Online Psychologist for Anxiety | Natasha Kiemel

How effective is online therapy for anxiety?

Research shows that telehealth delivers the same outcomes as in-person therapy for anxiety. Studies have shown that CBT, exposure therapy, EMDR, and other evidence-based approaches work just as well when delivered via secure video. What matters most is the quality of your relationship with your psychologist and whether they're using evidence-based methods.

Want more detail? Read our blog comparing telehealth vs. in-person therapy to help decide which approach suits you best.

What's the difference between normal worry and clinical anxiety?

Worry is a normal response to real threats and usually gets better once the situation passes. Clinical anxiety involves ongoing worry, physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating or trembling, and avoidance behaviours that get in the way of your daily life, relationships, work or school. When anxiety is based on how you're feeling rather than what's actually happening, it can lead to withdrawal, avoidance and procrastination that impact your life negatively. If you're also experiencing low mood, visit our depression treatment page as anxiety and depression often co-occur.

How many sessions will I need for anxiety?

This depends on what type of anxiety you have, how severe it is, and which approaches we use together. I work with a range of evidence-based therapies tailored to what's actually driving your anxiety, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

For mild anxiety, CBT or exposure therapy often produces improvement within 8-12 sessions. Moderate anxiety typically needs 12-20 sessions for meaningful change. Severe or complex anxiety, especially if trauma, panic disorder or specific phobias are involved, usually requires longer-term work of 20+ sessions.

What makes my approach different is that I integrate body-based sensorimotor psychotherapy alongside CBT and other cognitive approaches. This is particularly helpful because anxiety lives in your body, not just your mind. Sensorimotor work helps you process anxiety at a nervous system level, which creates more lasting change.

I also use EMDR effectively for anxiety linked to phobias and specific fears. EMDR isn't just for trauma, it's highly effective at processing the fear response when anxiety is attached to particular situations or objects.

For ongoing or generalised anxiety, I incorporate distress tolerance skills from DBT. These skills teach you how to tolerate uncomfortable thoughts and sensations without engaging in avoidance or safety behaviours that reinforce the anxiety cycle. This is particularly valuable for building resilience and managing anxiety between sessions.

Rather than focusing on just one modality, I assess what's going on for you and draw on CBT, exposure therapy, ACT, mindfulness-based approaches, sensorimotor psychotherapy, DBT skills and EMDR depending on what you need. Some people benefit from a combination of these approaches throughout their treatment.

We'll discuss realistic timelines in your first session and keep checking how you're progressing so we can adjust our approach if needed.

Can online therapy work if anxiety stops me leaving home?

Yes. One of the biggest advantages of telehealth is that it works when anxiety makes it hard to leave home. Avoidance and isolation are common with anxiety and they often stop people from getting help at all. Online therapy removes that barrier completely. You can do sessions from your bedroom, living room or anywhere private. This often means people can start therapy when they might otherwise avoid it altogether.

What if I have panic attacks?

Panic disorder is highly treatable with therapy. I use a range of evidence-based approaches tailored to how your panic shows up for you.

I teach grounding techniques and breathing strategies, but more importantly, I work with your nervous system directly using sensorimotor psychotherapy. Research shows that when your nervous system learns it's safe, panic attacks reduce significantly in both frequency and intensity.

I also incorporate distress tolerance skills from DBT, which teach you how to get through panic attacks without making them worse. These skills help you tolerate the discomfort of panic without avoiding situations or engaging in safety behaviours that reinforce the cycle.

EMDR is another powerful tool I use for panic disorder. Research published in clinical psychology journals shows that EMDR effectively reduces both the frequency and intensity of panic attacks, as well as anticipatory anxiety (the fear of having another attack). EMDR works by processing the memories of panic attacks themselves and any traumatic events that may be triggering them, helping your brain rewire its response to panic triggers.

I use exposure-based approaches carefully and strategically. Rather than pushing you into situations before you're ready, we work together to gradually build your confidence and help your brain learn that the feared situation or sensation isn't actually dangerous. This is supported by decades of research showing exposure therapy is one of the most effective treatments for panic disorder.

We address the fear of having another panic attack, which is often what keeps the cycle going. This anticipatory anxiety can be worse than the panic itself. By working on both the physical panic response and the fear around it through multiple evidence-based approaches, we interrupt the pattern at multiple levels.

Online therapy works particularly well for panic management because you're in your safe space, and there are lots of exercises you can practise between sessions to reinforce what we're working on. Over time, you'll develop skills that give you real control back.

Is anxiety disorder different from general stress?

Yes. Stress is a normal response to demanding situations and usually gets better once the situation changes. Anxiety disorder involves ongoing worry, physical symptoms and avoidance behaviours that keep happening even when there's no real threat. Anxiety can happen without any clear trigger, but stress usually has a reason. Both respond to therapy, but anxiety disorder usually needs more focused treatment. If you are unsure whether you are experiencing primarily stress, anxiety, or a combination of both, you may find our stress page helpful in understanding how stress shows up in the body and mind.

Can anxiety be cured?

Anxiety is very treatable. Many people get better with therapy and don't experience anxiety at the same level again. Others learn to recognise the early signs and manage anxiety well when it comes up.

