What is anxiety?
This page is about anxiety. What it is, why it takes hold, and how psychological support at Integro Health can help you work with it in a safe, non-judgemental environment in South West WA.
Anxiety is the body and mind’s natural response to perceived threat. In small doses it is useful, it sharpens focus and keeps us safe. It becomes a problem when the alarm starts firing when there is no real danger, or stays switched on long after a stressful period has passed. This can show up as constant worry, a racing mind, trouble sleeping, irritability, or physical symptoms like a tight chest, a churning stomach, or a pounding heart. Anxiety is not a sign of weakness, and it is not something you can simply talk yourself out of.
How anxiety takes hold
Anxiety often begins as a sensible response to a genuinely stressful situation, then outlives its usefulness. The mind learns that worrying feels like doing something, so it keeps worrying. Avoiding the things that make us anxious brings short-term relief, which quietly teaches the brain that those things really were dangerous, and the world slowly shrinks. Many people who come to us for help with anxiety are also living with depression, chronic stress, low self-esteem, or the effects of trauma at the same time.
What we often see in practice is that the anxiety is trying to protect you. It might be scanning for danger because, at some point, being caught off guard was genuinely unsafe. It might be driving you to over-prepare because rest has never felt allowed. Understanding what the anxiety is doing, rather than just fighting it, is usually where meaningful change begins.
At Integro Health, we treat the whole person, not just the symptoms. That means exploring what sits beneath the worry with curiosity and care, rather than simply trying to switch the anxiety off and leaving everything underneath it untouched.
How we work with you on anxiety
There is no single correct path through anxiety. What we do is work alongside you, at a pace that feels manageable, using approaches grounded in psychological evidence and shaped by your individual story.
Understanding your experience
Your first sessions are about building a picture of you, not just the anxiety, but your history, your relationships, your emotional world, and what you are hoping life might look and feel like. There is no rush here. We ask questions because we genuinely want to understand.
Understanding what fuels the anxiety
Together, we look at what sets your anxiety off and what keeps it going. What situations trigger it? What does the worry promise to protect you from? What happens in your body? Often this exploration alone begins to loosen the grip, because anxiety makes more sense once you can see how it works.
Working with the underlying layers
For many people, anxiety sits on top of past experiences, perfectionism, trauma, or years of feeling unsafe or not good enough. We work on those layers using approaches like CBT, ACT, EMDR, or schema therapy, tailored to what fits your situation. Treating the roots, not just the surface, is what creates lasting change.
Building new ways of responding
Over time, we help you build a different relationship with the thoughts, feelings, and situations that keep the anxiety going. This is not about forcing yourself to feel differently. It is about genuine psychological flexibility, so you have more choice in how you respond.
Ongoing support at the right pace
Change rarely happens in a straight line. Sessions are spaced to suit where you are, more frequent during difficult periods, stepped back as you gain ground. We are here for as long as the journey needs us to be, whether that is a few months or considerably longer.
Meet the Team
At Integro Health, you do not just book a clinic. You choose a practitioner who understands you. Our team of experienced psychotherapists brings clinical depth, genuine warmth, and a broad range of specialisations together under one roof. Take a moment to read about each of our practitioners and find the right fit for where you are right now.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What you can expect when you reach out
No judgement, ever
Whatever your anxiety looks like right now, however irrational it can feel, you will be met with warmth and genuine care. Not a lecture, and not a checklist.
A whole-person lens
We look at every part of you, your mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing, because anxiety rarely lives in just one part of a person’s life.
Evidence-based approaches
We draw on CBT, ACT, EMDR, and schema therapy depending on what fits you. Not a one-size protocol, but a genuinely tailored response to your situation.
In-clinic and online options
Whether you can get to our Eaton clinic in Bunbury or you need the privacy and convenience of telehealth, we can work with you wherever you are in South West WA and beyond.
What people get wrong about anxiety
One of the most persistent myths about anxiety is that you should be able to control it by thinking positively or simply calming down. Anyone who has felt real anxiety knows that being told to relax rarely helps, and often makes things worse. Anxiety is not a failure of attitude. It is a nervous system doing exactly what it has learned to do, and it responds to understanding and skilled support far better than it responds to willpower.
