Group Therapy for Health Anxiety

Grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), this psychotherapy group offers a supportive space to better understand and manage health anxiety. You’ll explore how health-related fears develop and learn practical strategies to reduce symptom checking, reassurance seeking, and unhelpful thinking patterns. Sessions run weekly for 50 minutes and are offered either online or in person. This group runs for a total of 9 weekly sessions and is open to adults aged 18 and up.

CBT GROUP THERAPY

Health Anxiety: From Worry to Balance

Each small group offers shared learning and support, while also serving as a consistent, affordable touchpoint for your emotional well-being. It’s a space to pause, reflect, and return to yourself each week—with guidance, connection, and intention.

Group Description

This therapy group is designed to support adults who feel overwhelmed by persistent worries about their health. Rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), each session offers practical tools to help you understand the cycle of health anxiety, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and reduce behaviours like symptom checking and reassurance seeking.

Week by week, we’ll explore how health anxiety develops and is maintained, and introduce strategies to redirect your focus, build tolerance for uncertainty, and regain trust in your body. The group blends psychoeducation, meaningful discussion, and skill-building exercises to support long-term change.

You’ll receive a weekly PDF with key concepts, worksheets, and practical tools to help you reduce health-related stress and feel more grounded in your day-to-day life.

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Group Facilitator

Michelle Lehoux holds dual professional registrations with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). With a background in both psychotherapy and education, she has facilitated workshops across diverse sectors—including mental health, family wellness, and refugee resettlement—bringing a trauma-informed lens and deep respect for each person’s lived experience. Known for her calm and grounding presence, Michelle brings a gentle, steady energy to her work, creating a safe and supportive space where clients can reflect, connect, and grow.

Learn more about Michelle Lehoux here

Weekly Topics

Week 1
Understanding Health Anxiety
  • We’ll begin by exploring what health anxiety is, how it affects your daily life, and why it can feel so consuming. You’ll gain insight into how common it is and begin to reflect on your own experience with health-related worries.
Week 2
How Health Anxiety Develops
  • This week introduces a psychological model of how health anxiety can start and take hold. We’ll look at the role of early learning, past experiences, and patterns of attention that shape how we respond to bodily sensations and health concerns.
Week 3
What Keeps Health Anxiety Going
  • Together, we’ll explore what maintains health anxiety over time. You’ll learn how your reactions to symptoms—such as checking, worrying, and seeking reassurance—can inadvertently reinforce your fears.
Week 4
Reducing Focus on Symptoms and Worries
  • We’ll introduce attention training techniques to help you gently shift your focus away from body monitoring and health worries. These exercises support you in becoming more present and less consumed by internal scanning.
Week 5
Re-evaluating Health-Related Thoughts
  • This session focuses on the powerful connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. You’ll learn how to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and begin replacing them with more balanced perspectives.
Week 6
Reducing Checking and Reassurance Seeking
  • We’ll explore common checking and reassurance behaviours, why they offer short-term relief but long-term harm, and how to reduce them gradually. You’ll start developing more helpful and sustainable coping strategies.
Week 7
Challenging Avoidance and Safety Behaviours
  • This week focuses on identifying and gently confronting the people, places, or situations you may be avoiding. You’ll learn how avoidance keeps anxiety alive—and how facing fears step-by-step builds confidence.
Week 8
Adjusting Health Rules and Assumptions
  • Many people living with health anxiety hold rigid beliefs about what health means. We’ll work on identifying and challenging unhelpful rules (e.g., “Any symptom means something is wrong”) to create more flexible, supportive thinking.
Week 9
Healthy Living and Long-Term Planning
  • In our final session, we’ll pull everything together. You’ll reflect on the changes you’ve made and create a personalized self-management plan to maintain your progress and continue building a healthy relationship with your body and mind.

Next Session:

Start Date:
End Date:

Format:
Frequency: Weekly
Total sessions: 9
Cost per session: $40/session (Total: $360)
Group size: Limit of 6

Scheduling in progress—stay tuned.
Registration closed.