Anxiety | Panic Attacks
Social Anxiety
Anxiety is a very common disorder but to each person it feels completely different and sometimes also feels completely impossible to deal with. We would like to help you work with your anxiety. Â
Anxiety isn't just worry — it can quietly take over your relationships, your work, your sleep, and the way you move through the world. Whether you're dealing with panic attacks, persistent dread, social anxiety, or something more specific, it doesn't have to stay this way. At Hobart Therapy, we work with you to understand what's actually driving your anxiety and build practical strategies that work in real life not just on paper.
We've been doing this work for over 20 years, using approaches that are well-evidenced and genuinely useful such as Psychotherapy, Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), EMDR, and mindfulness-based techniques, depending on what fits your situation. We're based in Sandy Bay and work with people right across Tasmania, face-to-face, online, or by phone — whatever actually suits how you live.
Understanding Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety is actually doing its job: it's your nervous system flagging a threat. The problem isn't that you experience anxiety; it's when the alarm keeps firing long after the danger has passed, or activates for situations that don't genuinely warrant it. That's where anxiety stops being useful and starts running the show.
Anxiety disorders aren't just nerves or overthinking. They're a pattern where fear or dread has become persistent and disproportionate interfering with work, relationships, sleep, or the ability to move through the day without dread. Getting a clear picture of what type of anxiety you're dealing with matters, because it shapes how we approach the work.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Physical Symptoms
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating and trembling
- Muscle tension
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue and sleep problems
Psychological Symptoms
- Excessive worry
- Racing thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Sense of dread or impending doom
- Irritability
- Fear of losing control
Behavioural Symptoms
- Avoidance of situations
- Restlessness
- Difficulty making decisions
- Social withdrawal
- Seeking reassurance
- Safety behaviours
Types of Anxiety Disorders we Treat
Anxiety isn't one thing. At Hobart Therapy, we work with the full range of anxiety presentations — and the approach shifts depending on what you're actually dealing with:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
A persistent background hum of worry that attaches itself to almost everything — health, money, work, relationships. If you're someone who's always waiting for the next thing to go wrong, this might be familiar.
Panic Disorder
Sudden, intense episodes of fear that hit fast and hard — racing heart, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, a sense that something terrible is happening. Even after the attack passes, the fear of the next one can quietly take over your life.
Social Anxiety Disorder
More than shyness. This is an intense dread of being observed, judged, or embarrassed in social situations — and the lengths people go to in order to avoid that feeling can significantly shrink their world.
Specific Phobias
A strong, disproportionate fear of something specific — heights, flying, needles, animals — that drives avoidance even when you know, rationally, that the fear doesn't quite add up.
Health Anxiety
Persistent worry about being seriously ill, or becoming ill — often involving a lot of checking, Googling, and seeking reassurance from doctors, with little relief even when tests come back clear.
Agoraphobia
Often misunderstood as a fear of open spaces. In reality, it's usually about fearing situations where you'd struggle to escape or get help if something went wrong — which can eventually make leaving home feel impossible.
Evidence-Based Anxiety Treatment Approaches
The approaches I use are well-evidenced and practically focused. What I use with you depends on what's actually going on:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is probably the most well-researched treatment for anxiety. It works by helping you understand the thinking patterns and behaviours that keep anxiety going — and giving you concrete tools to change them.
Exposure Therapy
Avoidance is what keeps anxiety alive. Exposure therapy works by gradually and carefully facing what you've been avoiding, in a way that's manageable and builds real confidence over time.
EMDR Therapy
EMDR is particularly useful when anxiety is tied to past experiences your brain hasn't fully processed. It works at a level that talking alone often can't reach.
Mindfulness Techniques
Not about emptying your mind. Mindfulness helps you notice anxiety without being consumed by it — developing a different relationship with worry and with physical symptoms.
Emotion Focused Approaches
EFT gets underneath the anxiety to explore what's being felt but not fully expressed. Often anxiety is covering something else — and working with that directly can shift things that cognitive approaches alone don't touch.
