How CBT Helps You Overcome Health Anxiety: A Therapist’s Guide
If you’ve ever found yourself spiralling after noticing a small bump, twitch, or pain—you're not alone. Maybe you've gone down a Google rabbit hole, convinced it’s something serious. Maybe you’ve been to the doctor, more than once, and still can't shake the fear that something’s wrong.
Health anxiety can feel overwhelming. It's like your mind won’t let your body rest. Every ache feels like a warning sign. Every sensation feels like a threat.
But here’s the thing: this isn’t your fault. You’re not being dramatic. Your brain is just stuck in a fear loop—and CBT therapy can help you break it.
Let’s talk about what health anxiety is and how common it is. We will also look at how working with a CBT therapist can help you feel safe in your body again.
What Is Health Anxiety?
Health anxiety is also known as illness anxiety disorder or hypochondriac. It happens when you feel overly worried about your health. You might feel convinced that normal body sensations are signs of something serious, even if your doctor says you’re okay.
People with health anxiety often:
Worry a lot about getting sick or dying
Seek constant reassurance (from doctors or loved ones)
Avoid hospitals, medical shows, or anything related to illness
Check their body often for symptoms
Google health symptoms for long periods of time
It’s not “just in your head.” It’s anxiety showing up through your health fears. And it’s exhausting. Learn more about the signs and symptoms of health anxiety.
Health Anxiety. How to do treatment. Source: OCD and Anxiety.
Prevalence of Health Anxiety
Health anxiety is more common than most people think. About 3–10% of the general population may experience it (Asmundson & Taylor, 2020). Rates may be even higher during stressful times—like after a medical scare, during a pandemic, or if a loved one becomes ill.
Health anxiety affects people of all ages. It often begins in early adulthood. But can show up later too—especially if you’re under chronic stress or have experienced trauma around illness.
Does CBT Work for Health Anxiety?
Yes—CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) works well for health anxiety. In fact, it’s one of the most effective treatments.
CBT helps you:
Spot the thought traps that fuel your anxiety (like assuming the worst)
Learn to challenge and replace those thoughts
Reduce checking and reassurance-seeking behaviours
Face feared situations in small, manageable steps
It’s not about pretending you’re never anxious. It’s about giving you tools so the anxiety doesn’t control your life anymore.
Studies show that CBT helps reduce health anxiety symptoms and keeps working long after therapy ends (Cooper et al., 2017).
How Many CBT Sessions for Health Anxiety?
It depends on how intense your anxiety is and how long it’s been going on. But most people start to feel real relief within 8 to 12 sessions. Some people may need fewer than this and some people may need more sessions.
Your therapist might meet with you weekly and set clear goals. Together, you’ll build a toolkit to manage anxiety—even outside of sessions.
If you're dealing with longstanding or more severe health anxiety, you might benefit from a bit more time. Either way, CBT offers short-term therapy that creates long-term results.
CBT Techniques for Health Anxiety
CBT doesn’t just help you “talk it out”—it gives you tools to change how you think and respond to fear. These techniques are practical, evidence-based, and can help you feel less stuck in your body and your thoughts.
Here are some of the main CBT techniques we use for health anxiety:
1. Thought Tracking. Health anxiety often starts with a thought—What if this is serious? Your therapist will help you write these thoughts down and look at the patterns. When do they show up? What do they trigger? Tracking thoughts helps you get curious instead of getting swept up in panic.
2. Cognitive Restructuring. Once you spot the anxious thought, the next step is to question it. Is this thought based on facts—or fear? What’s the evidence for and against it? We’re not forcing positive thinking. We’re helping you build balanced thinking. You learn to talk back to anxiety with calm, grounded logic.
3. Behavioural Experiments. These are small challenges that test out your fears in real life. For example, you might delay Googling a symptom for a few hours—or skip checking your pulse. These experiments show you that nothing bad happens when you resist the urge. Over time, this helps reduce your anxiety and builds confidence in your body.
4. Exposure Therapy. If you’ve been avoiding anything that reminds you of illness—doctor’s offices, health shows, or even the word “cancer”—your therapist might use exposure. You face these triggers in small, safe steps, with support. It’s uncomfortable at first, but over time your brain learns: This isn’t dangerous. I can handle this.
Exposure Ideas for Health Anxiety
Start small, go at your pace, and repeat each one until it feels easier.
Read the word “cancer” or “heart attack” without distracting yourself
Watch a medical show or listen to a health podcast
Walk past or enter a hospital or clinic waiting room
Read a symptom list online without Googling further
Sit with a mild body sensation (like a racing heart) without trying to fix it
Delay checking your pulse or temperature for a set amount of time
Avoid asking someone for health reassurance (partner, friend, doctor)
Wear a fitness tracker but ignore the stats for a day
Look at images of body parts or medical equipment
Journal about your health fears without solving them
Role-play getting bad news from a doctor and practice responding calmly
Watch videos of people talking about their health issues
Go a day without searching symptoms online
Schedule a physical and sit with the anxiety before and after
Say aloud: “I don’t know for sure if I’m healthy, and that’s okay”
5. Relapse Prevention. Even after you feel better, it’s normal to have setbacks. CBT teaches you how to catch old habits early, use your tools, and stay on track. You’ll leave therapy with a plan for how to manage anxiety in the long run.
