Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Brisbane

Reduce Constant Worry, Physical Tension and the Feeling That Something Is Always Wrong

Generalised Anxiety Disorder can make your mind feel as though it is constantly searching for the next problem.

You may worry about work, health, money, family, relationships, appointments, mistakes and future responsibilities. Even when one concern is resolved, another may quickly take its place.

The worry may feel difficult to control because your mind believes that staying alert, analysing every possibility and preparing for the worst will keep you safe.

Clive Westwood provides personalised hypnotherapy for Generalised Anxiety Disorder and persistent worry in Brisbane. Sessions can focus on reducing catastrophic thinking, physical anxiety, mental checking, reassurance seeking and difficulty switching off.

Appointments are available in person at Clive’s Boondall hypnotherapy clinic on Brisbane’s northside and online throughout Australia.

What Is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder, commonly shortened to GAD, is a recognised anxiety condition involving excessive and persistent worry about multiple areas of life.

The worry may involve ordinary responsibilities, but the intensity, frequency and difficulty controlling it can make daily life exhausting.

You may worry about:

• Work

• Finances

• Health

• Family

• Relationships

• Children

• Housing

• Appointments

• Driving

• Mistakes

• Other people’s safety

• The future

• Whether you are worrying too much

• Whether you will ever feel calm

GAD is more than occasional stress.

A qualified healthcare or mental-health professional can assess whether Generalised Anxiety Disorder or another condition is present.

Signs Generalised Anxiety Disorder May Be Affecting You

You may:

• Worry about many areas of life

• Find it difficult to control the worry

• Expect something to go wrong

• Constantly ask “what if?”

• Feel restless

• Become easily irritated

• Struggle to concentrate

• Feel mentally exhausted

• Experience muscle tension

• Clench your jaw

• Have difficulty sleeping

• Wake feeling anxious

• Experience nausea or stomach discomfort

• Feel your heart racing

• Become short of breath

• Seek reassurance repeatedly

• Check decisions and responsibilities

• Avoid uncertainty

• Feel unable to relax

• Worry even when life appears to be going well

You may know that your worry is excessive while still feeling unable to stop it.

How Is GAD Different From Normal Worry?

Everyone worries sometimes.

Normal worry is usually connected to a specific problem and decreases when the problem is resolved.

With Generalised Anxiety Disorder, worry may:

• Affect several areas of life

• Continue even without an immediate problem

• Feel difficult to control

• Shift quickly from one subject to another

• Create significant physical tension

• Affect sleep and concentration

• Lead to repeated checking and reassurance

• Continue for a prolonged period

• Interfere with work, relationships or daily functioning

You may spend more time preparing for possible problems than responding to what is actually happening.

Why Does Generalised Anxiety Develop?

There is rarely one single cause.

GAD may involve a combination of:

• Temperament

• Learned worry patterns

• Chronic stress

• Trauma

• Family experiences

• Health scares

• Workplace pressure

• Perfectionism

• People pleasing

• Fear of uncertainty

• Repeated reassurance seeking

• Poor sleep

• Substance use

• Physical or hormonal factors

• Other mental-health conditions

Some people grow up in environments where danger, criticism or unpredictability make constant alertness feel necessary.

Others develop persistent anxiety after prolonged stress or a frightening experience.

Hypnotherapy does not diagnose the cause but may help address learned emotional and behavioural patterns contributing to ongoing anxiety.

The Generalised Anxiety Cycle

A thought or uncertainty appears.

You may think:

• “What if something goes wrong?”

• “I need to be prepared.”

• “I should think this through again.”

• “What if I miss an important warning?”

• “I cannot relax until I know.”

• “Worrying might prevent a problem.”

You begin analysing, checking or seeking reassurance.

This may provide temporary relief.

Then another uncertainty appears.

The cycle becomes:

Uncertainty → worry → mental analysis or checking → temporary relief → stronger need for certainty

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the urgency attached to uncertainty and the belief that every worry requires immediate attention.

Constant “What If?” Thinking

GAD may cause one possibility to create a chain of increasingly frightening outcomes.

For example:

• “What if I make a mistake?”

• “What if my manager notices?”

