Online Anxiety Therapy

If anxiety has started shaping your decisions (what you do, what you avoid, how well you sleep, how much energy you have left for the rest of your life), it may be time to work with someone. Psychologists and psychotherapists in the Belleisle network provide online therapy for anxiety in Ontario and Quebec, using evidence-based approaches. Sessions are available in French or English.

Reviewed by the Belleisle Clinics clinical team. Last updated: 23 September 2026.

Anxiety is more than feeling worried

Feeling anxious from time to time is a normal part of life. We may worry about an upcoming event, anticipate that something could go wrong, or feel uneasy when facing uncertainty or situations we cannot fully control. These feelings are often temporary and tend to ease once the situation becomes clearer or the source of concern has passed.

Anxiety can become a concern when it stops being situational. When the worry is constant rather than tied to a specific event. When the body stays in alert mode (racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing) long after the trigger is gone. When avoidance starts narrowing what you do and where you go. When sleep, concentration, appetite, or relationships start to suffer.

These signs can have several causes and do not necessarily mean that a person has an anxiety disorder. Some physical symptoms can also have a medical cause; when they are new, significant or unexplained, it may be appropriate to talk to a health professional.

Anxiety also wears many different faces, and a person can experience several at once. Common patterns include:

Generalized anxiety. Persistent worry that moves from one topic to the next (work, health, money, family, the news), with physical signs like muscle tension, fatigue, irritability, and disrupted sleep.

Panic and panic attacks. Sudden surges of intense fear with strong physical symptoms (chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, a sense that something terrible is about to happen), often followed by a fear of having another attack.

Social anxiety. Intense self-consciousness in social or performance situations, with avoidance of the situations themselves: meetings, presentations, parties, dating, sometimes even routine interactions.

Health anxiety. Recurrent worry about having or developing a serious illness, often despite reassurance from doctors. Frequently involves repeated symptom-checking, online searching, or avoidance of medical settings.

Phobias and specific anxieties. Intense fear of a specific object or situation (flying, driving, needles, enclosed spaces, heights), strong enough to interfere with daily life.

Anxiety with depression. Anxiety and depression frequently appear together. Understanding how they interact in your situation can be part of the work.

You do not need a formal diagnosis to start therapy. If anxiety is shaping more of your life than you want it to, that is reason enough to talk to someone.

What online anxiety therapy looks like

Online therapy is not a workaround for in-person therapy. It is a therapeutic format in its own right: in the populations and contexts studied, research reports comparable results between therapy delivered live by video and the same therapy in person. That does not mean it suits every situation, and some people need in-person or more intensive services.

The session itself

Sessions are conducted by video. You join from a quiet, private space of your choice: your home, a parked car, an office with a closed door. Your clinician joins from theirs. The work follows the same principles as in a consulting room, with the same clinical training behind it.

Why the online format can help with anxiety

For some people with anxiety, online sessions offer practical advantages:

Reduced barriers to access. If anxiety includes avoidance of driving, public transit, waiting rooms, or unfamiliar buildings, the in-person logistics of therapy can themselves be a barrier. Removing them can make it easier to begin.

Practicing in the environment where anxiety lives. Anxiety doesn’t only happen in a consulting room: it happens at your desk, in your kitchen, on your commute. Doing the work from where you actually live and work can make it easier to apply strategies where they are needed.

Schedule flexibility. Online sessions slot more easily into a working day, which matters when avoidance has built up around taking time off, asking colleagues for cover, or explaining absences.

These advantages do not apply to everyone. The professional can help determine whether the format suits your situation.

What the work typically involves

Anxiety therapy is often structured. The first session is mainly about understanding what brings you in and how anxiety affects your life. You and your clinician then set goals together, and the sessions may combine:

Understanding what is happening. Mapping the triggers, thoughts, physical responses, and behaviours that keep anxiety active. For some people, this stage alone helps the experience make more sense.