For people with anxiety linked to trauma or difficult life experiences, therapy can work through and resolve the underlying trauma, which often significantly reduces or eliminates anxiety symptoms. EMDR and trauma-focused therapy are particularly effective here.

For those with generalised anxiety or situational anxiety without trauma history, cognitive and behavioural approaches often produce substantial, lasting improvement. Many people find their baseline anxiety reduces considerably and they regain confidence in situations that previously felt overwhelming.

It's also important to note that for some people, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or ADHD, anxiety symptoms may be connected to sensory sensitivities or neurodivergent traits. In some cases, what looks like anxiety may actually be trauma responses or PTSD, as neurodivergent individuals experience higher rates of trauma and adverse experiences. When this is the case, trauma-focused therapy like EMDR can be particularly helpful alongside anxiety management strategies.

In other instances, anxiety is separate from trauma but connected to sensory sensitivities or hypervigilance that's part of how their nervous system is wired. While therapy can significantly reduce anxiety, some sensory sensitivities or heightened alertness may persist. This doesn't mean therapy hasn't worked. It means we're building management strategies that work with how your nervous system is wired, rather than trying to eliminate it completely.

Of course, for some neurodivergent individuals, anxiety is connected to past trauma, which is why a thorough assessment during your first session is important. If this applies to you, you can read more on our trauma and PTSD information page.

The goal of therapy isn't just to make symptoms go away. It's about building resilience and skills that help you manage anxiety long-term, whether it comes back or not. For trauma-informed work, this might mean processing difficult memories and rebuilding safety. For neurodivergent individuals, this might mean learning to recognise which anxiety is situational and treatable versus which is related to sensory or neurological differences that need accommodation and self-compassion.

Do I need a GP diagnosis first?

No. You can book directly with me for an assessment. In your first session, I'll do a thorough assessment to understand your symptoms and see if they match a specific anxiety disorder. If it makes sense, we can coordinate with your GP. You don't need a medical diagnosis to access psychology, but if you want Medicare rebates ($98.95), your GP will need to create a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP). You can learn more about MHCP on our comprehensive Medicare Page or if you want to use a different referral type (e.g. NDIS or private health) you can learn more about them on our appointment types page.

What therapies work best for anxiety?

There's no single "best" therapy for anxiety. What works depends on what's driving your anxiety and how it shows up for you. Rather than using a standard protocol for everyone, I assess your specific situation and draw on multiple evidence-based approaches.

CBT is a strong foundation for anxiety, particularly when unhelpful thought patterns and beliefs are driving it. But I don't stop there. For anxiety attached to specific situations, objects or memories, I combine CBT with exposure therapy or EMDR to help your brain learn these situations aren't dangerous. EMDR is particularly useful when panic or phobias are involved, as it processes the fear response at a deeper level. You can read more about how EMDR is used in therapy on our EMDR information page.

For ongoing generalised anxiety, I combine ACT with DBT distress tolerance skills. ACT helps you accept anxious thoughts without fighting them or letting them control your behaviour. DBT skills teach you to tolerate the discomfort of anxiety without engaging in avoidance, which often makes anxiety worse long-term.

I also integrate sensorimotor psychotherapy, which works directly with your nervous system and body. This is especially helpful if your anxiety manifests as physical tension, hypervigilance or if you've experienced trauma. Your body often holds anxiety patterns that cognitive work alone can't address.

Mindfulness-based approaches complement all of these, helping you develop awareness of anxiety without judgment and teaching your nervous system to regulate itself.

The reality is that most people benefit from a combination of these approaches. In your first session, we'll figure out which combination is right for you, and we can adjust as we go depending on what's working.

Is it confidential?

Yes. Your sessions are completely confidential and secure. We use encrypted video platforms that meet healthcare privacy standards. You decide who knows about your therapy. Sessions only show up on your private calendar and billing statements. The only exception is mandatory reporting situations, like if you're at immediate risk of harming yourself or others, which I'm legally required to report to emergency services or relevant authorities.

What do I need to do to prepare for my first session?

Find a quiet, private space where you feel comfortable and won't be interrupted. Test your technology beforehand so your internet connection, webcam and microphone are working. Get familiar with the telehealth platform. Think about what you want to talk about and what you hope to get from therapy. Wear something comfortable and have water nearby. If you want to learn more about setting up your space for therapy you can read more on our blog - How to Prepare Your Environment for Online Therapy.

What should I do if my or my psychologists internet connection drops during a session?

Sometimes connection issues are out of our control and can happen unexpectedly. If your connection drops, simply reconnect using the same link or contact our admin team. It's important to let me know if you've experienced a connection issue, as sometimes I may not notice the audio or video has dropped out on my end. If technical issues continue, we can switch to a phone appointment to keep your session on track.

If we were using bilateral stimulation during EMDR when the connection drops, it's particularly important that we debrief via phone, contain the memory we were working on, and help regulate your nervous system before we finish. This ensures you leave the session feeling stable and grounded, not in an activated state.

We've found that most connection issues resolve quickly with a reconnect. If we do need to switch to phone, we'll continue your session via phone for the remainder of your appointment time to ensure you receive your full session and continuity of your treatment.

If you have technical concerns before your appointment, contact our admin team on 0457 427 876 or admin@graciouslyyoupsychology.com.au.