• “What if I lose my job?”

• “What if I cannot pay my bills?”

• “What if everything falls apart?”

Your mind may move from a small uncertainty to a major catastrophe within seconds.

Hypnotherapy may help interrupt this escalation and reduce the need to solve every hypothetical future.

Worrying About Everything

You may describe yourself as worrying about everything.

The subject may change throughout the day:

• Health in the morning

• Work during the day

• Relationships in the evening

• Sleep at night

• Money the following morning

The content changes, but the underlying process remains the same.

Your mind continues searching for the next area requiring certainty.

Hypnotherapy may help address this broader worry process rather than focusing only on one topic.

GAD and Racing Thoughts

Your thoughts may feel:

• Fast

• Repetitive

• Overlapping

• Difficult to organise

• Impossible to finish

• Stronger during quiet moments

You may jump between past mistakes, current responsibilities and future possibilities.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the speed, urgency and emotional intensity of anxious thinking.

Sudden racing thoughts accompanied by unusually high energy, very little need for sleep or major behavioural changes require professional assessment.

GAD and Overthinking

You may analyse ordinary situations long after useful problem-solving has ended.

You may overthink:

• Conversations

• Decisions

• Messages

• Work

• Health symptoms

• Other people’s opinions

• Future plans

• Past mistakes

• Whether you are coping correctly

Hypnotherapy may help reduce repetitive analysis and strengthen your ability to leave questions unanswered.

GAD and Catastrophic Thinking

Catastrophic thinking means automatically imagining the worst possible outcome.

A minor symptom may become serious illness.

A delayed reply may become rejection.

A mistake may become job loss.

A difficult night may become permanent insomnia.

Hypnotherapy may help create emotional distance between what is possible and what is actually happening.

GAD and Intolerance of Uncertainty

Uncertainty may feel emotionally dangerous.

You may believe you need to know:

• What will happen

• Whether you made the right choice

• Whether someone is upset

• Whether a symptom is serious

• Whether the future is secure

• Whether you will cope

• Whether you can prevent every problem

Complete certainty is rarely available.

The attempt to obtain it can keep anxiety active.

Hypnotherapy may help strengthen your ability to tolerate reasonable uncertainty without feeling unprotected.

GAD and Reassurance Seeking

You may repeatedly ask:

• “Do you think everything will be okay?”

• “Did I make the right decision?”

• “Are you sure?”

• “Does this seem normal?”

• “Do you think they are upset?”

• “What would you do?”

Reassurance may calm you briefly.

The worry often returns because the underlying need for certainty remains.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce reassurance dependence and strengthen confidence in your own judgement.

GAD and Mental Checking

Mental checking may include repeatedly asking yourself:

• “Do I feel calm?”

• “Have I forgotten something?”

• “Did I make a mistake?”

• “Am I certain?”

• “Is there another problem?”

• “Why am I still anxious?”

This checking keeps attention focused on anxiety.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce internal monitoring and the need to evaluate every thought and sensation.

GAD and Physical Anxiety Symptoms

Generalised anxiety may affect the body as well as the mind.

Possible symptoms include:

• Muscle tension

• Jaw clenching

• Headaches

• A racing heart

• Chest tightness

• Shortness of breath

• Stomach discomfort

• Nausea

• Diarrhoea

• Dizziness

• Shaking

• Sweating

• Fatigue

• Difficulty sleeping

• Restlessness

These symptoms can also have medical causes.

New, severe, persistent or unexplained physical symptoms should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Hypnotherapy may complement appropriate medical care when anxiety and nervous-system activation contribute.

GAD and Muscle Tension

You may carry tension in your:

• Jaw

• Neck

• Shoulders

• Chest

• Back

• Abdomen

• Hips

• Legs

• Hands

You may not notice how tightly you hold your body until pain or fatigue appears.

The muscles may remain prepared for danger even when you are resting.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce habitual bracing and support a calmer physical response.

Persistent pain or significant muscular symptoms should still be medically assessed.

GAD and Stomach Problems

Anxiety may occur alongside:

• Nausea

• Stomach churning

• Bloating

• Cramping

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Loss of appetite

• Urgency

• A guarded abdomen

You may worry about the symptoms, which creates more tension and discomfort.

