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SPECIALIST CHELSEA-BASED HEALTH ANXIETY THERAPISTS

Specialist health anxiety therapists in London

Our specialist health anxiety therapists at Schoen Clinic Chelsea have successfully treated various anxiety disorders for many years. We have the expertise and understanding to offer you therapeutic and medical help to change negative and destructive thought patterns and preoccupation with your physical health, with personalised treatment options that'll give you the best chance of recovery.

Start your treatment journey today with our health anxiety therapists. For fast access to specialised private mental health treatment in London at Schoen Clinic Chelsea, simply fill out our online pre-screening questionnaire, at any time to suit you.

RISK FACTORS & CAUSES OF HEALTH ANXIETY

What are common symptoms for health anxiety?

Although the precise causation of health anxiety disorder is unknown, the following things might be contributing factors:

  • Beliefs - You don't understand how your body feels, how illnesses work, or both. You could believe that the symptoms in your body are the result of a dangerous illness. This prompts you to search for proof that you do, in fact, have a serious illness. You could find it challenging to tolerate ambiguity regarding unpleasant or strange physical feelings, which may leading you to look for proof that you are suffering from a serious illness.
  • Family - If your parents or other close family members constantly worried about their own health or yours, you may be more prone to experiencing health anxiety.
  • Past experiences - Physical feelings could terrify you since you may have experienced acute disease as a youngster.

What type of life experiences are at greater risk of developing health anxiety?

Developing health anxiety is more common in early or mid-adulthood but can get worse as you age. In older people, this may present as concerns about developing memory loss.

Other risk factors include:

  • A stressful event
  • Suffering abuse as a child
  • Suffering from a serious illness in youth, or having a family member with a serious illness
  • The possibility of being diagnosed with a serious illness that turns out to not be serious
  • Excessively checking health and/or symptoms online
  • Having a worrying personality type.

Common symptoms of health anxiety

Experiences of health anxiety can vary and be affected by the severity of the anxiety or culture. Individuals with health anxiety often misinterpret the physical symptoms of anxiety as a sign of a serious physical health concern such as:

  • Increased heart rate or palpitations
  • Upset stomach or nausea
  • Sweating or trembling
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness or faintness
  • Muscle tension

These may exist alongside more behavioural and psychological symptoms such as:

  • Constant worry of becoming ill
  • Preoccupation with certain conditions
  • Frequent seeking of medical information


These lists are not comprehensive, but if these symptoms are familiar, or you're concerned about a loved one, start your health anxiety treatment journey today by getting in touch with our specialists at Schoen Clinic to seek a professional medical diagnosis.

Begin your health anxiety treatment journey with us online 24/7, by completing our secure online pre-screening questionnaire.

Once completed, our team will give you a call on the same day, or the next working day to confirm suitability and book your appointment.

How do you diagnose health anxiety?

The nature of health anxiety is such that the person experiencing it is unaware that they have mental health needs; often it is those people around you who joke that you are a ‘hypochondriac’ or professionals that tell you there is nothing wrong and to stop worrying.

Eventually, when people have made a large number of visits to their doctor and sought various diagnostic tests to seek reassurance or to try and validate their feelings. The fear of illness still persists even when results of investigations are returned suggesting there is nothing wrong.

In the case of health anxiety (hypochondria), fear of a significant health condition or death is the main concern; this can sometimes be confused with having a somatoform disorder. Somatisation is where a person has physical symptoms for which there is no explanation for them, and the causative factor is internalised anxiety and depression. The first step to recovery is a professional medical diagnosis for health anxiety, from a mental health specialist.

At Schoen Clinic Chelsea, our specialists address your individual fears and disorders during the diagnostic phase. The clinical diagnosis can be supported by specific questionnaires. Further physical examinations are not usually necessary but can be arranged if required. Our health anxiety diagnosis procedure is designed to be friendly, welcoming, and to put you at ease so that you can focus on recovery.

