Sebastian Kitchen

Anxiety Therapy in Bendigo & Kyneton

When your mind won't stop and your body won't settle.

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Abstract figure with tangled lines over head, representing anxious thoughts

What Does Anxiety Feel Like?

Anxiety wears many faces. Some people experience it as generalised worry that colours everything. Others know it as sudden panic attacks — moments of overwhelming fear and physical symptoms that feel life-threatening, even when you know rationally that you're safe. Social anxiety might make you feel watched, judged, ashamed. Health anxiety has you convinced that every body sensation is a sign of serious illness.

Whatever form it takes, anxiety is exhausting. And it's more common than most people realise.

Social anxiety in particular can prompt careful coping strategies — performing ease, carefully monitoring how you're coming across, sometimes called "masking." These responses can work in the moment but tend to reinforce the cycle over time, because the underlying vulnerability never gets the attention it needs. The root is usually an early learned sense that it wasn't safe to be fully oneself in certain kinds of company.

If something here is landing, you don't have to read to the end before reaching out.

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How I Work With Anxiety

My approach addresses anxiety at multiple levels: the body, the mind, and the roots of where the anxiety came from.

Nervous System Regulation

Rather than starting with your thoughts, we start by calming your nervous system. I teach you practical techniques to shift your body out of hyperarousal: grounding practices, breathwork, somatic awareness, and resources. As things settle inside you, your mind naturally follows.

Understanding the Root

Anxiety doesn't emerge in a vacuum. Often it connects to attachment patterns, earlier experiences, or unprocessed events. We explore what's underneath the surface worry—not with analysis alone, but with compassionate curiosity. Understanding roots creates lasting change.

Integrative Somatic Work

I use somatic techniques—body awareness, gentle movement, breath, and body-based regulation—alongside talk therapy. This combination is powerful because it works with where anxiety actually lives: in our body, not just in our thoughts.

Building Lasting Capacity

The goal isn't just symptom relief. It's helping you develop a fundamentally different relationship with anxiety and an inner steadiness even when life is challenging. This is resilience that lasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this just CBT for anxiety? +

No. While CBT is helpful for some people, my approach goes deeper. I work with your nervous system, not just your thoughts. Anxiety often isn't about faulty thinking—it's about dysregulation in your body. By calming your body and exploring the root causes (often attachment patterns or unprocessed experiences), we create lasting change that goes beyond thought-challenging.

How fast will I feel better? +

Some people notice shifts within the first few sessions—a slight easing of tension, better sleep, or moments of calm they haven't felt in years. Deeper change takes longer. Most people report significant improvement within 8-12 weeks of regular sessions. But healing isn't linear, and patience with the process is important. We'll track your progress together.

What if I have panic attacks during therapy? +

I'm trained to work with panic. If a panic attack occurs in session, we have tools to help you move through it safely. Panic is frightening, but it's not dangerous. Together, we'll help you learn that panic isn't dangerous, and build confidence. Over time, as things settle, panic becomes less frequent and less intense.

Can anxiety be cured? +

"Cured" might not be the right word, but genuine healing is absolutely possible. With the right support, you can develop a different relationship with anxiety. You can learn to regulate. You can access calm and presence again. Some people find that anxiety becomes manageable and rarely intrusive; others find it almost entirely resolves. The goal is your freedom and peace.

Do I need medication for anxiety? +

That's a decision between you and your GP. Medication can be helpful, and therapy can be helpful. Some people benefit from both. I'm not a doctor, so I can't advise on medication. What I can tell you is that many people reduce or eventually discontinue medication with consistent therapeutic work that heals the root causes. We can work alongside your doctor.

Where can I get anxiety therapy in the Macedon Ranges? +

I offer anxiety therapy in Bendigo and Kyneton. My Kyneton room serves the broader Macedon Ranges area — including Woodend, Gisborne, Mount Macedon, Riddells Creek, and surrounding towns. My practice is at 29 High Street, Kyneton, with easy parking. I also see clients in Bendigo (Kangaroo Flat, south Bendigo) and online throughout Australia and internationally. If you're unsure whether in-person or online would suit you better, we can talk about it in your free discovery call.

Sebastian Kitchen, PACFA Registered Integrative Psychotherapist

Sebastian Kitchen

PACFA Registered Integrative Psychotherapist

My approach draws on techniques from modalities effective for anxiety: Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, attachment work, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I understand that anxiety is a whole-system issue—it involves our body, our mind, and often our relational patterns.

Dr Tra-ill Dowie PhD, Clinical Supervisor

I work under clinical supervision with Dr Tra-ill Dowie PhD, ensuring I'm always bringing my best, most skilful self to your healing. You deserve that.

Free 15-minute discovery call. Let's talk about what anxiety has been like for you, and explore whether working together feels right.