Issues We Address

Issues We Address
The Illawarra Anxiety Clinic specialises in assisting clients with the following issues:

Obsessions and compulsions (OCD)
- Unwanted intrusive thoughts/images/urges/doubts (regarding violence, sex, immorality, sexual orientation, one's partner or children, romantic relationships, etc.) - this is the #1 most common issue for which people seek my help, and consistency achieve excellent outcomes
- Concerns about germs, contamination, and illness
- Concerns about being responsible for harm, injury, or bad luck
- Concerns about symmetry, arranging, completeness, and the need for things to be "just right"
Panic attacks and agoraphobia - learn about our one-day intensive approach here.
Social anxiety
Post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
Phobias
- Blood/injection/injury stimuli (including applied tension for fainting)
- Natural environments (e.g., heights, enclosed places, storms, driving)
- Animals/insects
- Vomiting
Health (illness) anxiety
Generalised anxiety and excessive worry (GAD)
Body image and disordered eating issues
Hair pulling (trichotillomania)
Skin picking
Stress
Adjustment to negative life events
Changing values-inconsistent behaviour (e.g., addictive behaviour, overeating, bingeing)
Living a more meaningful and fulfilling life
Depression

More on Depression
I specialise in an evidence-based approach to depression called behavioural activation. This approach has strong scientific support and is nicely described here by Professor Peter McEvoy from Curtin University. Recently updated (2018) guidelines published by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists recommend psychological therapies like behavioural activation as the first-line approach for mild-to-moderate depression and caution that "antidepressants" should be "reserved for more severe and otherwise treatment-refractory cases." This evidence-based advice is routinely ignored by Australian doctors, unfortunately, who now prescribe "antidepressants" to about 12% of the population.