If you’re considering therapy for anxiety, it makes sense to wonder whether doing it online will actually help.
For many people, online therapy can be genuinely effective. Not because it’s a quick fix or because anxiety is something to get rid of, but because meaningful change can still happen through a secure video session: a steady relationship, careful attention to patterns, and practical ways to work with what your nervous system is doing.
Anxiety isn’t the enemy
Anxiety is a normal human response. It’s part of how we notice threat, prepare, and protect what matters.
The problem usually isn’t that anxiety exists. It’s that it becomes too loud, too frequent, or too costly. It starts narrowing your life, draining your energy, or keeping you in constant self-monitoring.
Therapy isn’t about removing a human capacity. It’s about helping anxiety return to a proportionate role, so you have more steadiness and choice.
What effectivereally means
When anxiety is involved, effectiveoften means things like:
- You understand what’s driving the anxiety, not just how to override it
- You can recognise early signs and respond sooner
- You have tools that help in the moment (without relying on them as the only answer)
- Your body settles more easily after stress
- You feel more choice in how you respond, rather than being pulled around by worry
It’s less about never feeling anxious again, and more about being able to live your life without anxiety running the whole system.
What research suggests about online therapy
Research over the past decade has consistently found that online therapy can be comparable to in-person therapy for many common mental health concerns, including anxiety.
What seems to matter most isn’t whether therapy happens on a screen or in a room. It’s the quality of the therapeutic relationship: feeling safe enough to be honest, feeling understood, and working with someone you trust.
Modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting can be used effectively online when they’re applied thoughtfully and paced well. But the foundation is still the same: a steady, collaborative relationship that supports real change over time.
When online therapy can be a good fit
Online therapy can work especially well if:
- Your anxiety makes it hard to leave the house, drive, or be in public spaces
- You’re time-poor and need therapy to fit around work, parenting, or caring roles
- You live rurally or can’t access the kind of therapy you want locally
- You feel more comfortable opening up from your own space
- You want consistent support while travelling or living internationally
Many people find that being in their own environment actually helps. We can work with what’s real in your day-to-day life, not just what you can remember once you arrive at a clinic.
When online therapy might not be enough on its own
There are times when online therapy may not be the right starting point, or may need to be combined with other supports.
For example:
- If you’re in immediate crisis or at risk of harm
- If you need urgent medical support (for example, severe sleep disruption, panic that feels unmanageable, or significant weight loss)
- If your home environment isn’t private or safe enough for sessions
In those situations, it can still be helpful to talk, but we’d want to make sure you also have the right level of support around you (GP, local services, crisis supports if needed).
How I work with anxiety online
I offer 90-minute online psychotherapy sessions for women who are holding a lot together on the outside, while feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected inside.
My work is trauma-informed and depth-oriented. Depending on what you need, sessions may include:
- Helping you understand the protective patterns behind anxiety (rather than treating you like you’re broken)
- Body-based work to support nervous system regulation
- Approaches such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting when appropriate
- Practical tools you can use between sessions, without turning your life into a self-improvement project
A simple way to decide
A useful question is: Do I have enough privacy and stability to show up honestly for 90 minutes?
If yes, online therapy is often a very workable option.
If you’re unsure, you’re welcome to ask a question first.
If you’d like to explore whether this is a fit, you can read about how I work here…
What would make online therapy feel like a safe and realistic next step for you?