Online CBT for Health Anxiety
Support to break the cycle of worry
Health anxiety involves persistent and excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness. While it is natural to notice physical sensations from time to time, health anxiety can make these concerns feel overwhelming, intrusive and difficult to control. Online CBT for health anxiety offers an evidence-based approach to understanding and managing these fears.
People experiencing health anxiety may frequently check their body for signs of illness, seek reassurance from professionals or loved ones, or spend significant time researching symptoms online. Although these behaviours can bring short-term relief, they often increase anxiety over time, reinforcing the cycle of worry. CBT is widely recognised as a recommended treatment for health anxiety and can be delivered effectively through online therapy.
Understanding Health Anxiety
Health anxiety is driven by the way physical sensations, thoughts and uncertainty are interpreted. Common experiences include misinterpreting normal bodily sensations as signs of serious illness, difficulty tolerating uncertainty about health, and imagining worst-case scenarios despite medical reassurance.
Past experiences such as illness, loss, or exposure to health-related information can contribute to the development of health anxiety. Over time, anxious thoughts can become automatic, leading to heightened alertness to bodily sensations and increased emotional distress. This can have a significant impact on daily life, relationships and overall wellbeing.
How Online CBT Can Support You
Online CBT for health anxiety focuses on breaking the cycle of worry, reassurance-seeking and avoidance. Therapy can help you identify unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs about health, illness and risk, and gradually develop more balanced ways of responding to them.
CBT also supports changes in behaviour, such as reducing checking or reassurance-seeking, in a safe and structured way. Clients learn practical coping strategies to manage anxiety, respond differently to triggers and build confidence in their ability to tolerate uncertainty.
Accessing CBT online offers flexibility and privacy, which many people find helpful when discussing sensitive health concerns. With consistent therapeutic support, online CBT can help reduce health-related anxiety, improve quality of life and support long-term emotional resilience.
I’m Alex, a BABCP-registered Cognitive Behavioural Therapist trained at King’s College London, with experience working across NHS Talking Therapies, specialist services at the Maudsley Hospital, and private practice. I now offer online CBT therapy to adults across London and the UK- if you’d like to find out whether CBT could help with your health anxiety, please get in touch to arrange an initial consultation.