Suffering from health anxiety can mean excessive worry, presenting itself as a result of consultations with doctors, or investing a lot of time researching their symptoms and potential illnesses. In extreme situations, suffering can ruin a person's life. Their everyday tasks may be hampered, their professional performance may suffer, and their relationships may even become strained. Fortunately, there are techniques you may use to manage your health anxiety, and the first step of your health anxiety treatment is diagnosis.


If you are experiencing ongoing health anxiety, please don't suffer in silence. Avoid attempting to tough it out alone if you feel like everything is becoming too much for you. We offer a variety of outcome-based treatments and specialist therapies for treating health anxiety at our Chelsea clinic.

To get started with private treatment for health anxiety, simply fill out our online pre-screening questionnaire at any time to suit you.

Private specialised health anxiety treatment at our leading London mental health clinic

When health anxiety becomes debilitating and prevents you from doing things you previously enjoyed or are responsible for, we will work with you to address the underlying triggers and equip you with the skills to reduce the feelings of anxiety and increase your self-confidence and self-esteem. We will work with you holistically towards a full recovery, using personalised treatment plans that are bespoke to your symptoms, needs and severity of your health anxiety.. Health anxiety disorders can be treated with a combination of treatment and therapies.

We use both individual and group treatment as part of multimodal therapy at Schoen Clinic. The purpose of the therapy is to teach you better coping mechanisms for your health anxiety. The targets for enhancing your coping mechanisms will be determined in collaboration with you. We will assist you in progressively learning techniques for lowering and recovering from your health anxiety.

We will decide on a treatment and therapy plan based on the degree of your health anxiety and your capacity for group work and individual therapy. Working in groups may be the first step in acquiring new skills for certain people. The groups are supportive and understand health anxiety with others in the group able to relate to these experiences.

We offer a comprehensive treatment programme for adults with common anxiety & mood disorders. Get in touch today

Leading therapies for treating health anxiety in London

Psychotherapy alone is typically all that is used to treat your illness if it is reducing your health anxiety. However, some persons do not benefit from psychotherapy. If this applies to you, your doctor might suggest taking a certain medication. This disorder is usually treated with antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Medication intended to treat those problems may also be beneficial if you also suffer from a mood or anxiety disorder.

There are significant dangers and adverse effects associated with several health anxiety drugs. It's crucial to carefully go over your treatment options with your doctors.

Relaxation techniques and mindfulness


The practice of mindfulness involves deliberately focusing our attention on our thoughts, our surroundings, and our actions. Despite having its roots in meditation, the discipline has found increasing utility in therapy.

In reality, studies have demonstrated that people with health anxiety benefit greatly from the practice of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).

A popular mindfulness exercise is the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise. Look around and identify:

  • Five things you can see
  • Four things you can touch
  • Three things you can hear
  • Two things you can smell
  • One thing you can taste

We hold a variety of group therapy sessions which explore mindfulness as a therapy for health anxiety.

Exposure as a central element

Attending the day programme can be intimidating, and it challenges you to take charge rather than avoid it. A health anxiety treatment technique that can reduce symptoms involves gradual exposure to a stimuli or environment that causes it, together with gradually constructing coping mechanisms to deal with the anxiety-inducing circumstance.

We understand that some people may benefit from progressively increasing their group attendance. Others may choose to take advantage of our complete programme and small groups. While this exposure may initially be challenging, it can quickly become less so as you encounter acceptance and optimism from your peers at the clinic.

Our health anxiety therapists are here to help you recover.

Does health anxiety therapy work?

CBT, either independent or in a group, can be quite successful in treating health anxiety as it provides you with the management skills to help cope with your condition. While some cases will be extreme and not respond to CBT, our team of health anxiety therapists may also recommend psychoeducation and medication, relaxation techniques, and use exposure to stimuli. We ensure your treatment plan is personal to you, to lead to the best chance of a successful treatment of your health anxiety.

Our treatments are evidence-based and are founded in therapies which are the most likely to yield success. 

