Feel more in control of your thoughts, your body, and your wellbeing.

It’s natural to care about your health. But for some people, that concern becomes constant and distressing, leading to ongoing worry about symptoms, test results, or the possibility of serious illness, even when medical reassurance has been given. This pattern is known as health anxiety, and it can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

At Rose Park Psychology, we help adults, teenagers, and children experiencing health anxiety to break the cycle of fear, reduce reassurance-seeking, and reconnect with daily life in a more balanced, meaningful way.

What Does Health Anxiety Feel Like

Health anxiety (formerly referred to as hypochondriasis) can look different for everyone. You may:

• Worry excessively about physical symptoms or perceived changes in your body
• Frequently check your body for signs of illness (e.g. lumps, rashes, heartbeat)
• Constantly research symptoms online, leading to more anxiety
• Seek frequent medical reassurance — or avoid doctors out of fear
• Struggle to focus on anything else once a health worry has taken hold
• Experience physical symptoms (e.g. headaches, muscle tension, stomach upset) related to anxiety itself

Woman helping patient to survive depression.

What Contributes to Health Anxiety?

Health anxiety often develops gradually and may be influenced by:

• A personal or family history of anxiety or medical illness
• Past experiences of serious illness (in yourself or loved ones)
• Anxious thinking styles — such as catastrophising or intolerance of uncertainty
• A heightened awareness of bodily sensations
• Exposure to health scares, medical trauma, or loss

Our psychologists work with you to understand the underlying patterns maintaining your anxiety and provide practical tools to shift them.

How We Can Help

At Rose Park Psychology, we offer warm, evidence-based therapy to help you break free from the cycle of health-related fear and overthinking.

We tailor support using:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – to challenge health-related thoughts, reduce safety behaviours, and build confidence
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – to reduce the struggle with anxious thoughts and promote values-based living
• Psychoeducation and body awareness – to better understand the mind-body connection
• Mindfulness and exposure strategies – to reduce over-monitoring and avoidance patterns

Whether you’re facing daily health worries or occasional flare-ups, we’ll help you feel more grounded, focused, and in control.

You can learn more about health anxiety through HealthLine, which provides an overview of symptoms and causes that can complement your therapy journey and help increase awareness of your experience.

Book a session today

With the right support, many people learn to feel more at ease in their bodies, reduce mental load, and regain trust in themselves.

Call our friendly team or book an appointment online to connect with a psychologist at Rose Park Psychology today. We offer in-person sessions in Adelaide and telehealth.