Lauren Jacobs

Anxiety doesn't always stop people from functioning. Sometimes it quietly takes over their lives instead.

From the outside, you might look as though you're coping.

You go to work. Meet your responsibilities. Keep everything moving.

The people around you probably wouldn't guess how much energy it takes.

But inside, anxiety has become exhausting.

You replay conversations after they've finished, wondering whether you said the wrong thing.

You overprepare because it feels safer than taking the risk.

You second-guess decisions that other people seem to make with ease.

Perhaps you've experienced a panic attack that seemed to come out of nowhere. Since then, you've found yourself constantly monitoring your body, wondering whether today will be the day it happens again.

For many people, the panic attack itself isn't what stays with them.

It's the fear of another panic attack.

The quiet calculation before every meeting, journey, presentation or social event.

The automatic search for the nearest exit.

The constant question in the background:

"What if it happens here?"

One of the cruellest things about anxiety is that it often attacks the part of your identity you value most.

If you've always been capable, reliable and composed, anxiety doesn't just feel frightening.

It makes you question yourself.

Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, conscientious adults who hold themselves to high standards. Some are at the beginning of their careers. Others have spent years building successful professional lives. What they have in common isn't their job title. It's the private pressure they put themselves under and the growing sense that anxiety is beginning to shape their lives in ways they never imagined.

Over time, anxiety can quietly become the thing organising your life.

It influences where you go, what you say yes to, how much you prepare, how often you check yourself and how much of your energy is spent trying to prevent something from going wrong.

You may still be functioning.

But you're functioning within increasingly narrow boundaries set by anxiety rather than by the life you want to live.

You don't have to wait until anxiety has taken over your life before getting help.

Many people tell themselves they should be able to cope because they're still functioning. But therapy isn't something you have to earn by reaching breaking point. If anxiety is taking up more space than the life you want to be living, that's reason enough to reach out.

Anxiety Therapy and Clinical Hypnotherapy in Fulham, London

I'm Lauren Jacobs, and I help adults overcome anxiety, panic attacks, high-functioning anxiety, overthinking, phobias, stress, burnout and self-doubt through evidence-based psychotherapy and clinical hypnotherapy from my therapy room in Fulham, London SW6.

I work with clients in Fulham, across London and online throughout the UK and in some international locations.

How I work

Over the years I've found that simply understanding anxiety is rarely enough to create lasting change.

That's why I combine psychotherapy with evidence-based clinical hypnotherapy.

Together, we'll understand what's keeping anxiety going, calm your nervous system and help you develop a different relationship with the thoughts, feelings and physical sensations that have been keeping you stuck.

The aim isn't simply to reduce anxiety.

It's to help you stop organising your life around it.

So you can trust yourself again.

Because no two people experience anxiety in exactly the same way, I draw from a range of evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), clinical hypnotherapy, somatic therapies, Transactional Analysis, Gestalt therapy, psychodynamic approaches, mindfulness and breathwork. Therapy is always tailored to you rather than expecting you to fit a particular model.

Just as importantly, I offer a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you don't have to hide how difficult things have become. Many people arrive feeling embarrassed by their anxiety or frustrated that they haven't been able to think their way out of it. You don't have to carry that on your own.

Can hypnotherapy help anxiety and panic attacks?

Yes.

Clinical hypnotherapy can be a highly effective way of treating anxiety and panic attacks when used alongside psychotherapy.

While psychotherapy helps us understand the patterns that are keeping anxiety going, hypnotherapy can help reduce the intensity of the fear response, calm the nervous system and support new ways of responding to anxious thoughts, situations and physical sensations.

Whether you're struggling with generalised anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, overthinking, public speaking anxiety, phobias or the fear of future panic attacks, therapy is always tailored to your individual needs and goals.

I commonly help with

Anxiety

Generalised anxiety
High-functioning anxiety
Panic attacks
Fear of future panic attacks
Social anxiety
Health anxiety
Overthinking
Excessive worry
Imposter syndrome
Fear of presenting and public speaking

Stress and emotional wellbeing

Burnout
Low confidence
Perfectionism
Self-criticism

Phobias

Fear of flying
Fear of driving
Medical phobias, including fear of needles
Animal phobias
Tokophobia (fear of pregnancy or childbirth)

Other areas

Trauma
Depression and low mood
Emotional eating
Smoking cessation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / ME
Long Covid
Migraine

If you're unsure whether I can help with your particular concern, please get in touch. This list reflects the issues I most commonly work with, but it isn't exhaustive.

Fertility support

I also have a specialist interest in supporting people experiencing infertility or undergoing fertility treatment.

Alongside helping to reduce stress and anxiety, I support clients through the emotional and psychological impact of trying to conceive, whether naturally or through IVF and other fertility treatment.

Why work with me?

Alongside extensive professional training, I also bring lived experience of recovering from severe anxiety. I know how easy it is to believe that this is simply who you've become.

It isn't.

I've worked with people whose anxiety has affected every part of their lives in very different ways. For some, it's meant avoiding flights, driving or social situations. For others, it's shown up as relentless overthinking, self-doubt or the fear of another panic attack, despite appearing to cope well on the outside.

Whatever form anxiety takes, my aim is the same: to help you feel calmer, trust yourself again and get back to living a life that's guided by what matters to you, rather than by fear.

I see clients in my therapy room in Fulham, London, just a minute's walk from Putney Bridge Underground station, and also work online via Zoom.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if therapy could help me?
You don't have to be in crisis or at breaking point to benefit from therapy. Many people I work with are still managing work, family life and day-to-day responsibilities, but anxiety, overthinking or panic have begun to limit their confidence, freedom or enjoyment of life. If anxiety is taking up more space than you'd like, therapy can help.

What happens in the first session?
Unlike a standard 50-minute therapy appointment, your first session lasts 80-90 minutes. This gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, explore the difficulties you're experiencing in depth and build a clear understanding of what's been keeping them going.

We'll discuss your goals, agree on a tailored approach and, where appropriate, begin hypnotherapy during this first session. That means we can often start the process of change straight away, rather than using the initial session solely as an assessment.

How many therapy sessions will I need?
There's no fixed number of sessions because everyone's circumstances and goals are different. Some people find a relatively short course of therapy is enough to achieve the changes they're looking for, while others benefit from longer-term support.

If you'd like an indication before we begin, I'm often able to give a rough ballpark during our initial telephone conversation. Once we've met for the first session and I have a better understanding of what's been happening and what you'd like to achieve, I can usually give you a clearer idea of what to expect.

We'll review your progress regularly and decide together what feels right for you, with the aim of helping you make lasting changes as efficiently as possible.

Infertility

Decision-making

Long Covid

I offer a free initial phone consultation of up to 30 minutes.

For therapy sessions, my fees for private clients are:

• Initial session (80-90 minutes) - £130
• Follow-up sessions (50-60 minutes) - £100
• Fertile Mind, Fertile You fertility programme of 8 sessions plus supporting resources - £750
• Smoking cessation - £190

If you see me at the London Wellbeing Centre the fees are:

• Initial session (80-90 minutes) - £140
• Follow-up sessions (50-60 minutes) - £110