What are the risks and expected outcomes around health anxiety treatment?

It's critical to understand that therapy for health anxiety doesn't necessarily ensure complete recuperation on its own. Rehabilitation often requires substantial time, extending over several months. Effective treatment for health anxiety hinges on a multitude of factors, encompassing the intensity of your condition, the support of your social networks, and your individual dedication to recovery.

Counselling, initially, might assist in mitigating the symptoms of health anxiety, but it doesn't provide a guarantee for total rehabilitation. Engaging with a therapist to delve into your thoughts and feelings can be a daunting task. It's fairly common to experience overwhelming emotions or feel distressed during the initial stages of counselling sessions, but this is normal as part of the treatment process.

Nevertheless, our team at Schoen Clinic Chelsea is highly specialist, boasting extensive expertise in the field, and they're committed to guiding you to achieve the optimal outcome from your health anxiety treatment.

Getting to our private outpatient clinic in Chelsea

It couldn't be easier to get to our clinic, located conveniently in Chelsea. We're just a short walk of around ten minutes from Sloane Square and South Kensington underground stations, providing easy access from across London. Sloane Square is covered by the Circle and District Lines (Zone 1), while South Kensington is served by the Circle, Piccadilly, and District Lines.

If you'd prefer to come by car, we're on the left-hand side of Radnor Walk, just off King's Road (A3217). There is no parking on-site, but there are plenty of spaces and car parks in the nearby vicinity. JustPark on Sydney Street and Sloane Square Car Park are two nearby options. We're easy to get to from London and beyond so that you can focus on getting better.

We provide specialised health anxiety therapy in London and the following areas

Our Chelsea clinic is conveniently located so getting here shouldn't be something that prevents you from your recovery. 

While many of our patients are based close to us in west London, our central location means that patients can visit our clinic from across the city. We're accessible by train, public transport, and by car. Meaning that you can start your health anxiety treatment without worrying about travel, and at a time that's convenient to you.

Our Chelsea clinic offers world-leading health anxiety counselling facilities

Our clinic in Chelsea is a leader in providing exceptional health anxiety counselling services.

At our Chelsea-based facility, we ensure a contemporary and personalised care setting for individuals suffering from health anxiety.

We appreciate that therapy is a profoundly personal and cooperative journey, and our amenities are structured to support this journey in every possible manner. We host a range of therapy rooms, specifically designed to offer a calming and therapeutic ambience for those in need of specialist health anxiety counselling and treatment.

Our communal day rooms are carefully designed to provide a serene and secure environment where patients can participate in therapeutic activities. Additionally, we have a dedicated art room for patients keen on joining our creative arts groups. This room is well-equipped with a plethora of tools, paints, materials, and equipment to facilitate artistic expression, which can be part of your health anxiety treatment.

Our top private health anxiety specialists in London

Our team specialises in the treatment of health anxiety, meaning you know you're in the safest hands. Backed by years of experience in counselling, specialist therapy techniques, and tried and tested approaches to treatment, our compassionate team are dedicated to setting you on the road to recovery.

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Dr Daniel Masud

Consultant General Psychiatrist & Addictions Psychiatrist

Mental Health | ADHD Specialist
(Adults 18+)

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Full recovery from health anxiety is possible with therapy

We're one of the top mental health facilities in London, part of a global hospital network treating over 300,000 patients each year. 

We've been helping people get better for more than 37 years, and our caring, patient, and understanding team can start your counselling treatment at a time that is convenient for you. Using tried-and-true outcome-focused techniques, combined with a personalised approach to treatment means our multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologies, therapists, and occupational therapists will support you on your road to recovery from health anxiety.

Use your existing health insurance or fund your own treatment, whatever works for you.

Call: +44 20 4571 7452
Email: CHE-PrivateEnquiries@schoen-clinic.co.uk

Complete our pre-screening questionnaire
Contact us about health anxiety therapy in London today