just stop worrying”
Health anxiety is not attention-seeking or weakness. Often, your nervous system has become stuck in a cycle of threat monitoring, fear and reassurance-seeking. Therapy helps you understand that cycle and gradually reduce the hold it has over your life.
How Health Anxiety Therapy Works
Fear Recognised
We identify the health fears, symptoms and situations that trigger anxiety.
Cycle Mapped
We explore checking, Googling, reassurance-seeking and avoidance patterns.
Regulation Built
You develop tools to reduce panic, tension and threat monitoring.
Reassurance Reduced
Therapy supports gradual change in checking and reassurance behaviours.
Confidence Rebuilt
The aim is greater steadiness, self-trust and tolerance of uncertainty.
This pathway is illustrative. Your therapy plan will be personalised after your discovery call and initial assessment.
Book a free 20-minute discovery call
How it works
- A relaxed conversation to explore what has been happening, answer practical questions and help match you with the right therapist or pathway.
- Choose a time that suits you.
- Speak with our client services team.
- Get clarity on next steps.
Doctify reviews reflect HealthMatters Group client feedback across services.
How Therapy Helps With Health Anxiety
At EmotionMatters, therapy is not about dismissing your symptoms or telling you that “it’s all in your head”. We understand that health anxiety can feel frightening, consuming and difficult to reason your way out of.
Therapy helps you understand the interaction between fear, attention, physical sensations and reassurance-seeking, so you can begin responding differently and feel less trapped by anxiety.
- Understand the cycle of health anxiety and reassurance-seeking
- Reduce symptom checking, Googling and repeated reassurance requests
- Build tolerance for uncertainty
- Manage panic and physical anxiety symptoms
- Rebuild confidence in your ability to cope
- Decide whether wider support or medical liaison may be helpful
Why Professionals Choose EmotionMatters
Fees & Cadence
In your initial clinical assessment, you shape your treatment pathway with your therapist around your needs, goals and preferred pace. This can be focused short-term work over 8 sessions, or a more open-ended cadence of support.
We follow clear clinical standards so you know what to expect – from confidentiality and consent, to safe next steps and appropriate signposting.
Safety Note – If you’re feeling at immediate risk of harm or having suicidal thoughts, please seek urgent support via 999/A&E, 111, or your GP.
Content owner: James Lamper, Clinical Director
Clinically reviewed by: Dr Natascha Van Zyl, Director of Talking Therapies
Last reviewed: June 2026
How We Work
- Clinician-led, evidence-informed support tailored to you
- Confidential, respectful care with clear boundaries
- Integrated support where helpful, including therapy, nutrition and medical oversight
- Collaborative care if appropriate – we can liaise with your GP or consultant, with your permission
- Appropriate onward signposting if you need a different type of support or higher level of care
- Privacy and data protection – see our Privacy Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Is health anxiety a real problem?
Yes. Health anxiety can significantly affect your quality of life, sleep, concentration, relationships and emotional wellbeing.
Can therapy help if I already know my fears are excessive?
Yes. Insight alone often does not stop the anxiety cycle. Therapy helps you change the patterns that keep fear active.
Will therapy tell me to ignore symptoms?
No. Therapy is not about ignoring genuine medical concerns. It helps you reduce fear-driven checking and reassurance-seeking.
Why does reassurance only help temporarily?
Reassurance often reduces anxiety briefly, but the fear returns because the underlying uncertainty has not been tolerated or processed.
What if I have had difficult medical experiences?
Difficult medical experiences can contribute to health anxiety. Therapy can help you process these safely and reduce ongoing fear.
Is online therapy suitable for health anxiety?
Yes. Online therapy can be effective, provided you have privacy and the approach is clinically appropriate.
Can you liaise with my GP?
Where clinically appropriate, and only with your permission, we can liaise with your GP or another healthcare professional.
What happens on the discovery call?
We ask what has been happening, answer practical questions and help match you with the right therapist or pathway.