Lesley Allen BWRT Psychotherapist

15/08/2026

Health anxiety can be exhausting.
You notice a symptom. You Google it. You check it again. You ask for reassurance. You feel better for a little while… and then the worry comes back.
The problem isn’t that you’re imagining how you feel. It’s that your brain has become very good at spotting possible danger — and very bad at switching the alarm off.
I’ve written a new article about why health anxiety can become such a difficult cycle, and how therapy can help you feel more in control again.
If this sounds familiar, you can read it here:

A headache after a demanding week, a new mark on the skin, or a change in digestion can trigger a fast, frightening chain of thoughts: What if this is serious? What if I have missed something? What if I need urgent help? For someone caught in this cycle, understanding how therapy helps health anxiet...

09/08/2026

Anxiety can be incredibly frustrating when you 'know`'there is nothing to be frightened of… but your body clearly hasn’t got the message.

You know the meeting will probably be fine.
You know the plane is safe.
You know it’s only a thought.
You know you’ve checked already.

But the anxiety still comes.

That’s because anxiety isn’t simply a thinking problem. Often, the response is happening automatically before logic has had much chance to get involved.

And that’s also why you can understand exactly *why* you’re anxious and still struggle to change it.

In my latest article, I look at what rapid anxiety treatment actually means, why avoidance can make anxiety stronger, and why therapy doesn’t necessarily have to take months or years to create meaningful change.

If you’ve ever thought, "I know why I do this, I just want to stop doing it,”this one is for you.

Link in the comments.

03/08/2026

What happens during a BWRT

When anxiety, panic or an old trigger keeps taking over, the prospect of talking through every detail can feel exhausting. This guide to BWRT sessions explains a different, structured approach: one designed to help change the automatic response without requiring you to relive distressing events in d...

29/07/2026

Great article on summer anxiety by Julie Watts, Executive director of the International BWRT Institute

https://wellbeingmagazine.com/why-summer-can-be-a-minefield-for-anxiety-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATXOMNwZG9mBWZkaWQWULcKMX5rVObRqrZ_9_rNF80tZlU-HmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6Ck8h6X2rGRvZiV6dEvFVD4qZEuX9SNPFFFBQbRhrFv22WILT-6GGRhxqR5A_aem_Pj4KodmUoWo564W-nxsRFQ

Ask most people what summer means to them, and you'll hear about holidays, barbecues and freedom from routine.

27/07/2026

Have you ever understood exactly why you react as you do, yet still found that your body responds before logic has a chance to catch up?

A harmless email creates dread.
A crowded train triggers panic.
One intrusive thought leads to hours of checking or overthinking.
This is where brain-based therapy can help.

My latest article explains how approaches such as BWRT® work with fast, automatic patterns rather than relying on insight alone. The aim is not to force you to relive every difficult experience, but to help the brain respond differently when an old reaction is no longer useful.

You may already understand the problem.
The next step is helping your nervous system learn that it does not need to keep reacting in the same way.
://www.lesleyallen-bwrt.co.uk/post/brain-based-therapy-for-lasting-change

Your body reacts before your logical mind has had time to catch up. A harmless email can trigger dread. A crowded train can bring on panic. One intrusive thought can set off hours of checking, reassurance-seeking or overthinking. Brain based therapy is designed to work with these fast, automatic res...

26/07/2026

A panic trigger can turn an ordinary moment into something that suddenly feels unsafe.

It might happen on a crowded train, in a meeting, while driving, or simply when you notice a physical sensation and think, “What if it happens again?”

Panic is not a sign that you are weak, broken or losing control. It is an intense survival response that has been activated when there is no immediate danger.

In my latest article, I explore:

• why panic triggers can feel so convincing
• what to do when panic begins
• how avoidance and reassurance can keep the cycle going
• why understanding the problem is not always enough
• how BWRT can help change the automatic response

You do not have to keep organising your life around the possibility of another panic attack. With the right support, it is possible to reduce the power of the trigger and begin feeling more confident and free again.

Read the full article here: [add link]

A panic trigger can make an ordinary moment feel suddenly unsafe: a crowded train, a meeting room, a motorway, a physical sensation, or even a thought such as “What if it happens again?” Learning how to overcome panic triggers is not about forcing yourself to be fearless. It is about helping you...

25/07/2026

Are you the person everyone turns to?
The one who organises, supports, solves problems and keeps everything moving, even when you are running on empty?

Being “the strong one” can become so much a part of your identity that asking for help feels uncomfortable, setting boundaries feels selfish, and your own needs gradually disappear from view.

My latest InnerShift article explores the hidden cost of always coping and why real strength is not about carrying everything alone.

You can care for others without abandoning yourself.
You can be dependable without being endlessly available.
And you deserve to be valued for who you are, not only for what you do.

You are the person everyone turns to.You organise, solve, support and keep things moving. At work, you are dependable. At home, you are the one who remembers what needs to be done. When something goes wrong, people assume you will know how to handle it.From the outside, you appear strong and in cont...

24/07/2026

Intrusive thoughts can feel frighteningly real, but feeling real does not make them true.

They can arrive as unwanted images, fears, doubts or impulses and may feel like a warning, a prediction or proof of something about you. In reality, the distress often comes from the brain attaching threat and significance to the thought.

The more we check, analyse, suppress or seek reassurance, the more powerful the thought can become.

In my latest blog, I explain why intrusive thoughts feel so convincing, how anxiety and OCD can keep the cycle going, and how therapy can help reduce their hold.

An intrusive thought is not an intention, a command or a reflection of your character.
Read the full blog here

A thought flashes through your mind and, for a moment, it does not feel like “just a thought”. It may feel like a warning, a memory, a prediction or proof of something frightening about you. If you have been asking, why do intrusive thoughts feel real, the short answer is that your brain has att...

22/07/2026

One difficult performance can stay with you long after the event itself has ended.

A mistake, panic response, fall, injury or moment of freezing can become linked with fear. The next time a similar situation approaches, the body may react as though the same thing is about to happen again.

That is how a mental block can develop. The skill may still be there, but anxiety, self-monitoring and fear of repetition can make it difficult to access.

In my latest article, I explore why this happens, how avoidance and over-analysis can strengthen the block, and how BWRT® may help change the automatic response connected to the experience.
One performance does not have to define the next.
https://www.lesleyallen-bwrt.co.uk/post/mental-blocks-in-sport-and-performance-why-one-bad-experience-can-keep-affecting-you

One difficult performance can stay with you long after the event itself has ended.Perhaps you froze during a competition, made an unexpected mistake, experienced panic, fell during a routine, lost your place in a presentation or performed far below your usual standard.At the time, it may have felt l...

20/07/2026

Why can someone perform brilliantly in training, yet struggle when competition begins?

The skill has not disappeared. What changes is the pressure attached to the moment.

Competition can bring judgment, expectations, fear of mistakes and memories of previous setbacks. As attention shifts from the task to the outcome, a well-practised skill can begin to feel tense, effortful or over-controlled.

In my latest article, I explore why this happens, how self-monitoring can interfere with automatic performance, and how BWRT® may help change the anxiety response linked to competition.

Training shows that the ability is already there. The challenge is being able to access it when it matters most.

https://www.lesleyallen-bwrt.co.uk/post/why-you-perform-better-in-training-than-in-competition

In training, rehearsal or practice, you may feel capable, focused and able to trust what you are doing.Then competition arrives and everything feels different.Your body becomes tense, you begin thinking about the result, movements that normally happen automatically feel awkward or over-controlled. Y...