Online Therapy for Health Anxiety

Category: Health Anxiety Online Therapy | Last updated: March 11th, 2026 | Medically reviewed by:
Dr. Steven Gans, MD
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD

Are You Health Conscious or Health Anxious?

Almost every one of us gets concerned about our health and well-being. And that concern can motivate us to try to optimize our eating, sleep and to lead a healthy lifestyle. Being health conscious can be great. It helps a lot in leading a healthy, happy, successful and meaningful life.

However, problems arise when this health consciousness gets transformed into “health anxiousness”. If you become too obsessed about your health and if you get too apprehensive that you are suffering from a severe illness (without the presence of such medical symptoms), then you may be experiencing health anxiety. In the past, psychologists referred to this as “hypochondria”. However, it is now called Illness Anxiety Disorder.

Illness Anxiety Disorder is a somatic symptom disorder in which the person suffering from it gets overly anxious or obsessed over his/her physical conditions. They see even a minor problem as an exaggerated severe illness. People suffering from Illness Anxiety Disorder often require continuous care, support and assurance from health service providers, family and acquaintances.

     

See if you recognize yourself in the symptoms of health anxiety:

     
Being preoccupied with having or developing a serious disease or health condition
Worrying that minor symptoms or body sensations mean you have a serious illness
Being easily alarmed about your health status
Finding little or no reassurance from doctor visits or negative test results
Worrying excessively about a specific medical condition or your risk of developing a medical condition because it runs in your family
Having so much distress about possible illnesses that it's hard for you to function
Repeatedly checking your body for signs of illness or disease
Frequently making medical appointments for reassurance - or avoiding medical care for fear of being diagnosed with a serious illness
Avoiding people, places or activities for fear of health risks
Constantly talking about your health and possible illnesses
Frequently searching the internet for causes of symptoms or possible illnesses

What’s more, people with Illness Anxiety Disorder can also experience additional mental health issues, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Clinical Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Approaches That Can Help with Health Anxiety

The good news is that health anxiety can improve with the right support and practical strategies. One of the most commonly used approaches for health anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that reinforce anxiety.

CBT often includes techniques such as cognitive restructuring, gradual exposure to feared situations, and learning healthier ways to respond to bodily sensations and health-related worries. These approaches can help reduce the cycle of constant reassurance seeking, symptom checking, and excessive worry.

Through our online therapy program, you can work on health anxiety using structured CBT tools together with therapist guidance through messaging and live sessions. Over time, many people learn to manage their health concerns more effectively and regain a greater sense of balance in their daily lives.

Reviews

Our online therapy services have received 4392 reviews and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"So far signing up is easy, 😀 let's see how everything else goes from here."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I've been using online therapy for a few years now and with time and dedication to the process, you can definitely see results. I find my last therapist Li to be extremely responsive, helpful, insightful, and knowledgeable."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"I appreciate the support I get from Isabel and the accessibility of the program"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Great so far"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"enjoying the experience"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"good service so far with a knowledgeable and kind therapist"

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Thanks"

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Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"It’s a little difficult to use at first, getting into the habit of starting and filling out the tasks. The videos do help in some way, I’m not forced to look at the screen to learn so I can do something productive while listening. I appreciate how it asked me for preferences for my therapist, I didn’t really think I would have any but the questions let me think and helped me find the right one."

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Rating: [4 out of 5 stars!]

"I think it's a good, accessible way of getting professional mental help and advice. In-person is still a must for serious cases."

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Rating: [5 out of 5 stars!]

"Mara has done a good job communicating."

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