NCPS-ACCREDITED · INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
Anxiety Therapy in Kent
Confidential, evidence-based support for anxiety from occasional worry to a diagnosed anxiety disorder tailored to what’s actually going on for you.
- 6 in 100 people experience GAD in any given week in the UK
- ~34% of UK adults report high anxiety at some point
What Is Anxiety? Symptoms, Causes & Types
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress or perceived danger, a feeling of worry, fear, or unease, often accompanied by physical symptoms. Everyone experiences anxiety at times, particularly around big life changes or stressful events. It becomes a mental health concern when it’s excessive, persistent, and starts interfering with daily life, at which point it may be described as an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health difficulties in the UK-NHS data suggests around 6 in 100 people experience Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in any given week, and broader surveys suggest up to a third of UK adults report high levels of anxiety at some point.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety shows up both physically and psychologically, and often the physical symptoms are what people notice first:
Physical Symptoms
- Racing heart
- Muscle tension
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or dizziness
- Disrupted sleep
Psychological Symptoms
- Persistent worry
- Racing thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- A sense of dread
These symptoms can appear even when there’s no immediate danger, and can build gradually or arrive suddenly, as in a panic attack.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Persistent, excessive worry not tied to one specific cause.
Social Anxiety
Intense fear of social situations and judgement from others.
Health Anxiety
Persistent worry about having or developing a serious illness.
Panic Disorder
Recurring, sudden episodes of intense fear (panic attacks).
Specific Phobias
Overwhelming fear of a particular object, situation, or activity.
Separation Anxiety
Intense distress about being apart from someone you’re closely attached to.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety typically develops from a combination of factors rather than a single cause: genetics and family history, brain chemistry, personality traits, and life experiences including ongoing stress, major life transitions, or past trauma. For many people, it’s less about identifying one root cause and more about understanding the pattern well enough to change it.
The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends evidence-based talking therapies for anxiety, with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as its strongest recommendation, though NICE and organisations like Anxiety UK also recognise that different people respond to different approaches.
OUR APPROACH
Our Approach to Anxiety Therapy
Everyone’s anxiety has a different shape and a different root, so a fixed programme rarely fits everyone equally well. My approach is integrative, drawing on:
1
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Identifying and shifting the thought patterns that feed anxiety.
2
Person-Centred Therapy
A supportive, non-judgemental space to explore what's underneath the worry.
3
Psychodynamic Therapy
Where anxiety connects to earlier experiences or longstanding patterns.
4
Attachment Theory
Understanding how early relationships can shape anxious patterns in adulthood.
NHS vs. private therapy: NHS Talking Therapies offer free, NICE-recommended treatment for anxiety and are worth knowing about but often carry waiting lists. Private therapy offers faster access and more flexibility over format, frequency, and approach, without needing a referral or diagnosis first.
MEET YOUR THERAPIST
Nariman Al-Aloosi
Nariman is an NCPS-accredited psychotherapist based in Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, with over 12 years of experience supporting clients through anxiety and a wide range of other difficulties. Her approach is integrative, Person-Centred, CBT, Psychodynamic, and Attachment-based adapted to what actually helps, not a fixed programme. Nariman also brings direct clinical experience from an NHS sexual health clinic and hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, accredited by Middlesex University.
Nariman works with clients of all backgrounds. Everything discussed in session is entirely confidential.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Is Anxiety Therapy Right for You?
- Persistent worry that's hard to switch off, even when things are objectively fine
- Physical symptoms: racing heart, tension, disrupted sleep with no clear medical cause
- Social situations that trigger disproportionate fear or avoidance
- Health-related worry that's difficult to reassure away
- Panic attacks, or a fear of having one
- Anxiety that's connected to a relationship, a past experience, or a major life transition
Where anxiety is closely tied to a specific relationship dynamic, Couple Therapy may be worth considering alongside or instead of individual work. Where it traces back to a difficult past experience, Trauma Therapy may be the more direct fit.
WHERE I PRACTISE IN KENT
In-Person in Kings Hill, or Online Across Kent
Anxiety therapy is delivered within Individual Therapy sessions. In-person sessions are available at the Kings Hill, West Malling practice, with online sessions available across Kent.
MORE SUPPORT
Anxiety Therapy Often Connects To
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common Questions About Anxiety Therapy
Occasional anxiety in response to stress is normal. It becomes an anxiety disorder when it’s excessive, persistent, and starts interfering with daily life, relationships, or wellbeing over time.
CBT is the most researched and NICE-recommended approach for many anxiety disorders. That said, an integrative approach — combining CBT with person-centred or psychodynamic work — can be more effective for anxiety connected to deeper or longer-standing patterns.
Both are valid options. NHS Talking Therapies are free and evidence-based but often have waiting lists. Private therapy offers faster access, more flexibility, and no need for a referral or diagnosis.
No — you can book directly for private therapy, with no referral or formal diagnosis required.
This varies significantly by person and the type of anxiety involved. Some people benefit from a short, focused piece of work; others need longer-term support. An initial session helps map out what’s likely to fit.
The only advice I give is, that even though relationship counselling can be difficult at first, it does get easier. Avoiding and not talking about the problems in your relationship doesn’t make them go away. All that tends to happen is that they get worse – potentially leading to the relationship ultimately breaking down.
It is extremely rare for people to regret deciding to have relationship therapy because it always gets you talking. More often than not couples wish they had done it months, if not years earlier.
Yes — in-person sessions are available in Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, alongside online sessions.
They’re related but distinct. Stress is typically a response to an external pressure and tends to ease once that pressure lifts. Anxiety can persist even without a clear external trigger, and often continues after the stressful situation has passed.
Start Anxiety Therapy Today
Book a confidential 10-minute intro call — no pressure, just a chance to talk through what’s going on and see if it’s the right fit.