3.

Reduce your Anxiety

Anxious woman having counselling in Malvern

Anxiety & Phobia Counselling (Malvern, Ludlow, online)

A calm, grounded space to help you feel steadier, clearer, and more like yourself again

Anxiety has a way of creeping in quietly — and then taking over far more than it should. You might feel constantly on edge, tired but wired, struggling to sleep, overthinking everything, or anxious about being anxious. Life can start to feel smaller, heavier, and harder to enjoy. You might be struggling with a phobia or anxiety that is long-term or a flare up and situational.

If this sounds familiar, you’re certainly not broken. Anxiety is often a sign that something deeper needs attention - a bit like a warning sign. With the right support, it can shift. I know this both professionally and personally myself having had a period of situational anxiety that I needed to learn to control as it was like a fire consuming all my energy.

I specialise in working with anxiety and phobias in a way that brings real relief, not just temporary coping. Many clients notice meaningful changes within a small number of sessions.

How I help with anxiety and phobias

Anxiety rarely comes from nowhere. It usually makes sense once we slow things down and begin to feel safe and better that we listen to what your mind and body are trying to communicate. In our work together, I help you to:

Understand what has driven your anxiety and what keeps it going
Calm your nervous system so your body can settle — not just your thoughts
Learn practical tools to reduce anxiety when it flares
Build confidence, sleep more deeply, and feel more in control again

For many clients, this work leads to noticeable improvements in everyday functioning — eating again, sleeping better, facing fears, or feeling able to get on with life without anxiety running the show.

A practical, body-aware approach (not just talking)

Talking alone doesn’t always resolve anxiety — especially when fear lives in the body. Alongside conversation and reflection, I work in ways that help anxiety where it actually sits: in the nervous system. Depending on what suits you, this may include:

Gentle nervous-system regulation and grounding
Mindfulness and breath-based calming techniques
EFT (tapping) for anxiety and phobic responses
Guided exposure, when appropriate, at your pace
Body-based or restorative approaches to release held tension

Everything is collaborative. Nothing is imposed. I’ll always explain options and check what feels right for you.

Clients often tell me they feel safer trying things out with me sooner than they ever expected — and that this is what allows real change to happen in the head with intrusive thoughts and in the body with anxiety signals.

A safe, human space to work through anxiety

Therapy is most effective when you feel at ease. At ease in a real, genuine way. Sessions take place in a calm, private, homely setting in Malvern or near Ludlow, or online if preferred. My home therapy space is not a clinical, bland environment — it’s a space where you can feel at ease, be honest, breathe and sit normally on sofas and stop holding everything together, even if just for a while to begin with. Many clients say they feel calmer and understood from the very first session, which matters when you’re already feeling anxious, about reaching out.

I commonly support people with:

Generalised anxiety and constant overthinking
Panic attacks and fear of fear
Phobias (including emetophobia, choking, health anxiety, and avoidance)
Anxiety linked to grief, loss, or major life changes
Long-standing anxiety that hasn’t shifted with CBT alone

If you’re unsure whether your situation fits, we can talk it through.

What clients say

“Within five sessions I was eating again after a severe choking phobia. I can’t thank her enough.”

“I had one more session doing something different and that was it — sorted. This lady has a gift.”

“I was terrified doing the exposure work, but I always felt safe. I never dreaded going to a session.”

“She got straight to the heart of the anxiety. I felt able to cope after only a few sessions.”

These are typical experiences of how this work unfolds though to reach the end of the work, longer is often required. Things will be better quite quickly with the way I work, but to fully integrate the management of anxiety, I invite deeper work about the route of the fears and teach strategies going forwards so you have life long skills to take away.

Practical details

Face-to-face sessions in Malvern or near Ludlow
Online sessions available
50-minute sessions
£65 in person | £60 online
Free 15–20 minute initial chat

Taking the first step

Reaching out when you’re anxious can feel daunting — but it’s often the moment things start to shift.

If you’d like to explore whether working together feels right, you’re welcome to get in touch for a relaxed, no-pressure conversation. You don’t need to know exactly what to say — we can take it from there.

This a recent client review which I thought is very reassuring. You can read more reviews on Google or on my testimonies page.

"I can’t thank Dionne enough for the help she has given me over the last few months. ... I have always struggled with anxiety and a feeling of otherness, and I was afraid to even contact to begin. ...When I finally went for it and got in touch, Dionne made me feel so at ease. She’s really helped boost my confidence and take the first steps to integrating with the world again after a long period of feeling despondent and lonely, and in a cycle of self-shame. This cycle has been broken, thanks to Dees openness and unintimidating approach. I also joined her womens circle which was really a fantastic decision and I’m so glad she pushed me (delicately!) to do it. Officially on the way to self acceptance. I encourage anybody on the fence to get in touch and give it a shot. Thank you Dee :)