DBT Skills
DBT offers practical, structured tools for managing intense anxiety in the moment — distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and grounding techniques that are useful regardless of what else you're working on.
Integrated Treatment Approach
No two people's anxiety looks exactly the same, so no single approach fits everyone. we draw on multiple methods depending on your specific situation, history, and what you actually respond to. The goal is something that works in your life — not just in the session.
Building Your Anxiety Management Toolkit
Therapy isn't just about what happens in the room. A big part of the work is building skills you can actually use when anxiety shows up in daily life:
- Understanding why you're anxious: Getting clear on what your anxiety is really about — what triggers it, what it's trying to protect you from, and what keeps it going
- Challenging anxious thoughts: Learning to notice and question the thinking patterns that fuel anxiety — not just "think positively", but actually examine the evidence
- Breathing techniques: Slowing down the nervous system through controlled breathing — simple, but genuinely effective when you know how to use it
- Progressive muscle relaxation: Working with the body to release the physical tension that builds up with chronic anxiety
- Grounding techniques: Tools for staying present when anxiety spikes — useful for panic, dissociation, and the feeling of being overwhelmed
- Gradual re-engagement: Carefully and deliberately moving back into situations you've been avoiding — the opposite of what anxiety tells you to do
- Sleep: Poor sleep and anxiety feed each other. Addressing sleep is often an underrated part of treatment
- Lifestyle factors: Exercise, nutrition, and how you manage stress all have a real impact on anxiety — these aren't just afterthoughts
What to Expect in Anxiety Treatment
Initial Assessment
The first session is about getting a proper picture of what's going on — your symptoms, your history, what's been happening in your life, and what you're hoping to get out of treatment. By the end, we'll have a clearer sense of what we're working with and where to start. You can read more about what to expect in your first session.
Treatment Progress
Sessions are structured but not rigid. We'll build understanding, develop skills, and focus on what's actually relevant to what you're going through. The work between sessions matters too — that's where change tends to happen.
Timeline for Improvement
Most people start noticing real shifts within 8–12 sessions, though that varies depending on how long anxiety has been around and how much it's entangled with other things. The aim isn't a quick fix — it's building something durable that lasts.
Anxiety commonly sits alongside depression and trauma. At Hobart Therapy, that complexity is something we're used to working with — not something that gets set aside.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Treatment
Can anxiety be cured?
Probably not in the way people hope when they ask that question. But "cured" is the wrong frame. Most people who do the work get to a point where anxiety no longer runs their life and where they have the understanding and the tools to manage it when it shows up. That's a meaningful change.
Do I need medication for anxiety?
Not necessarily. Plenty of people make real progress through therapy alone. Others find that medication helps, particularly in the early stages or with more severe symptoms. That's a conversation for your GP or psychiatrist — but therapy builds capacity that stays with you regardless of whether medication is part of the picture.
How long does anxiety treatment take?
It depends. Anxiety that's been around for years and is entangled with other things takes longer than something more recent and contained. As a rough guide, many people notice genuine improvement within 8–16 sessions. We'll review where things are at as we go and adjust accordingly.
Will I have to face my fears in therapy?
Quite possibly, yes — but not in a way that feels like being thrown in the deep end. Avoidance is what keeps anxiety going. Facing things carefully and with support is how that changes.
What if I have a panic attack during therapy?
It's not common, but it can happen — and if it does, it's actually useful. Working through a panic attack with someone who understands what's happening and can stay calm with you is one of the better ways to learn that panic isn't as dangerous as it feels.
Can you help with work-related anxiety?
Yes. Work stress and anxiety are some of the most common things I see. I offer individual sessions and Employee Assistance Program services for workplace anxiety — helping you build strategies for managing pressure and showing up to work with more confidence.
Ready to Do Something About It?
Anxiety is treatable. Most people who commit to the work get significant relief — and a different relationship with anxiety even when it does show up. Get in touch with Hobart Therapy to work out where to start.
Get In TouchHobart Therapy provides professional anxiety treatment throughout Tasmania. For information about costs and Medicare rebates, visit our fees page.
Contact Hobart Therapy at 0449 734 441.