Building practical strategies. Tools you can use in the moment when anxiety spikes, plus longer-term strategies for changing the patterns that fuel it.

Practice between sessions. Many evidence-based approaches for anxiety involve doing things differently between sessions, not just talking about it. Your clinician will work with you to design realistic, paced steps.

Adjusting as you go. Therapy is collaborative. What works, you keep. What doesn’t, you change.

The length of therapy varies depending on the nature and duration of the difficulties, their impact, your goals and how the work evolves. It cannot always be estimated at the start.

Evidence-based approaches for anxiety

Several psychotherapeutic approaches have been studied for anxiety. Professionals draw on the ones that fit each client’s situation, depending on the reason for consulting, the goals, their training and the person’s needs.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT is one of the best-documented approaches for several anxiety disorders. It is structured, present-focused, and works on the connections between thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviours. For anxiety specifically, CBT typically includes identifying the thinking patterns that fuel worry, working with the physical aspects of anxiety, and gradually facing avoided situations in a paced way.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT focuses less on changing anxious thoughts and more on changing your relationship to them. The work is to recognize that anxious thoughts are mental events (not commands or predictions) and to keep moving toward what matters to you even when anxiety shows up. Some people find ACT helpful when anxiety has been around for a long time and previous attempts to argue with or suppress it have backfired.

Mindfulness-based approaches. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) train present-moment awareness as a way of working with anxiety. They can be used on their own or alongside other approaches.

Exposure-based work. For phobias, panic, social anxiety, and certain types of obsessive-compulsive presentations, gradually and safely confronting feared situations is among the best-documented interventions for these presentations. Exposure is planned with the professional, at an agreed pace, and practised in daily life.

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT). Can be useful when anxiety is closely tied to unresolved emotional experiences, relationship patterns, or grief. Often used in combination with other approaches.

Psychodynamic therapy. Longer-term exploration of anxiety as it connects to early experiences, attachment patterns, and unconscious dynamics. It may suit situations where anxiety is part of a longer-standing pattern that hasn’t responded to shorter-term approaches.

One approach is not necessarily preferable to another in every situation. Depending on needs and availability, the network aims to direct you to a professional whose approach and experience match your request.

Who you’ll work with

The professionals in the Belleisle network who provide anxiety therapy are independent and regulated: each belongs to a professional order or college in the province where they practise and works within their own areas of competence. A professional title and the authorization to practise psychotherapy are not the same thing. In Ontario, several regulated professions may provide psychotherapy within their scope of practice; at Belleisle you are most likely to work with a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) or a Psychologist (CPBAO). A professional title alone is not enough to determine which professional will best suit your situation; training, experience and familiarity with the difficulties that bring you in also matter. Formally assessing or diagnosing a mental disorder is reserved to certain professionals, including psychologists and physicians, which matters most for complex or co-occurring conditions.

In Quebec, psychotherapy is a reserved activity. Psychologists, physicians and couple and family therapists practise it without a supplementary permit; members of certain other professional orders may practise it while holding the psychotherapist’s permit issued by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec. Each register is public and free to search.

For a full comparison, see our psychotherapy page and our guide, Psychologist vs. Psychotherapist in Ontario. You can mention your preferences when you send your request.

Fees and insurance

Fees depend on the professional you work with, and on the province where you receive the service. Because rates vary and can change, we don’t publish set figures here; the fee is confirmed with you before your first session.

Psychotherapy in private practice is generally not covered by public health plans. Coverage under group insurance and employee assistance programs varies depending on the contract and the provider’s professional title:

Reimbursement: often a portion of the session fee, up to an annual maximum that varies widely from one plan to another.

Check which titles are covered. Some plans cover one professional title but not another, so it is worth checking the wording of your plan.

Tax credit: depending on the provider’s profession and your own situation, some fees may qualify as a medical expense for the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit. Keep your receipts and check the Canada Revenue Agency’s current criteria.