Persistent, severe or unexplained digestive symptoms require medical assessment.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the anxiety and hypervigilance surrounding stomach sensations.

GAD and Heart Racing

A fast or forceful heartbeat may trigger fears about:

• Heart disease

• Fainting

• Losing control

• Having a panic attack

• Being unable to calm down

• Something medically serious happening

Anxiety may contribute to heart racing, but other causes should be considered.

New, persistent, severe or irregular palpitations should be medically assessed.

GAD and Shortness of Breath

You may feel unable to get a full breath.

You may:

• Sigh repeatedly

• Yawn

• Take large breaths

• Monitor every inhale

• Feel chest restriction

• Fear that breathing will stop

• Become more anxious when breathing feels automatic

Persistent breathlessness, waking gasping or other concerning breathing symptoms require medical assessment.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce breathing hypervigilance where anxiety contributes.

GAD and Dizziness

Dizziness may trigger fears of:

• Fainting

• Falling

• Losing control

• A neurological condition

• Being unable to drive

• Being trapped in public

• A medical emergency

Dizziness has many possible causes and should be medically assessed when new, persistent, worsening or unexplained.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce fear and monitoring after appropriate assessment.

GAD and Fatigue

Constant worry uses mental and physical energy.

You may feel:

• Exhausted despite resting

• Mentally drained

• Unable to concentrate

• Heavy

• Unmotivated

• Irritable

• As though your body is always tense

Fatigue can also have medical, sleep-related and psychological causes.

Persistent fatigue should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

GAD and Difficulty Concentrating

You may struggle to focus because part of your attention is constantly scanning for possible problems.

You may:

• Read the same paragraph repeatedly

• Forget what someone said

• Start several tasks

• Lose your train of thought

• Make avoidable mistakes

• Feel mentally foggy

• Become distracted by worries

Hypnotherapy may help reduce background threat monitoring and mental overload.

GAD and Irritability

Long-term anxiety can make your nervous system more reactive.

You may become irritated by:

• Noise

• Interruptions

• Delays

• Other people’s mistakes

• Changes of plan

• Questions

• Feeling rushed

• Uncertainty

You may then feel guilty about your reactions.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce physical tension and create more space before responding.

GAD and Sleep Problems

You may feel exhausted during the day but unable to switch off at night.

You may:

• Replay conversations

• Plan tomorrow

• Check the time

• Worry about not sleeping

• Wake during the night

• Wake too early

• Fear how you will function

• Feel anxious when bedtime approaches

Hypnotherapy may help reduce bedtime rumination and the pressure to force sleep.

Persistent insomnia or suspected sleep disorders should also be medically assessed.

GAD in the Morning

Morning anxiety may begin before you have left bed.

You may wake with:

• Dread

• Nausea

• A racing heart

• Chest tightness

• Shaking

• Immediate thoughts about responsibilities

• Fear that the day will be overwhelming

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the conditioned expectation that each morning will begin with danger.

GAD at Night

Night-time may intensify anxiety because there are fewer distractions.

Your thoughts may focus on:

• Health

• Work

• Money

• Relationships

• Tomorrow

• Mistakes

• Whether you will sleep

• Whether you will ever feel normal

Hypnotherapy may help reduce bedtime overthinking and allow unfinished thoughts to wait.

GAD and Work Anxiety

Work may become one of the main subjects of worry.

You may worry about:

• Making mistakes

• Managers

• Deadlines

• Meetings

• Presentations

• Job security

• Colleagues

• Performance reviews

• Falling behind

• Appearing incompetent

You may leave work physically but continue thinking about it throughout the evening.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce work rumination, perfectionism and fear of authority.

Genuinely unsafe or unreasonable workplace conditions may also require practical action.

GAD and Relationship Anxiety

You may worry about:

• Whether your partner still loves you

• Whether they will leave

• Whether you said something wrong

• Whether the relationship is right

• Whether you are too needy

• Whether they are attracted to someone else

• Whether conflict means the relationship is failing

You may seek reassurance or analyse messages repeatedly.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce abandonment fear, checking and catastrophic interpretation.

