Anxiety Counselling Sunshine Coast
“The pressure to never be visibly anxious keeps ratcheting up.” — Susan Cain
Anxiety isn’t a flaw — it’s often a sensitive nervous system navigating a world that values calm, confident performance. In counselling, we help you create safety for your body and mind, so you can learn to listen to what your anxiety is telling you, rather than trying to fight or hide it.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by worry, tension, or racing thoughts, our Sunshine Coast counselling services provide compassionate, trauma-informed support. As an anxiety counsellor Sunshine Coast and counsellor in Noosa, I offer both in-person sessions in Noosa and across the Sunshine Coast, as well as online sessions.
Counselling can help you develop tools to offer yourself grace, which in turn gently lessens anxiety symptoms. Through guided support, you can begin to notice where your nervous system is holding tension, explore emotional healing, and understand that you don’t have to face anxiety alone — or without care and kindness for yourself.
Understanding Anxiety & Its Symptoms
Anxiety can appear in many ways, often quietly at first. It’s more than stress or worry — it’s your body and mind signalling that something doesn’t feel safe.
Common signs include:
Persistent worrying or racing thoughts
Difficulty concentrating or remembering things
Muscle tension or headaches
Sleep disturbances or restless nights
Feeling easily fatigued or on edge
Did you know?
Anxiety is very common — 1 in 4 Australians will experience an anxiety condition at some stage in their life. Not sure if what you’re feeling is typical stress or something more? Try the K10 Anxiety and Depression Test, an evidence-based tool used by Australian doctors and mental health professionals.
Take the K10 quiz →
Anxiety may also show up as social discomfort, perfectionism, or a sense of pressure to “perform calm” even when your body feels otherwise. In counselling, we approach anxiety holistically — looking at the connection between body, mind, and environment. Techniques like grounding, somatic therapy in Noosa, breathwork, and mindfulness can help regulate your nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and create space for calm, clarity, and self-compassion.
How Therapy Can Help
Anxiety
Anxiety isn’t just in the mind — it’s often a signal from the body that something doesn’t feel safe. In our sessions, I use a body-based, “bottom-up” approach informed by Polyvagal Theory, which helps calm the nervous system and restore a sense of safety from the inside out.
Rather than trying to think your way out of anxiety, we gently tune in to what’s happening beneath the surface — the racing heart, shallow breath, or tightness that says “I’m not okay.” Together, we help your system recognise that it’s safe to soften again. Through grounding, awareness, and compassionate connection, the body begins to settle, and the mind can follow.
🌿 Strengths-Based ACT & Which Approach Is Right for Me
Every person’s healing process is unique. Some need a slower, body-based approach to help the nervous system learn what safety feels like again. Others are ready to process specific memories or emotional patterns that carry weight.
I often draw on Polyvagal, somatic therapies, and Strengths-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support clients who feel anxious, tense, or easily overwhelmed. ACT helps you notice your values, develop psychological flexibility, and build self-compassion — strengthening your ability to respond rather than react to anxiety.
For those with specific past events that continue to feel charged, EMDR can help release the emotional hold of these memories — usually once the body feels safe and supported.
Together, we find the pace and method that feels right for you, whether that’s gently starting with body awareness, integrating ACT to align with your values, or using EMDR once your system feels safe. The goal is always the same: to help you feel safe, connected, and more at ease within yourself, while building tools to offer yourself grace and reduce anxiety symptoms.
This approach complements work such as emotional healing, grief support, nervous-system regulation, and broader holistic therapy practices.
Section 4: FAQs / Testimonials / Getting Started (150–200 words)
FAQs
Q: How long does anxiety counselling take?
A: Every journey is unique. Some clients notice changes within a few sessions, while others work over months to explore patterns and build lasting strategies.
Q: Is it normal to feel nervous before therapy?
A: Absolutely. Feeling anxious about starting counselling is very common. It’s a sign that your nervous system is tuned to safety — therapy is a place to gently expand that sense of safety.
Client testimonial (anonymised):
"Working with Alana has helped me notice when my anxiety is trying to communicate something important. Through her guidance, I’ve learned to respond with patience and kindness toward myself, and my nervous system feels calmer than it has in years."
Take the first step today. Whether you’re seeking anxiety counselling Sunshine Coast, anxiety therapy Noosa Heads, trauma-informed therapy Sunshine Coast, or couples counselling Sunshine Coast, support is available. Contact me to book a session and begin learning how to offer yourself grace, regulate your nervous system, and find calm, confidence, and clarity in your daily life.