Therapy for Anxiety in Varsity Lakes

Therapy for Anxiety

By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist

Cartoon of David the Psychologist standing beside a whiteboard with the words Anxiety is the nervous system response to threat real or perceived. David is bald, wearing a colourful paisley shirt and a bead bracelet with one red and one green bead. Subtle text reads David the Psychologist at hennessyclinicalpsychology. — David the Psychologist offers a simple explanation of anxiety as a natural nervous system response.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal human response to stress or perceived threat. When it becomes persistent, overwhelming, or begins to interfere with daily life, it can feel exhausting and isolating. Many people experience extended periods of heightened anxiety and often carry it silently. Research shows that anxiety involves increased activation of the sympathetic nervous system and heightened threat sensitivity within key brain networks ^[10].

Therapy can help you understand your experience of anxiety, develop skills to manage its effects, and gently reduce its impact on your day-to-day functioning.

Signs You Might Benefit From Therapy for Anxiety

Excessive worry or rumination
Restlessness or feeling on edge
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep difficulties
Physical symptoms such as tension, a racing heart, and nausea
Avoidance of certain situations
Ongoing feelings of dread or fear

Whether these experiences are new or long-standing, support is available.

How Therapy Can Help

At Hennessy Clinical Psychology in Varsity Lakes, we offer a supportive space to explore and address anxiety at a pace that suits you. Therapy is tailored to your unique needs and life experiences.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBT. CBT helps identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that contribute to anxiety. It remains one of the most researched and effective treatments across anxiety presentations ^[6].

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT. ACT supports you to respond more flexibly to anxious thoughts and feelings through acceptance, mindfulness, and action based on what matters most to you ^[5][9].

Compassion Focused Therapy CFT. CFT helps soothe the threat system and cultivate a more compassionate internal stance, reducing shame and fear while strengthening emotional safety ^[3][8].

Mindfulness and relaxation strategies. Mindfulness approaches promote present-moment awareness and help regulate the nervous system. Evidence shows consistent reductions in anxiety severity and improvements in emotional balance ^[7][4].

Trauma-informed care, where relevant, particularly when anxiety is connected to past adverse experiences.

What Can Therapy Potentially Do For Me?

Therapy is not about removing anxiety completely. Some level of anxiety is natural and protective. Instead, therapy focuses on reducing its intensity, improving your ability to cope, and supporting you to live with greater confidence, stability, and self-understanding.

Over time, many people describe:

A calmer and more regulated nervous system
Improved sleep and emotional wellbeing
Better concentration and mental clarity
Increased self-compassion and confidence
More meaningful engagement in relationships and valued activities
A clearer understanding of what matters most in their life

Therapy provides support, structure, and a safe place to explore your experiences so you can move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more capable, grounded, and connected.

Therapy in Varsity Lakes

Our practice is located in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast. We offer in-clinic and telehealth sessions. When appropriate, walk and talk sessions are available around beautiful Lake Orr.

Getting Started

Reaching out for support is a positive and courageous step. If anxiety is affecting your life, you do not need to face it alone.

Visit our website to learn more or arrange an appointment.

https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com

Enquiries / Appointments

https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Reference List

Beck, A. T., Emery, G., & Greenberg, R. L. (1985). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders. Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0085729
Barlow, D. H. (2002). Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470479216
Gilbert, P. (2014). The compassion mind. Constable and Robinson. https://doi.org/10.1093/med:psych/9780198525650.003.0012
Goldberg, S. B., Riordan, K. M., Sun, S., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). The empirical status of mindfulness-based interventions. Clinical Psychology Review, 99, 102098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102098
Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1 to 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427 to 440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
Kabat Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. Delacorte. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0090076
Kirby, J. N., Tellegen, C. L., & Steindl, S. R. (2017). A meta-analysis of compassion-focused therapy. Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 1 to 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.09.001
A Tjak, J. G., Davis, M. L., Morina, N., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A., & Emmelkamp, P. M. (2015). A meta-analysis of acceptance and commitment therapy. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 132(5), 356 to 372. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12440
Sylvester, C. M., Corbetta, M., Raichle, M. E., Rodebaugh, T. L., Schlaggar, B. L., Sheline, Y. I., & Petersen, S. E. (2020). Functional network dysfunction in anxiety. Trends in Neurosciences, 43(10), 664 to 679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2020.06.012

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