GAD and Health Anxiety

Health may become a major focus of worry.

You may:

• Scan your body

• Search symptoms

• Check your pulse

• Seek repeated medical reassurance

• Distrust normal results

• Fear serious illness

• Worry that something has been missed

• Avoid appointments because of bad-news fears

Appropriate medical assessment remains important.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic interpretation and reassurance dependence after suitable investigation.

GAD and Financial Anxiety

Financial uncertainty may produce constant worry about:

• Bills

• Rent or mortgage payments

• Business income

• Employment

• Debt

• Unexpected expenses

• Retirement

• Supporting family

• Losing everything

Some financial concerns are realistic and require practical action.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic thinking so decisions can be made from a calmer state.

Financial counselling or professional advice may also be useful.

GAD and Parenting Anxiety

Parents may worry constantly about:

• Health

• Safety

• School

• Development

• Friendships

• Behaviour

• The future

• Whether they are doing enough

• Whether something bad will happen

You may try to control every detail because uncertainty feels unsafe.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic parenting fears while preserving sensible care.

GAD and Fear About Loved Ones

You may worry that something will happen to:

• Your partner

• Children

• Parents

• Friends

• Pets

You may:

• Call repeatedly

• Check locations

• Fear accidents

• Become distressed by delayed replies

• Imagine medical emergencies

• Find separation difficult

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic imagery and the belief that constant worry protects loved ones.

GAD and Perfectionism

Perfectionism may keep anxiety active because nothing feels complete or safe enough.

You may believe:

• “I must get everything right.”

• “Mistakes are dangerous.”

• “Good enough is not acceptable.”

• “People will judge me.”

• “I need to check again.”

• “I should be able to handle everything.”

Hypnotherapy may help reduce all-or-nothing standards and repeated checking.

GAD and People Pleasing

You may worry excessively about disappointing other people.

You may:

• Say yes automatically

• Avoid conflict

• Hide your needs

• Apologise repeatedly

• Feel responsible for everyone’s mood

• Take on too much

• Fear being seen as selfish

• Struggle to set boundaries

Hypnotherapy may help reduce approval dependence and over-responsibility.

GAD and Fear of Making Mistakes

You may imagine that one error will create major consequences.

You may:

• Check work repeatedly

• Delay decisions

• Avoid unfamiliar tasks

• Ask for reassurance

• Procrastinate

• Replay mistakes

• Criticise yourself harshly

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic expectations and support a more proportionate response to ordinary mistakes.

GAD and Decision-Making

Decisions may become exhausting because you want to remove all uncertainty.

You may:

• Research excessively

• Compare every option

• Ask many people

• Delay choosing

• Fear regret

• Revisit the decision

• Imagine every possible outcome

Hypnotherapy may help reduce decision anxiety and strengthen confidence in making reasonable choices.

GAD and Procrastination

Procrastination may be driven by anxiety rather than laziness.

You may delay because:

• You fear doing the task incorrectly

• You do not know the perfect first step

• The task feels overwhelming

• Starting makes failure possible

• You want more information

• You feel mentally exhausted

Hypnotherapy may help reduce perfectionistic avoidance and support action before complete certainty is available.

GAD and Panic Attacks

Some people with generalised anxiety also experience panic attacks.

Symptoms may include:

• A racing heart

• Chest tightness

• Shortness of breath

• Shaking

• Sweating

• Nausea

• Dizziness

• Derealisation

• Fear of dying

• Fear of losing control

You may then worry constantly about having another attack.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce fear of panic sensations after appropriate medical assessment.

GAD and Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts may create further worry.

You may experience unwanted thoughts about:

• Harm

• Death

• Illness

• Losing control

• Relationships

• Embarrassment

• Sexual themes

• Religion

• Accidents

• Going crazy

You may analyse what the thought means.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the fear and emotional importance attached to intrusive thoughts.

When OCD is suspected, evidence-based psychological treatment such as cognitive behavioural therapy with exposure and response prevention may also be important.

GAD and OCD

GAD and OCD can both involve repetitive thinking, but they are not identical.