Another common misconception is that you have to wait until anxiety is severe, until you are having panic attacks or unable to work, before support is worthwhile. This is not true. Working on anxiety early, while it is still manageable, is usually quicker and gentler than waiting until it has narrowed your life. You do not need to be in crisis to deserve help.
We also see many people in South West WA who have spent years managing anxiety by avoiding, over-preparing, or pushing through on adrenaline, before reaching out. By that point, exhaustion and self-criticism have often built up on top of the original worry. One of the first things we do is help ease that self-blame, because carrying it alongside the anxiety is an unfair and unnecessary burden.
Finally, many people assume that help for anxiety means being told to face their fears all at once, or being handed medication and sent away. Neither is how we work. Individual therapy and counselling, delivered privately one-on-one at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury or by telehealth to locations like Margaret River, gives you the space to understand your anxiety and change how it operates, step by manageable step.
Is what I am feeling actually anxiety?
It is common to wonder whether what you are feeling really counts as anxiety, or whether you are just a worrier, a bit highly strung, or overreacting. The honest answer is that the label matters less than the impact.
If worry, dread, or physical tension is causing you distress, disturbing your sleep, affecting your relationships or work, taking up a large share of your mental energy, or leading you to avoid things you would otherwise do, even some of the time, then it is worth exploring with a psychotherapist or counsellor. You do not need to meet a formal clinical threshold to deserve support.
How anxiety shows up
That said, there are some meaningful patterns worth understanding:
Generalised worry is a near-constant background hum of anxiety that moves from one concern to the next, often about everyday things, and is hard to switch off.
Panic and physical anxiety show up strongly in the body, as a racing heart, breathlessness, dizziness, or a sudden surge of fear that can feel frightening in itself. You can read more on our panic page.
Social and situational anxiety centres on specific situations, such as being judged by others or particular places and fears, and often leads to avoiding them. Our phobias page covers this in more detail.
At Integro Health, we are not primarily focused on which label fits you. What we care about is whether anxiety is getting in the way of you feeling well, thinking clearly, and living the way you want to. You can read more about what the first session looks like here.
Your questions answered
Yes, in many cases. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP provides access to a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a registered psychologist. Your GP will assess your eligibility, and your sessions at Integro Health can be structured to make the most of those rebated appointments. It is worth speaking with your GP in Bunbury, Busselton, or wherever you are located to get a referral in place before your first session.
Absolutely. You do not need your anxiety to be severe, or to have reached crisis point, before reaching out. Being unsure whether it is a real problem is a completely normal starting point, and it is something we can explore together. Our role is not to label you. It is to help you understand your own experience more clearly and feel more at ease in your own life.
Yes. Everything you share in sessions is confidential. There are narrow legal exceptions, for example if there is an immediate risk of serious harm to yourself or another person, but outside of those circumstances your privacy is protected. We will explain these boundaries clearly in your first session so there are no surprises.
Yes. We offer telehealth sessions across South West WA and Australia-wide, which means you can access support from anywhere, whether you are in a regional area like Manjimup or Collie, or simply prefer the privacy of attending from home. Telehealth sessions work in the same structured, safe way as in-clinic appointments.
This varies from person to person and depends on how long the anxiety has been present, what sits underneath it, and any co-occurring concerns such as depression or trauma. Many people notice meaningful shifts within 6 to 12 sessions as they learn how their anxiety works and build practical skills. Others find it helpful to work over a longer period, particularly where trauma or long-standing patterns are involved. We review progress with you regularly and adjust as needed.
Nothing happens without your agreement. Where facing feared situations is helpful, we do it gradually and at a pace you control, never all at once. Decisions about medication are between you and your GP or psychiatrist. Psychological support works well alongside medication, and it works well on its own. We fit around whatever is right for you.
No referral is needed to book a session. If you wish to access Medicare rebates through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, but you are welcome to contact us directly and we can guide you through that process if needed.
We draw on a range of evidence-based methods depending on what fits you best. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you identify and shift the thoughts and habits that keep anxiety going. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps you act on what matters even when anxiety is present. EMDR can help when past experiences are driving the anxiety, and schema therapy is valuable when deep-rooted patterns from early life are involved. We tailor the approach to you, not the other way around.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
