Anxiety counselling in Cairns
In-person sessions in Cairns or online anywhere in Australia. No GP referral needed. Confidential, practical support with a counsellor who's been around.
Anxiety doesn't always look the way people expect.
Sometimes it's constant overthinking. Sometimes it's a tightness in your chest that never fully goes away. Sometimes it's avoiding situations, snapping at people you care about, or lying awake at three in the morning running through things you can't control.
Sometimes it's just a low-level hum in the background that's been there so long you've stopped noticing it.
Whatever it looks like for you, it's worth talking about.
Types of Anxiety I Work With
Anxiety isn't one thing. It shows up differently for different people, and what drives it in one person can be completely different from what drives it in another. Here are some of the more common types I work with in Cairns and via telehealth across Australia.
Generalised anxiety This is the kind that doesn't attach itself to one specific thing. It's a persistent, low-level worry that shows up across most areas of life, work, health, relationships, the future. It can be hard to explain to other people because there's no single obvious cause. It's just always there.
Panic attacks Panic attacks can feel like a medical emergency. Heart racing, chest tight, difficulty breathing, a sense that something is seriously wrong. They tend to come out of nowhere, which makes them hard to predict and easy to dread. A lot of people start organising their life around avoiding the next one, which is where panic disorder starts to take hold.
Social anxiety More than just shyness. Social anxiety is an intense self-consciousness around other people that can make everyday situations feel exhausting. Overthinking what you said after the fact, dreading situations before they happen, feeling like you're being watched or judged. It can quietly shrink the parts of life you're willing to engage with.
Health anxiety A persistent fear that something is physically wrong, even when tests come back clear. It often shows up as constantly checking symptoms, googling medical information, or seeking reassurance that doesn't quite stick. The relief never lasts long before the worry starts again.
Anxiety after a diagnosis or injury A medical diagnosis or physical injury can shake your sense of who you are and what your life is going to look like. The uncertainty that comes with that is real, and anxiety is a common response to it. This is an area I work with a lot, and it's something I understand from more than just a professional perspective.
Work and performance anxiety Anxiety that shows up around deadlines, decisions, being evaluated, or having to perform under pressure. It can affect concentration, make it hard to make decisions, and spill into how you feel about yourself outside of work as well.
Anxiety in relationships Worry about what others think of you, fear of conflict, difficulty trusting, or a constant low-level tension in your closest relationships. Anxiety has a way of affecting how you connect with people, sometimes without either person quite understanding why.
The first session is a conversation
You talk about what's been going on, how long it's been building, and what you're hoping to get from the process. There's no intake form to fill in beforehand and no pressure to have it all worked out before you walk in. You just show up and we talk.
From there, sessions are focused on what's actually happening for you
There's no fixed program. What we work on comes from what you bring in. I draw on CBT, solution-focused therapy, and trauma-informed approaches. In practice that means we look at the patterns behind what you're feeling, not just the symptoms on the surface.
You set the pace
Some people come for a few sessions and feel like they've got what they needed. Others come for longer. That's up to you. There's no lock-in, no minimum number of sessions, and no pressure to keep going once you feel like things have shifted.
WHAT TO EXPECT
What Counselling For Anxiety Actually Does
Counselling is more than just talking. It's a structured process where you get to understand what's driving your anxiety, not just manage the symptoms on the surface. Here's what working with an anxiety counsellor in Cairns can look like in practice.
First, it gives you somewhere to actually say what's going on. That sounds simple, but for a lot of people it's the part they've been missing. Sessions are confidential. You can say what's really happening without worrying about how it lands on the people in your life.
From there, a lot of the work is about patterns. Not just what anxiety feels like in the moment, but what's triggering it, where it comes from, and why it keeps showing up in the same situations. Once you can see the pattern, you're in a much better position to do something about it.