OCD usually includes recurring obsessions and compulsions intended to reduce distress or obtain certainty.

Compulsions may include:

• Checking

• Reassurance seeking

• Mental review

• Avoidance

• Repeating

• Confessing

• Neutralising thoughts

• Testing feelings

A qualified mental-health professional can assess whether OCD is present.

Hypnotherapy may support anxiety reduction but should not replace specialised OCD treatment.

GAD and Social Anxiety

You may worry about:

• Being judged

• Saying something wrong

• Going blank

• Awkward silence

• Visible anxiety

• Eye contact

• Rejection

• Replaying conversations

Hypnotherapy may help reduce fear of judgement and social self-monitoring.

GAD and Depression

Persistent anxiety may occur alongside depression.

You may experience:

• Low mood

• Hopelessness

• Loss of interest

• Fatigue

• Withdrawal

• Difficulty concentrating

• Feelings of worthlessness

• Thoughts that life is not worth living

Hypnotherapy may complement care but should not replace assessment or treatment from a GP, psychologist or psychiatrist.

Persistent hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm require professional support.

GAD and Burnout

Constant worry and tension may contribute to burnout.

You may feel:

• Exhausted

• Emotionally numb

• Irritable

• Unable to concentrate

• Unmotivated

• Detached from work

• Guilty for slowing down

• Unable to switch off

Hypnotherapy may help reduce overthinking, perfectionism and chronic stress.

Recovery may also require workload changes, boundaries, leave or practical support.

GAD and Trauma

Trauma may teach the nervous system that danger can appear without warning.

You may become highly alert to:

• Tone of voice

• Other people’s moods

• Physical sensations

• Environmental changes

• Possible conflict

• Exit routes

• Signs that something is wrong

Hypnotherapy may help reduce associated anxiety when appropriate.

Trauma-focused psychological care may also be necessary.

GAD and ADHD

ADHD may occur alongside anxiety.

You may experience:

• Mental restlessness

• Difficulty prioritising

• Forgetfulness

• Overwhelm

• Procrastination

• Rapid thoughts

• Fear of making mistakes

• Anxiety about unfinished tasks

Hypnotherapy does not diagnose or replace ADHD treatment.

It may support anxiety reduction, sleep and confidence around associated habits.

GAD and Autism

Some autistic people experience anxiety related to:

• Uncertainty

• Sensory overload

• Social expectations

• Routine changes

• Communication

• Masking

• Burnout

• Unpredictability

Hypnotherapy should be adapted respectfully to the individual.

It does not diagnose autism or replace appropriate psychological, medical or occupational support.

GAD and Caffeine

Caffeine, energy drinks and pre-workout products may increase:

• Heart racing

• Shaking

• Restlessness

• Sweating

• Stomach urgency

• Poor sleep

• Panic sensations

• Mental overactivity

Hypnotherapy may support behaviour change and reduce reliance on stimulation.

Persistent palpitations or other concerning symptoms should be medically assessed.

GAD and Alcohol

You may use alcohol to:

• Relax

• Sleep

• Stop thinking

• Feel more social

• Escape physical tension

• Cope after work

Alcohol may provide temporary relief while worsening sleep, mood or anxiety afterwards.

Hypnotherapy may support anxiety reduction and behaviour change.

Problematic drinking or withdrawal requires medical or addiction support.

GAD and Cannabis

Cannabis may relax some people but trigger anxiety, paranoia, panic, derealisation or rapid thoughts in others.

You may worry that:

• You have permanently changed your mind

• You will lose control

• The sensation will return

• You will never feel normal

• You have damaged your brain

Seek medical or mental-health advice when symptoms begin during or after cannabis use.

Hypnotherapy may support associated anxiety but does not replace medical, psychiatric or addiction care.

GAD and Medication

Medication may be part of a treatment plan for some people.

Hypnotherapy does not replace prescribed medication or medical care.

Do not stop, reduce or change medication without speaking with your doctor or pharmacist.

Hypnotherapy may be used as complementary support for anxiety patterns, habits and physical tension where appropriate.

