Therapy for Anxiety
Specialist psychotherapy for children and young people with generalised anxiety. Available online in the UK, without the wait.
What is Generalised Anxiety?
It is completely normal for children and young people to feel anxious from time to time. Anxiety before an exam, a new school, or a difficult social situation is a natural part of growing up. However, for some young people anxiety becomes persistent, excessive and difficult to control, affecting their ability to function and enjoy everyday life.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, is characterised by constant, wide-ranging worry that is not tied to any one specific situation or trigger. Unlike other forms of anxiety, such as social anxiety or separation anxiety, GAD involves worry about many different areas of life at once, including school, health, family, friendships and the future. The worry feels uncontrollable, and is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, muscle tension and difficulty sleeping.
Signs of Anxiety
Anxiety can present differently depending on the age of the child and their individual personality. Some young people are vocal about their worries, while others internalise them, making anxiety easy to miss. Common signs to look out for include:
Persistent and excessive worrying about a wide range of everyday situations
Seeking frequent reassurance from parents, teachers or other trusted adults
Difficulty sleeping, including trouble falling asleep or frequent night waking
If any of these signs are familiar and are having an impact on your child's daily life, it is worth seeking support. Anxiety is very treatable, and the earlier help is sought the better.
How Anxiety Affects Daily Life
For many young people with anxiety, the impact extends far beyond the moments of worry themselves. Over time, anxiety can begin to shape and limit every area of daily life.
School and Learning
Anxiety is one of the leading causes of school avoidance in children and young people. The pressure of the classroom, social situations and academic performance can feel overwhelming, leading to missed days, difficulty concentrating and underachievement that does not reflect a child's true ability.
Friendships and Social Life
Anxious young people often withdraw from social situations to avoid the discomfort they trigger. Friendships can suffer as a result, and isolation can in turn worsen anxiety, creating a cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to break.
Physical Health
The physical toll of chronic anxiety is significant and often underestimated. Persistent headaches, stomach problems, muscle tension and fatigue are common, and can lead to further missed school and reduced quality of life.
Family Life
Anxiety rarely affects only the young person experiencing it. Parents often find themselves adapting routines, avoiding triggers and providing constant reassurance in an effort to manage their child's distress. While this is a natural response, it can inadvertently reinforce anxious patterns over time.
The Cycle of Avoidance
Perhaps the most important impact of untreated anxiety is avoidance. Each time an anxiety-provoking situation is avoided, the relief felt reinforces the idea that the situation was genuinely dangerous. Over time the world becomes smaller, and the things that feel manageable become fewer.
Getting Help Without a Diagnosis
You do not need a formal diagnosis to seek help. Many families come to us with concerns about their child's anxiety before any assessment has taken place, and that is absolutely fine. If anxiety is affecting your child's daily life, that is reason enough to get in touch.
Hi, I'm Christina
Anxiety is the most common reason young people are referred to CAMHS, and during my 7 years working there I supported a huge number of children and families struggling with it. I understand how exhausting it can be to watch your child held back by worry, and how much of a difference the right support can make.
Hi, I'm Christina
Anxiety is the most common reason young people are referred to CAMHS, and during my 7 years working there I supported a huge number of children and families struggling with it. I understand how exhausting it can be to watch your child held back by worry, and how much of a difference the right support can make.
How We Treat Anxiety
At Sulis Therapies, we treat anxiety using two evidence-based therapies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). CBT is the NICE recommended treatment for anxiety, though EMDR may be recommended depending on your child's individual needs.
Following a comprehensive assessment, and in conjunction with discussion with the young person and/or parent/carer(s), we will recommend the approach that is best suited to your child's individual needs, in some cases this may be a combination of both.
CBT for anxiety helps young people understand the relationship between their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Through structured sessions, they will learn to identify unhelpful patterns of thinking, challenge anxious thoughts, and gradually face the situations they have been avoiding. Over time this reduces the power anxiety has over their daily life and builds lasting confidence and resilience.
Where anxiety is rooted in past experiences or distressing memories, EMDR can be highly effective. Rather than focusing on thoughts and behaviours directly, EMDR helps the brain reprocess difficult experiences so they no longer trigger the same level of fear and worry. This can be particularly helpful where anxiety has developed following a specific event or period of difficulty.
Quick Answers
How do I know if my child needs therapy for anxiety?
Many parents wonder whether their child is simply a worrier or whether their anxiety has reached the point where professional support would help. If anxiety is getting in the way of your child's everyday life, whether that is school, friendships, sleep or simply feeling able to enjoy themselves, it is worth seeking advice. You do not need to wait until things reach a crisis point.
What ages do you treat?
We work with children and young people up to the age of 26.
How many sessions will my child need?
This depends entirely on your child and the nature of their difficulties. The initial sessions focus on understanding what your child is experiencing and putting together a clear plan for therapy. At that stage we will be able to give you a much clearer idea of how many sessions we feel would be beneficial.
How often will my child need to attend sessions?
We recommend sessions at least once a week for the best results, though we can discuss a more intensive programme if that suits your child's needs. We offer flexible appointments including evenings and weekends to fit around your family's schedule.
How much do sessions cost?
CBT sessions last 60 minutes and cost £85. EMDR sessions last 90 minutes and cost £100. A free initial consultation is available so we can discuss your child's needs before committing to a programme of therapy.
If your child is struggling with anxiety, we're here to help. Get in touch today to arrange a free initial consultation and find out how we can support your family.
