Therapy for Anxiety & Depression
Anxiety and depression are the most common reasons people seek therapy — and among the most responsive to it. Whether you're dealing with constant worry, panic attacks, low mood, or a combination, therapy can help you understand what's driving it and find your way through.
Understanding Anxiety & Depression
Anxiety and depression often travel together. Anxiety is your mind's alarm system stuck on high alert — racing thoughts, physical tension, a sense of dread that won't shift. Depression is more like the volume being turned down on everything — motivation, pleasure, energy, hope. Many people experience both, sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneously.
Therapy helps because these aren't just chemical imbalances to be medicated away (though medication can help alongside therapy). They're often rooted in how you've learned to cope with stress, loss, uncertainty, or difficult experiences. A therapist helps you understand these roots and develop new ways of responding.
What Does Anxiety Therapy Look Like?
There's no single approach — it depends on you. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is well-evidenced for anxiety and focuses on changing thought patterns and behaviours. Psychodynamic therapy explores the deeper emotional roots. Many therapists use an integrative approach, drawing on multiple modalities. Your therapist will work with you to find what helps.
When to Seek Help
If any of these feel familiar, therapy could help.
Racing Thoughts
Constant worry that you can't switch off, even about things you know aren't rational. Your mind won't let you rest.
Panic Attacks
Sudden waves of intense fear — heart racing, chest tight, struggling to breathe. They can feel like a medical emergency.
Sleep Problems
Lying awake with anxious thoughts, or sleeping too much because you can't face the day. Either way, you're exhausted.
Loss of Motivation
Things you used to enjoy feel pointless. Getting through the day takes everything you've got.
Withdrawal
Pulling away from friends, family, and social situations. It feels easier to be alone, but the isolation makes things worse.
Physical Symptoms
Headaches, stomach problems, muscle tension, chest pain — anxiety and depression show up in the body as much as the mind.
How We Can Help
Our therapists use a range of evidence-based approaches for anxiety and depression.
CBT
Identifies and challenges unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. Structured, practical, and well-evidenced for anxiety.
Learn more→Psychodynamic Therapy
Explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns contribute to current anxiety and depression.
Learn more→Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Combines mindfulness techniques with therapeutic insight to help you relate differently to anxious thoughts.
Learn more→Anxiety & Depression FAQs
How long does therapy take?
This varies depending on your goals. Some people find 6-8 sessions helpful for specific issues, while others benefit from longer-term therapy for deeper personal development. You can discuss timeframes with your therapist and adjust as needed. Many people start noticing positive changes within the first few sessions.
How much does therapy cost at HQ Therapy?
It depends on the route you choose. Qualified therapists set their own fees, typically £50–£90 per session. Our low-cost programme with supervised trainee therapists ranges from £27 to £45 per session, depending on the number of sessions you commit to. An HQ Therapy Assessment is £25.
Does HQ Therapy offer online therapy sessions?
Yes, many HQ Therapy therapists offer secure online sessions via video call. Online therapy is available for individual, couples, and teen therapy across all programmes and pricing options.
What happens in a first therapy session?
Your first session is about getting to know each other. Your therapist will ask about what's brought you to therapy, a bit about your background, and what you're hoping to get from the process. There's no pressure to share everything at once — you set the pace. It's also your chance to see if you feel comfortable with your therapist. Think of it as a two-way conversation, not an interview.
You Don't Have to Feel This Way
Find a therapist who specialises in anxiety and depression — in person or online.