How Hypnotherapy May Help With Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Hypnotherapy does not diagnose or cure Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

As complementary support, sessions may focus on helping you:

• Reduce constant “what if?” thinking

• Respond more calmly to uncertainty

• Reduce physical tension

• Stop checking every thought and sensation

• Reduce catastrophic predictions

• Feel less dependent on reassurance

• Switch off more easily

• Reduce bedtime worry

• Feel calmer in the morning

• Make decisions with less second-guessing

• Reduce perfectionism

• Set healthier boundaries

• Stop treating every possibility as an emergency

• Feel more confident handling problems when they actually arise

• Return attention to the present

The goal is not to eliminate all worry.

Some worry is useful.

The aim is to make worry more proportionate, flexible and responsive to real situations.

Why Choose Clive Westwood for GAD Hypnotherapy in Brisbane?

Helping Clients Since 2013

Clive Westwood has been helping clients through hypnotherapy since 2013.

His experience includes working with persistent anxiety, panic attacks, overthinking, health anxiety, insomnia, perfectionism and physical anxiety symptoms.

This allows sessions to focus on both the content of your worries and the underlying process keeping them active.

A Strong Focus on Anxiety

Generalised anxiety is rarely resolved by simply telling someone to stop worrying.

The mind may genuinely believe that worry is keeping you safe.

Clive can help clients work on:

• Catastrophic thinking

• Reassurance seeking

• Mental checking

• Physical tension

• Intolerance of uncertainty

• Overthinking

• Fear of mistakes

• Difficulty switching off

The problem is treated as an emotional and nervous-system pattern rather than a lack of willpower.

Personal Understanding of Severe Anxiety

Clive has spoken openly about his earlier experiences with severe anxiety and panic attacks.

This personal understanding may help clients feel less judged when describing worry that feels excessive, repetitive or difficult to explain.

Personalised Hypnotherapy Sessions

GAD affects people differently.

Your main concerns may involve:

• Work

• Health

• Family

• Relationships

• Money

• Physical symptoms

• Sleep

• Parenting

• Decision-making

• Fear of mistakes

• Panic attacks

• The future

Clive adapts each session around your symptoms, history, professional care and goals.

A Responsible Approach

Generalised anxiety may overlap with:

• Depression

• OCD

• Panic disorder

• Trauma

• ADHD

• Autism

• Insomnia

• Substance use

• Medication effects

• Hormonal changes

• Medical conditions

• Suicidal thoughts

Hypnotherapy should complement rather than replace appropriate medical, psychological or psychiatric assessment and treatment.

A Calm and Non-Judgemental Environment

You do not need to explain every worry in perfect order.

Clive provides a calm and private setting where you can speak at your own pace without being criticised for worrying too much.

In-Person and Online Hypnotherapy

Face-to-face Generalised Anxiety Disorder hypnotherapy is available at Clive’s Boondall clinic on Brisbane’s northside.

Online hypnotherapy appointments are also available throughout Australia and internationally.

What Happens During a GAD Hypnotherapy Session?

Your appointment begins with a confidential conversation about how anxiety affects your thoughts, body and daily life.

Clive may ask:

• Which subjects create the most worry?

• When is anxiety strongest?

• Do you experience physical symptoms?

• Do you seek reassurance?

• Do you check decisions repeatedly?

• How is your sleep?

• Are work, health or relationship concerns involved?

• Have persistent symptoms been professionally assessed?

• Which patterns would you like to change?

• How would you prefer to feel and respond?

Clive will explain the hypnotherapy process before hypnosis begins.

During hypnosis, you remain aware and responsive.

You do not lose control.

Your personalised session may include:

• Therapeutic suggestions

• Calming imagery

• Reduced catastrophic thinking

• Greater tolerance of uncertainty

• Reduced reassurance seeking

• Less physical bracing

• Reduced mental checking

• Confidence making decisions

• Mental separation from unfinished problems

• Greater ability to return attention to the present

Will Hypnotherapy Cure GAD?

No ethical practitioner should guarantee a cure.

Hypnotherapy may help reduce anxiety patterns and symptoms for some people, but GAD may also require care from a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist or another qualified professional.

Can Hypnotherapy Stop All Worry?

