Anxiety counselling with registered psychologists
If you are worrying constantly, overthinking everything you say and do, or feeling permanently on edge, you do not have to keep managing it alone. Brisbane Counselling Centre has provided anxiety counselling from Wickham Terrace in the Brisbane CBD since 1989. Psychologists and counsellors in attendance at our Centre use evidence-based treatments including CBT, ACT and EMDR, and most people notice meaningful improvement within eight to ten sessions.
New clients are often seen within one to two weeks, including Saturday appointments, depending on who you wish to see. Please call to speak with one of our friendly team members to discuss your needs further.
Written and clinically reviewed by Natascha Madden, Registered Psychologist (AHPRA reg. PSY0000953827), Brisbane Counselling Centre. Last reviewed: September 2026
What does anxiety feel like?
Anxiety shows up in the body, in your thinking and in your behaviour, often all at once.
Physically, people describe difficulty sleeping, fatigue that rest does not fix, muscle tension, a racing heart, nausea and digestive problems. Mentally, it looks like trouble concentrating, an inability to think clearly, going blank, and finding tasks you used to manage easily now feel impossible. Emotionally, it can mean feeling overwhelmed, isolated, irritable, or swinging between moods.
The behavioural signs are often the ones other people notice first: avoiding situations, cancelling plans, checking and re-checking, or being unable to relax even when there is nothing to do.
Anxiety is different from stress. Stress is a response to an external pressure and usually eases once that pressure passes. Anxiety persists even when there is no obvious trigger and often centres on anticipating things that have not happened yet. If you think stress is the bigger issue for you, see our page on stress and burnout.
How do I know if I have an anxiety disorder?
Anxiety becomes a diagnosable condition when it persists for months, is difficult to control, and has a real effect on your mood, functioning and quality of life.
You can have an anxious response to something difficult without having a mental health condition. The threshold is about persistence and impact, not how intense a single moment feels.
Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that more than one in six Australians aged 16 to 85 (17.2%, or 3.4 million people) experienced an anxiety disorder within a 12-month period. Women were more affected than men, at 21.1% compared with 13.3%.
If some of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you don’t need to have it all worked out before you get in touch.
A diagnosis isn’t something you can arrive at from a list of symptoms, and it isn’t something you have to sort out on your own. It comes out of a conversation with a qualified practitioner – someone who takes the time to understand your history, what you’re experiencing day to day, and what you’d like to be different.
Recognising yourself in something written on a page is often the first step people take, and it’s a good one. The next step is simply talking it through with a psychologist or counsellor who can help you make sense of it.
If you’re struggling, reach out. We’re here to listen.
What types of anxiety do you treat?
Brisbane Counselling Centre treats the full range of anxiety presentations in adults and adolescents.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
Persistent, excessive worry about everyday things such as health, money, work or family, often without a specific trigger. People with GAD describe overthinking plans, running through worst-case scenarios, decision paralysis, feeling permanently on edge, and being unable to let a worry go. Physical signs commonly include fatigue, muscle tension, poor concentration and disrupted sleep. A diagnosis generally involves this pattern continuing for at least six months and interfering with several areas of life.
Panic disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Intense fear of social or performance situations because of worry about being judged, embarrassed or humiliated. Common flashpoints include job interviews, dates, meetings, and speaking in a group. Being nervous before a presentation is normal. Social anxiety disorder is when that fear is out of proportion, has been present for at least six months, and leads you to avoid situations or endure them with real distress. People with social anxiety usually want connection, which is part of what makes it so isolating.
Phobias
An intense, persistent fear of a specific object or situation that is out of proportion to the actual danger, such as flying, medical procedures, needles, storms, vomiting, or particular animals. The anxiety response is immediate and the usual result is avoidance. Specific phobias are often highly treatable and can respond well within a relatively small number of sessions.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) paired with repetitive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions) carried out to reduce the distress. Common examples include excessive washing or cleaning, repeated checking, counting, repeating phrases mentally, and ordering or rearranging. Acting on the compulsion brings brief relief, then the urge returns. That cycle is what keeps OCD going, and it is also what treatment targets. People with OCD often feel ashamed and misunderstood, and delay seeking help for years as a result.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety that develops after severe physical or emotional trauma, involving intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance and distress triggered by reminders, sometimes months or years after the event. Read more about our trauma, PTSD and complex PTSD services.