Confirm with your insurer: coverage and reimbursement limits can change over time.

How To Start

1. Tell us briefly what brings you in. Fill out our short online form, mentioning your province, your language preference and your availability. No referral required.

2. We direct you to a professional. Depending on needs and availability, the network aims to direct you to a professional whose area of practice matches your request.

3. Begin your first session. A time is confirmed with you, and sessions take place by video. From there, the pace is whatever fits the work and your life.

Book your first session

Frequently Asked Questions

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy for anxiety? In the populations and contexts studied, research reports comparable outcomes. A 2021 meta-analysis of 47 between-group studies involving more than 3,500 participants found negligible differences in treatment outcomes between live video psychotherapy and in-person psychotherapy (Fernandez et al., 2021). This does not mean that the format is suitable for every person or situation; the first session can help determine whether online therapy is an appropriate option.

How long does anxiety therapy typically take? It varies from person to person, depending on the nature of the difficulties, their impact and the goals involved. After a few initial assessment sessions, the professional is often able to offer a first estimate and a direction for the work, which can be adjusted as therapy goes on.

Will I need to take medication? Not necessarily. Whether medication is considered depends on several factors, including your symptoms, their impact on daily life, your overall clinical picture, and your preferences. For some people, psychotherapy alone may be appropriate, while others may benefit from medication or a combination of approaches.

Any decision about medication should be discussed with a healthcare professional authorized to prescribe, such as a physician. When appropriate, and with your consent, your clinician can also collaborate with your physician as part of your care.

Will I see a psychotherapist or a psychologist? That depends on your situation. A professional title alone is not enough to determine who will suit you best. If your situation involves a need for formal assessment of a mental disorder or a more complex clinical picture, a psychologist may be more appropriate. You can mention your preferences in your request.

Do I need a referral from a doctor? No. Neither Ontario nor Quebec requires a physician referral for psychotherapy in private practice. You can book directly. Some extended health insurance plans require a doctor’s note for reimbursement, however; it’s worth checking your plan’s wording before your first session.

Is what I share confidential? Sessions are governed by the confidentiality obligations set by each clinician’s regulatory college or order and the privacy legislation applicable to the service. There are legal limits to confidentiality, notably when there is a risk of serious harm to self or others; they vary by province. Your clinician will explain these in your first session.

Where is this available? Sessions are online, so what matters is where you are during the appointment rather than where your clinician’s office is. Coverage by province is set out on Online therapy in Ontario and, in French, on Psychothérapie à Gatineau. Authorization requirements can vary depending on the jurisdictions involved and on where you and your clinician are located during the session; the clinician has to make sure they comply with the rules that apply to their situation. For clients in Quebec, our network includes psychologists who are members of the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ) and holders of the psychotherapist’s permit it issues. If you live in Ottawa or Gatineau, see also our page on anxiety therapy in Ottawa and Gatineau.

What if I’m in crisis? Online psychotherapy is suitable for ongoing support and structured treatment; it is not designed for crisis intervention. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, see the “In a crisis” section below. Once the crisis has stabilized, online therapy can be part of ongoing care.

Sources

The statement on this page comparing video and in-person therapy is based on the following peer-reviewed meta-analysis:

Fernandez, E., Woldgabreal, Y., Day, A., Pham, T., Gleich, B., & Aboujaoude, E. (2021). Live psychotherapy by video versus in-person: a meta-analysis of efficacy and its relationship to types and targets of treatment. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 28(6), 1535–1549.

Ready to talk to someone?

A first session can help clarify what you need and whether the fit is right. Booking takes a few minutes; a first session does not commit you to anything beyond it.

Book your first online session

In a crisis

Belleisle does not replace crisis or emergency services.

If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, you can call or text 9-8-8 anywhere in Canada. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

In Quebec, you can also call 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553) or dial 811, option 2, for Info-Social.

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The content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with a qualified health professional.