No.

Worry is a normal human response.

The aim is to reduce excessive, repetitive and uncontrollable worry so thinking becomes more useful and proportionate.

Can Hypnotherapy Help With Physical GAD Symptoms?

Hypnotherapy may help reduce anxiety-related tension, hypervigilance and fear of physical sensations.

Physical symptoms should still be medically assessed when new, severe, persistent or unexplained.

Can Hypnotherapy Be Used With Psychology or Medication?

Yes. Hypnotherapy may be used as complementary support alongside psychological treatment or prescribed medication when your healthcare providers consider it appropriate.

Do not alter medication without medical advice.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

The number of sessions varies depending on how long anxiety has been present, its severity and whether panic, depression, trauma, OCD, insomnia or other conditions are also involved.

Clive can provide a more personalised recommendation after discussing your circumstances.

No ethical hypnotherapist can guarantee a particular outcome or exact number of sessions.

When Should You Seek Medical or Mental-Health Support?

Arrange professional assessment when anxiety:

• Persists or becomes worse

• Significantly affects daily functioning

• Prevents sleep

• Causes persistent physical symptoms

• Leads to prolonged absence from work or school

• Causes severe avoidance

• Occurs with significant depression

• Leads to alcohol or drug reliance

• Begins after medication changes

• Makes driving or work unsafe

• Includes thoughts of self-harm

• Makes it difficult to care for yourself

Persistent symptoms should not automatically be assumed to be GAD or anxiety.

Crisis and Immediate Support

Seek urgent help when you believe you may harm yourself, cannot remain safe or are experiencing a severe mental-health crisis.

In Australia:

• Call Triple Zero on 000 in an emergency.

• Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

• Call the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.

• Attend the nearest hospital emergency department when immediate assessment is required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a recognised anxiety condition involving persistent and difficult-to-control worry about several areas of life.

Can hypnotherapy help with GAD?

Hypnotherapy may help reduce excessive worry, catastrophic thinking, physical tension, reassurance seeking and difficulty switching off.

Is GAD the same as normal stress?

No. GAD generally involves persistent worry that is difficult to control and affects everyday functioning.

Can GAD cause physical symptoms?

Yes. Anxiety may occur alongside muscle tension, heart racing, nausea, stomach discomfort, dizziness, fatigue and sleep problems. Physical causes should still be considered.

Can hypnotherapy help with constant “what if?” thoughts?

Hypnotherapy may help reduce catastrophic chains of hypothetical thinking and the belief that every possibility requires an answer.

Can hypnotherapy help me stop seeking reassurance?

Hypnotherapy may help reduce the need for repeated certainty and strengthen trust in your ability to handle uncertainty.

Can hypnotherapy help with GAD at night?

Hypnotherapy may help reduce bedtime rumination, physical monitoring and fear of not sleeping.

Is GAD the same as OCD?

No. They may both involve repetitive thinking, but OCD typically includes obsessions and compulsions. A qualified professional can assess this.

Can I have hypnotherapy while taking anxiety medication?

Hypnotherapy may be used as complementary support. Continue following your prescriber’s instructions and do not alter medication without medical advice.

Will I lose control during hypnosis?

No. You remain aware, responsive and able to stop the process at any time.

Where is Clive Westwood’s Brisbane clinic?

Clive Westwood’s hypnotherapy clinic is located in Boondall on Brisbane’s northside.

Are online appointments available?

Yes. Online hypnotherapy appointments are available throughout Australia and internationally.

Book Generalised Anxiety Disorder Hypnotherapy in Brisbane

You do not need to spend every day preparing for problems that may never happen.

You can respond to genuine responsibilities without treating every uncertainty as an emergency. You can allow some questions to remain unanswered and trust yourself to handle situations when they actually arise.

Clive Westwood provides personalised hypnotherapy for Generalised Anxiety Disorder and persistent worry in Brisbane, helping clients reduce catastrophic thinking, physical tension, reassurance seeking, mental checking and difficulty switching off.

Appointments are available in person at the Boondall clinic and online.

Book your Generalised Anxiety Disorder hypnotherapy appointment with Clive Westwood today.