Health anxiety
Persistent worry about having or developing a serious illness, often accompanied by repeated body-checking, frequent medical appointments, or excessive online symptom searching. Reassurance helps briefly and then the worry returns. See our page on health anxiety.
What does anxiety treatment involve?
Anxiety counselling gives you a place to work out what is driving the anxiety, and a set of practical skills for managing it.
Sessions at Brisbane Counselling Centre are conversations, learning more about what is happening for you. Your psychologist or counsellor will listen, help you make sense of what is happening, and teach you techniques you can use between appointments. Typical skills include relaxation and breathing techniques, mindfulness practices, and cognitive restructuring, which means learning to identify and challenge the thinking patterns that fuel anxiety.
The approaches most often used are:
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) The strongest evidence base for most anxiety disorders. CBT works on the links between what you think, how you feel and what you do, and gives you tools to interrupt the cycle.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Building the capacity to act on what matters to you even when anxiety is present, rather than waiting for it to disappear first.
EMDR Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is particularly effective where anxiety, panic or phobia is connected to a past distressing experience. EMDR is an area of specialist expertise at our Centre. Read more on our EMDR page.
Exposure therapy Graded, supported practice at facing avoided situations, at a pace you set with your psychologist.
Mindfulness-based therapy and DBT For emotional regulation and distress tolerance, particularly where anxiety comes with intense emotional swings.
Medication is often the first line of treatment offered, and for some people it helps considerably. Therapy does something different. It addresses what sits underneath the worry and leaves you with strategies you can keep using long after treatment ends.
Your psychologist or counsellor will recommend an approach after assessing your situation, rather than applying one model to everyone. You can read more about what a typical session looks like.
How do I book an appointment for anxiety in Brisbane?
Take the following steps to make an appointment:
- Please call (07) 3831 4452 or complete our enquiry form. Our reception team will talk through what you are looking for and suggest a suitable practitioner. You do not need a referral to book.
- See your GP if you want a Medicare rebate. Ask for a Mental Health Treatment Plan. You can book with us before or after that appointment. If you have private health cover, you may be eligible for a rebate through your health insurance. It is best to check with your health insurance provider.
- Attend your first session. Bring your Medicare card and your plan if you have one. Nothing else to prepare.
Brisbane Counselling Centre is at Level 7, 87 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, near the Brisbane CBD, about five minutes’ walk from Central Station. We are open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Online and telephone sessions are available if you cannot attend in person.
Meet our psychologists and counsellors or see our fees and rebate information.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist for anxiety in Brisbane?
How much does it cost to see a psychologist for anxiety in Brisbane?
How many psychology sessions does Medicare cover?
How long is the wait for an appointment?
Can I see a psychologist on a Saturday or outside work hours?
What happens in the first anxiety counselling session?
How many sessions will I need for anxiety?
What is the difference between anxiety and stress?
What type of therapy works best for anxiety?
Can EMDR help with anxiety?
Do you offer online or telephone counselling?
Where are you located and is there parking?
Will what I say stay confidential?
Can I claim on private health insurance instead of Medicare?
Help is available
If you can relate to any of these symptoms or life is challenging right now, we can help and support you at Brisbane Counselling Centre. Talking to a caring professional trained in anxiety will really help to improve the quality of your life. Take the courageous step and reach out for help today.
If you are struggling with anxiety, or are wondering what is happening for yourself, it is important to seek assistance from a mental health professional to address the anxiety you are experiencing. Please call to speak with one of our friendly team members to discuss your needs further. The Brisbane psychologists and counsellors are available to help.
