Petworth · in person in Hove or online
Anxiety counselling for Petworth
If anxiety has begun narrowing your life in Petworth, so that you turn down drives and lie awake going over things, I work with anxiety by secure video from your home, or face to face in Hove when that feels possible. A free 15-minute call comes first, with no obligation.
The practical facts for Petworth
- Where sessions happen
- A private room at Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove BN3 2JQ, or secure video.
- From Petworth by car
- About 48 minutes with clear roads (27.4 miles); longer at busy times.
- By train
- From Pulborough, change at Barnham for trains towards Brighton and Hove.
- Free NHS talking therapy
- NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team, 01273 265967
- Fees
- £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90, £120 for 120. The first 15-minute call is free.
- Registration
- BACP registered member, no. 109340 (check the register); UKCP student member in advanced psychotherapy training.
Anxious in a town where everything is a drive
With no station in Petworth, getting to Pulborough, Chichester or Haslemere means the car or the bus.
When anxiety fastens onto driving, that is a hard place to be. One panic at the wheel on the A272 can grow into dread of the road, then into turning down anything that needs the car, until home starts to feel like the only safe place. For parents, the move from Petworth Primary School to a secondary school out of town can bring a new kind of clock-watching, waiting for a child to get home from a day that now happens out of sight. Worries about health or money can feed the same loop. Anxiety also tends to announce itself in the body first, as a tight chest or a stomach that won't settle, often long before you'd think of calling it anxiety.
Charting how your anxiety works, then easing its grip
We start by charting the pattern together: the triggers, the physical reactions that follow, and the things you now do for relief, such as avoiding a road, checking, seeking reassurance or staying in. Avoidance makes sense in the moment, and it also tends to shrink the safe zone a little more each month, so we look at it carefully and without blame. You'll pick up ways of calming your body that work in a parked car or when you're awake at 3am, and we rehearse them in sessions so they're familiar by the time you need them. If driving has become the problem, we plan small steps back towards it at a pace you set, perhaps a short run towards Pulborough before anything longer. Across West Sussex, a survey in 2022/23 put the share of adults with a high anxiety score at 24.5%, which is similar to England's 23.8%. It is a county survey result and tells you nothing about your own situation.
How anxiety can take hold around Petworth
When the car becomes the problem
With no station in town, fear of driving can cut you off quickly. We work back towards the roads you need, one manageable stretch at a time.
Your child leaving the parish
When a child moves on from Petworth Primary School to a secondary school out of town, worry about the daily travel and new friendships can get very loud.
Calming down with a drink
If an evening drink has become how you calm down, we can look at that alongside the anxiety. DAWN is West Sussex's free drug and alcohol service.
Referring yourself for anxiety
Petworth residents can refer themselves to NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies for anxiety on 01273 265967. It's free, and it can run beside private sessions.
Public health figures for the area
These are local authority figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The figures describe a whole population over a period, not any one person.
Free and low-cost support for Petworth
For anxiety, you can contact NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies directly, with no GP visit needed first; Petworth falls within its West Team's area. West Sussex Mind runs support across the county. If anxiety tips into a crisis, you can text SUSSEX to 85258 for support. None of these rules out seeing me privately at the same time.
- Free NHS talking therapyNHS West Sussex Talking Therapies – West Team01273 265967Free NHS talking therapy for anxiety, low mood and related difficulties. You can refer yourself, with no GP referral needed.
- If drinking or drug use is part of itWest Sussex Drug & Alcohol Wellbeing Network (DAWN)0330 128 1113Run by Change Grow Live. Free and confidential.
For gambling, the National Gambling Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 8020 133 (NHS gambling support).
Private counselling with me can run alongside any of these; you do not have to choose one or the other.
If someone at home is hurting, threatening or controlling you, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free, day or night, on 0808 2000 247.
If you need urgent help now
If you need help right now, please don't wait for a session.
In this area you can also text SUSSEX to 85258.
What people in Petworth ask before starting
Can I get NHS help for anxiety in Petworth without going through a GP?
Yes. Ring 01273 265967 to refer yourself to NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies; Petworth comes under its West Team. There's no charge, but you may have to wait. If you'd like to choose your own counsellor, you can book a free call with me as well, and the two can overlap or follow one another.
I panic when I drive. Can we do all of this by video from Petworth?
Yes, for as long as you need. Nothing about the work requires you to come to Hove, so the drive never has to stand between you and help. If getting back behind the wheel is one of your goals, we can build towards it gradually, and video keeps us in touch while you try each step.
My anxiety shows up as chest pain and dizziness. Should I see a GP before counselling from Petworth?
You don't need a referral to see me. With physical symptoms like chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness, it's sensible to ask your GP to rule out a medical cause first, and the free call with me can happen while you wait for that appointment. Medication questions belong with your GP too, and counselling can run alongside anything they suggest.
How quickly can anxiety counselling start from Petworth?
Once you've booked the free 15-minute call, I'll be clear about when a regular weekly slot is available. Before we meet, you might notice one recent moment when anxiety took over and what happened just before it, because a single clear example is often more useful to start from than a general description.
How much do sessions cost, and is the first call free?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, the same in person in Hove or by video. The first 15-minute call is free, with no obligation to book. There is no NHS referral needed to see me privately.
A first step you can take from your own chair
When you feel ready, a short conversation is the easiest way to see whether we are a good fit. There is no obligation.