How Effective Is Online Therapy for Anxiety?

Anxiety is something most of us experience in different forms — sometimes it’s a racing heart, tight chest, or a restless feeling in the body; other times it’s constant overthinking and worry. While these feelings can be overwhelming, the good news is that therapy is effective in treating anxiety. And more and more, people are asking: does online therapy work as well as in-person sessions?

The short answer is yes. Online therapy can be very effective for anxiety, especially when using CBT approaches. Research shows online CBT is just as effective as face-to-face therapy, and many people find that meeting from their own home makes it easier to relax and engage with the process.

Why Online Therapy Works for Anxiety

One of the key benefits of online therapy is the environment. Being in your own home — in a safe, familiar space — can help settle the nervous system. This can be particularly helpful for those whose anxiety is strongly felt in the body. When you’re not already tense from travelling or being in a new environment, it’s easier to focus on what’s happening in the session and apply new strategies.

For those whose anxiety is more about worry and overthinking, online sessions can be just as practical. Tools like screen-sharing make it easy to look at worksheets, CBT thought records, and diagrams together. This helps bring the ideas to life and allows you to practice them straight away.

Different Forms of Anxiety, Different Needs

Anxiety doesn’t show up the same way for everyone. Some people feel it mainly in the body — racing heart, breathlessness, a knot in the stomach — and then the mind interprets those sensations as threat. For others, anxiety is more about spiralling thoughts, constant “what ifs,” and over-preparation.

CBT has different models for these different forms, and both can be worked with effectively online.

The one area where I sometimes recommend starting in person is with extreme social anxiety. Because the anxiety itself is about meeting another person, a couple of in-person sessions can help at the beginning. The therapist relationship is a safe place to face that fear in a gentle way. But even then, many clients move comfortably to online sessions afterwards and continue progressing.

Benefits Unique to Online Therapy

There are also some advantages that are unique to online therapy:

• Comfort and flexibility: no travel time, no rushing through traffic or public transport, just logging in from home.

• Accessibility: you can work with a therapist in Glasgow, Edinburgh, or anywhere in Scotland or the UK without needing to live nearby.

• Practicality: CBT tools and diagrams can be shared directly on screen, making it easy to learn and apply new strategies.

• Integration into daily life: because you’re already at home, it’s often easier to put what you’ve learned straight into practice.

When In-Person Might Be Helpful

While online therapy works for most people, it’s worth acknowledging that in-person sessions can be helpful in certain situations. For example, if someone has very severe social anxiety, the act of meeting another person face-to-face can itself be part of the healing process. Likewise, some people who’ve experienced trauma may prefer the grounding of being physically present with a therapist.

It isn’t a matter of one being “better” than the other — it’s about finding what feels right for you at a given time.

Conclusion: A Flexible and Effective Option

For most forms of anxiety, online therapy is highly effective. It combines the evidence-based structure of approaches like CBT with the comfort and accessibility of being in your own space. For many people, that safe environment makes it easier to focus, learn, and grow.

Therapy is never one-size-fits-all — the most important thing is finding an approach that feels supportive and workable for you.

If you’d like to explore whether online therapy could help with your anxiety, you’re welcome to book an initial consultation. It’s a simple first step to see what feels right.