How Therapy Changed My Life: Managing Anxiety & Why Workplace Support Matters

I’ll be honest, I didn’t always see myself as someone who would regularly use therapy. Like many people, I knew support existed, but the cost of accessing it independently often made it feel out of reach, so it wasn’t something I fully explored or prioritised at the time.

I’ve always been someone who worries, particularly when it comes to health. Growing up around family members who experienced poor health meant that concern was always there, floating above my head like a little grey cloud, but after being in a car accident in 2019, that worry shifted more towards my own sense of safety and anxiety around that.

I developed a real fear around driving and the idea that something similar could happen again, because the truth is, no one can promise you that it won’t. While I never stopped driving completely, it’s something that still makes me feel anxious, seven years on. Being able to talk through those fears with someone has been incredibly important in helping me manage them, rather than avoid them altogether.

I’ve tried therapy a couple of times before, through the NHS and during my time at university, but those experiences were time-limited. While helpful in the moment, I never felt like I could really get into the depth of what I was dealing with. It takes time to open up, and just as I started to feel more comfortable, the sessions would come to an end.

I’ve been having regular therapy for over a year through Spill, an online therapy platform offered through ALA as an employee benefit, and it’s been genuinely life-changing. I was hesitant at first, opening up can feel incredibly vulnerable. My first session was both brilliant and really challenging. While the initial session was very emotional for me, there is something incredibly cathartic about being able to release emotions in a space where you feel safe to do so. From that point, it became something I started to build into my weekly routine.

One of the biggest differences I’ve found compared to previous experiences of therapy is the consistency. Having regular sessions over a longer period of time has allowed me to build a genuine relationship with my therapist. That sense of trust is so important, having the time to develop trust has made a huge difference to how I use the sessions and what I have learned.

5 things I have learned from having therapy

1. And breathe… It sounds simple, but using your breathing to find calm and regulation is an amazing way to ease the nervous system.
2. Communication is key. Communication has been a big area of growth for me. I’ve already seen the impact this has had, particularly in personal and work relationships.
3. Breaking unhealthy patterns. I wouldn’t say my anxiety has disappeared; I still feel like I’m at the beginning of a longer journey. It’s not easy to unlearn patterns you’ve had for most of your life. But since making progress in therapy, I am positively breaking patterns, and I’m coping better in situations that would have previously been overwhelming.
4. Objective help can be the best help. Another thing I’ve found incredibly valuable is having a space to talk to someone who isn’t directly involved in my day-to-day life. While my fiancé, friends, and family are hugely important, having an objective space with a trained professional where you can speak freely without worrying about judgement or impact has been incredibly freeing.
5. Accessibility is hugely important. The accessibility of an online therapy platform has also made a huge difference. Being able to log in from my laptop, whether that’s during a lunch break or in the evening, removes so many of the barriers that might otherwise stop me from prioritising it. If I had to travel to appointments, I know I wouldn’t have been able to commit to it in the same way, especially as consistently as I have.

Conclusion

Having access to this kind of support through work is something I feel incredibly grateful for. It’s not something I’ve ever had at previous companies I have worked for, and it’s made a real difference not just to my wellbeing, but to how I show up both professionally and personally. It’s also made me realise how valuable it is when companies offer meaningful mental health support, especially when it’s easy to access, and people feel genuinely encouraged to use it.

There is still a stigma around using this kind of support, or a feeling that you have to be at a certain point before reaching out. For me, that hasn’t been the case at all. Therapy hasn’t just been about dealing with difficult moments, it’s been about understanding myself better, building healthier habits, and having a consistent space to reflect.

I can’t recommend therapy enough if you have the opportunity to do it. It’s helped me open up more, manage my worries, and feel more confident in myself. I’m still very much a work in progress, but I’m in a much better place than I was. To work somewhere that offers this kind of support really does feel invaluable. I already enjoy my role, but having this alongside it means even more. I just hope more companies begin to recognise how important this kind of support is, because everyone deserves to have someone to talk to.