That's where the practical side comes in. I draw on CBT, solution-focused approaches, and trauma-informed work depending on what's going on for you. The aim is tools that actually fit your life, not a generic set of techniques that don't quite land.
Part of that is looking at how you think. Anxiety tends to run on particular thought patterns, ones that feel true even when they're making things harder. Noticing those patterns and finding ways to respond to them differently is something you can get better at with practice.
Anxiety also affects the people around you. It can make communication harder, pull you back from things, or come out as irritability with the people you're closest to. Working on it tends to improve those relationships as a side effect.
The goal isn't just to feel better for a week. It's to build the kind of understanding and skills that hold up over time, so that when hard things come up again, you're in a better position to deal with them.
WHO COMES IN FOR ANXIETY COUNSELLING
There's no right amount of struggle before it's worth getting support
Some people coming in for anxiety counselling in Cairns have been dealing with it for years and assumed it was just part of who they are. Some are going through something specific, a diagnosis, a relationship breakdown, a job that's become unmanageable. Some can't point to a reason at all. They just know something feels off.
You don't need a label or a crisis to book. If it's been affecting your day-to-day life, that's enough.
People come from all over Cairns and the surrounding area, including Edge Hill, Smithfield, Gordonvale, Woree, and Earlville. Online sessions are available for anyone across Queensland and the rest of Australia.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
Sessions are available in person in Cairns or via telehealth anywhere in Australia.
After hours and weekend appointments are available.
No GP referral or Mental Health Care Plan is needed to book.
My fee is set at the Medicare gap rate. If you have questions about cost before booking, just send me a message and I'll give you a straight answer.
ONLINE SESSIONS
A lot of people prefer online sessions. You're at home, there's no travel, and it's easier to fit around work or family. The conversation is the same as it would be in person.
Online counselling is available to anyone across Australia.
READY TO TALK
If anxiety has been building up, you don't have to keep managing it on your own.
Just send me a message and we'll go from there.
What I Can Help With
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Individual Counselling
One-on-one counselling in Cairns for adults dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, life transitions, and relationship challenges. Sessions are practical, confidential, and focused on what matters to you.
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NDIS Counselling
Counselling support for NDIS participants in Cairns and across Australia via telehealth. I work with you and your support network to deliver therapeutic support that fits your plan.
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Men’s counselling
A straightforward space for men to talk through what's going on. Whether it's work stress, relationships, identity, or something you haven't been able to put into words yet, you don't have to figure it out alone.
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Major Life Changes Counselling
A new diagnosis changes things. Your relationships, your routines, your sense of who you are. Counselling can help you make sense of what's shifted and find your footing again.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
If things have been building up, you don’t have to keep handling it on your own.
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No. You can book directly without a referral or Mental Health Care Plan.
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Neither Medicare nor private health rebates are available for these sessions. My fee is set at the Medicare gap rate, so the out-of-pocket cost is comparable to seeing a rebated psychologist.
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Yes. What you say stays private. There are a small number of legal exceptions, which I'll explain clearly in the first session.
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Yes. Telehealth sessions are available to participants anywhere in Australia. If you're in Cairns you're also welcome to come in person.
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That depends on what you're working on. We'll talk about that in your first session once I have a better understanding of your situation and what you're hoping to get from counselling.
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Most men who come in haven't. You don't need to know what to say or how to do it. Just show up and we'll work out the rest from there.
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No. This practice works with men individually. If you're looking for couples counselling, I can point you toward someone who does that work.
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Sometimes talking about things that have been sitting for a while can feel uncomfortable at first. That's normal. It's not a sign something is wrong. Most people find that shifts fairly quickly once the process gets going.
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Anxiety shows up differently for everyone. If you're overthinking constantly, avoiding things, struggling to sleep, or just feeling on edge without a clear reason, it's worth talking about. You don't need to self-diagnose before reaching out.
You don't have to keep handling it on your own.
If things have been building up, talking to someone can help. Sessions available in Cairns and online across Australia.