Anxiety Counselling — Mornington Peninsula
Anxiety counselling with Nick Lines helps you understand what's driving your anxiety and build practical tools for managing it. Sessions in person in Mornington and online across Australia. No referral needed.
It's not just worrying
For most people, anxiety isn't a single feeling — it's a whole texture. The chest that tightens before a conversation you're dreading. The mind that starts spinning at 2am and won't stop. The low-level hum of dread that makes it hard to be present for your own life, even when things are objectively fine.
A lot of people with anxiety are also very good at managing it, which makes it harder to ask for help. You're still showing up. You're still functioning. But the effort it takes is getting higher, and the gap between how you appear and how you actually feel keeps widening.
That gap is exactly what counselling is for.
What's actually going on
Anxiety is your nervous system doing its job — just doing it at the wrong time, in response to threats that aren't really there, or threats you can't do anything about right now. A lot of anxiety is maintained by the relationship we have with our own thoughts. We get stuck in loops of worry and prediction. We try to solve problems that can't be solved by thinking harder about them.
How counselling helps
Nick uses a person-centred approach, drawing on principles from ACT, CBT and mindfulness. The practical aim is to change your relationship with anxious thoughts — not to silence them or pretend they're not there, but to stop them from running the show.
Understanding what triggers your anxiety and what maintains it
Building techniques for working with anxious thoughts when they arise
Learning to regulate your nervous system when it activates
Developing a sustainable daily practice rather than a set of emergency techniques
A note on breathwork
For many people with anxiety, the body is as important as the mind. Pranayama breathwork is a direct tool for nervous system regulation that works well alongside counselling. Not compulsory — just available, and often useful. Learn more about breathwork →
-
No. Many people who contact The Clearing Practice for anxiety have never had a formal diagnosis — and don't need one. If anxiety is affecting your daily life, that's enough.
-
Psychologists can diagnose anxiety disorders and provide treatment under a Medicare-rebated Mental Health Care Plan. Counselling isn't Medicare-rebated but doesn't require a GP referral or diagnosis. Full comparison →
-
Yes. Counselling and medication work well together for many people. Nick isn't a prescriber — medication is managed with your GP or psychiatrist.
-
If you're in crisis or experiencing severe clinical anxiety, a GP or psychologist is the right first call. Counselling is well-suited to moderate anxiety and the very common experience of 'it's affecting my life but it's not a crisis'.
-
The Clearing Practice is not a crisis service, and Nick is not available outside of scheduled sessions.
If you're in immediate danger or need urgent support, please contact:
000 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support, call or text)
Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 (24/7)
Suicide Call Back Service — 1300 659 467 (24/7)
If you're an existing client and need to let Nick know about something urgent between sessions, you can email [email] and he'll respond as soon as possible during business hours.
Common questions
Not ready to talk yet?
Some men aren't — and that's a perfectly reasonable place to start. Breathwork is there for exactly that person. A 30-minute session can move things that months of searching for the right words sometimes can't. It's not a prerequisite. Just an option.
Learn about Breathwork →
Sessions and pricing
$150
50-minute session
$110 (concession)
50-minute session
Not sure where to start?
A free 15-minute intro call is the easiest way to find the right fit — no pressure, just a conversation.