Essex Anxiety Coach
My Approach to Anxiety Coaching
I don't believe anxiety is the whole problem.
Sometimes, it's a sign that something in your life, your thinking or the way you've learned to respond to situations needs attention.
You might have spent years trying to manage your anxiety. Perhaps you've tried breathing exercises, mindfulness, positive thinking or other coping strategies. They might help in the moment, but you still find yourself overthinking, worrying about what might happen, questioning yourself or feeling overwhelmed by everyday life.
If that sounds familiar, it may be time to look at things differently.
That's why my approach is different.
Rather than focusing solely on managing the symptoms, I help you understand what's causing or contributing to your anxiety and work with you to address the patterns that keep it coming back.
Anxiety doesn't develop in the same way for everyone.
Your experiences, beliefs, relationships and the ways you've learned to cope with difficult situations can all influence how you think, feel and respond today. Sometimes, responses that once helped you feel safe or avoid conflict can become unhelpful patterns that affect your confidence, relationships and everyday life.
In our sessions, we'll explore what's happening for you, helping you recognise the thoughts, beliefs and behaviours that may be contributing to your anxiety.
We'll work together to understand these patterns and develop new ways of thinking and responding, while also looking at how you can feel calmer, build self-trust and feel more in control of your choices.
This isn't about blaming your past or endlessly analysing what has happened to you. It's about understanding how your experiences may be affecting you now and deciding what you want to do differently.
Understanding the Factors That May Contribute to Anxiety
Anxiety can be connected to a range of experiences, beliefs and patterns of behaviour. Understanding what may be contributing to your anxiety can help you make sense of your reactions and identify what needs to change.
Together, we may explore factors such as:
Unresolved Trauma and Past Experiences : Difficult experiences, whether significant life events or an accumulation of smaller, stressful moments, can continue to affect how you feel and respond to situations today. You might find yourself constantly on alert, struggling to feel safe or reacting strongly to situations that remind you of earlier experiences. We'll explore how your past may be affecting you now and, where appropriate, work towards changing the responses that no longer serve you, without endlessly revisiting what happened.
Toxic Relationships and Loss of Self-Trust : Relationships involving manipulation, controlling behaviour or constant criticism can affect your confidence and trust in your own judgement. You might find yourself second-guessing your decisions, worrying about other people's reactions or struggling to establish boundaries. Understanding how these experiences have affected you can help you rebuild self-trust and feel more confident in expressing your needs.
Childhood Experiences and Inner Child Work : The beliefs we develop during childhood can influence how we see ourselves and respond to the world as adults. If you learned that you had to be good, keep others happy or avoid making mistakes to feel accepted, these patterns may still influence your behaviour today. Inner child work, where appropriate, can help you recognise these earlier experiences and develop a different relationship with the beliefs and responses you formed.
Perfectionism, People-Pleasing and Fear of Rejection : The need to get everything right or put other people's needs before your own can sometimes develop as a way of avoiding criticism, conflict or rejection. You might struggle to say no, feel guilty when you put yourself first or worry excessively about what others think of you. We'll explore the beliefs behind these responses and how they may be contributing to your anxiety, helping you develop healthier boundaries and a more balanced view of yourself.
Burnout, Imposter Syndrome and Low Self-Worth : Constantly pushing yourself, striving to meet high expectations or feeling that you're not good enough can leave you anxious and exhausted. Imposter syndrome can make you question your achievements, fear being exposed as inadequate or feel that you have to keep proving yourself. Understanding the expectations and self-doubt behind these feelings can help you develop greater confidence and a healthier relationship with your goals.
Hormonal Changes and Menopause-Related Anxiety :
For some women, anxiety can become more intense at certain points in their menstrual cycle or during perimenopause and menopause. This can show up as significant mood changes and emotional distress. Recognising patterns in your symptoms and understanding the different factors that may be contributing can help you explore appropriate support and ways of managing their impact.
These are some of the areas we may explore, depending on your experiences and what you're struggling with. There isn't one explanation for everyone's anxiety, so the focus is on understanding what may be contributing to yours.
A Personalised Approach to Anxiety
I don't believe anxiety coaching should be one-size-fits-all, or something that continues indefinitely without a clear direction.
My Freedom from Anxiety Programme is a personalised six-session programme designed around you, your experiences and what you'd like to change.
My work draws on a range of approaches, including:
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Trauma Certified Coaching
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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
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Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
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Clinical Hypnotherapy (where appropriate)
Rather than following one method with everyone, I draw on the approaches best suited to your needs and the work we're doing together.
Where appropriate, I may also incorporate complementary practices such as breathwork, movement or other approaches to support your wellbeing.
We'll work at a pace that feels right for you, with support and accountability between sessions to help you put what we're exploring into practice in your everyday life.
The aim isn't to give you more things to do to keep your anxiety under control. It's to help you understand yourself better, recognise what's happening when anxiety takes hold and develop new ways of responding that feel more natural over time.
Is This Approach Right for You?
My approach may suit you if:
• You're tired of trying different ways to manage anxiety without understanding why it keeps returning.
• You spend too much time overthinking, worrying or questioning yourself.
• You struggle with people-pleasing, perfectionism, boundaries or low confidence.
• You want to understand the patterns contributing to your anxiety and work on changing them.
• You want personalised support with a clear focus, rather than indefinite coaching.
I'm accredited at Senior Practitioner level by EMCC, a member of the Complementary Medicine Association (MCMA), and fully DBS-checked to work with both adults and children.
Qualifications and accreditations matter because they ensure you're working with someone who is trained, ethical and committed to best practice.
But what matters most is that you feel heard, understood and supported by someone who can help you uncover the reasons anxiety has become your default response
If you'd like to understand your anxiety better and explore what might help you move forward, I'd love to help.
Book your free Anxiety Insight Call and we can talk about what's been happening for you, what you'd like to change and whether my approach feels right for you.
Chris x