CBT is active and focused on building skills. We won’t just talk about the anxiety—we’ll help you change the way it works in your life.
CBT vs. Medication for Health Anxiety
If you’re dealing with health anxiety, you might wonder: Should I try medication, therapy, or both? It’s a fair question. Both options can help, but they work in different ways.
How CBT Helps
CBT teaches you to notice and change the thoughts and behaviours that keep your anxiety going.
You learn to:
Spot “what if” thinking
Challenge false alarms
Reduce checking, Googling, and reassurance-seeking
Face your fears instead of avoiding them
CBT gives you tools to understand why the anxiety is happening and how to respond to it. It doesn’t just treat the symptoms—it helps you change the pattern.
How Medication Helps
Medication, like SSRIs (e.g., sertraline or fluoxetine), can help reduce the intensity of anxiety. For some people, it creates more space to think clearly and engage in therapy. It can be helpful if your anxiety feels too overwhelming to manage on its own.
That said, medication doesn’t teach you how to change anxious thinking. It can lower the volume—but it won’t fix the cycle by itself.
Which One Is Better: CBT or Medication?
Research shows that CBT is as effective as medication for treating health anxiety. Sometimes CBT is more effective long term (Cooper et al., 2017; Newby et al., 2017). And if you combine both? That can work too, especially if your symptoms are more severe.
The best treatment is the one that fits you. Some people start with therapy. Some need both. A CBT therapist can help you figure out what path makes the most sense right now.
What Are the Best Therapies for Health Anxiety?
CBT is the gold standard. But depending on your needs, your therapist might also include elements of:
Mindfulness-Based CBT. Teaches you to observe thoughts without reacting.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Helps you accept uncertainty and live according to your values, not your fears.
Psychoeducation. Gives you a clear understanding of what’s happening in your mind and body.
Your CBT therapist can help you figure out which approach fits you best.
5 CBT Tips for Dealing with Health Anxiety
If you live with health anxiety, you already know how exhausting it can be. Your brain keeps looking for danger, and your body feels stuck in “what if” mode. These tips won’t fix everything overnight, but they can help you start to feel more in control.
1. Notice the “what if” thoughts—then pause.
Health anxiety often shows up as scary “what ifs”: What if this headache is a brain tumour? What if the doctor missed something? The first step is to catch these thoughts when they show up. Don’t try to argue with them right away. Just pause. Label them: This is a health anxiety thought. That simple step helps create space between you and the fear.
2. Cut back on checking and Googling.
It’s tempting to Google your symptoms or check your body for signs of illness. But the more you check, the more anxious you feel—and the more checking you’ll need next time. Try setting a “no-Googling” window for a few hours or a full day. You’re not ignoring your body; you’re breaking the cycle.
3. Practice tolerating uncertainty.
We all want to feel sure about our health. But certainty isn’t always possible. And the more you chase it, the more anxious you feel. Start with small experiments, like resisting the urge to ask someone for reassurance. Sit with the discomfort. Remind yourself: Uncertainty doesn’t mean danger.
4. Shift your focus to what matters.
Health anxiety can steal your time and energy. Gently guide your focus back to things that make you feel connected—like being with your kids, walking your dog, listening to music. You don’t have to wait until the anxiety is gone to live your life.
5. Talk to a CBT therapist.
You don’t have to do this alone. A CBT therapist can help you understand where the anxiety comes from and teach you tools to manage it. Therapy doesn’t mean the thoughts disappear completely—but it does mean you can stop letting them run the show.
Connect with a CBT Therapist. For Ontario Residents.
If health anxiety is taking up too much space in your life, it doesn’t have to stay that way. Working with a CBT therapist can help you feel more grounded, more in control, and more present in your day-to-day life.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. We’re here to help.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with one of our CBT therapists today. Let’s get you back to living—not just worrying. Our Clinical Directors will match you with a therapist in Ontario. Learn more about our therapy fees. Meet our team of anxiety therapists.
Written by a CBT Therapist, Celissa Vipond, RSW, MSW
ReferencesAsmundson, G. J. G., & Taylor, S. (2020). How health anxiety influences responses to viral outbreaks like COVID-19: What all decision-makers, health authorities, and health care professionals need to know. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 71, 102211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102211Cooper, M., Gregory, J., Walker, I., Lambe, R., & Salkovskis, P. M. (2017). Cognitive behavioural therapy for health anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 45(2), 110–123. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465816000361Newby, J. M., Hobbs, M. J., Mahoney, A. E., Wong, S. K., & Andrews, G. (2017). Effectiveness of transdiagnostic internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for primary health anxiety: A randomised controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 95, 49–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2017.05.003