Reviewed byKsenia Voronova, MDPsychotherapist · updated 11.11.2026
Key facts
- ICD-10 code
- F41, F43
- Who provides it
- A psychotherapist or clinical psychologist trained in CBT; for marked symptoms, together with a psychiatrist
- Format
- Individual sessions in person in Almaty and Astana or online; group CBT is also available
- Duration
- Sessions last 50–60 minutes, once a week; a course is usually 8–16 sessions, followed by maintenance sessions
- Confidentiality
- Medical confidentiality, no registration with the state dispensary, and no information shared with your employer
- When it is urgent
- Chest pain or shortness of breath for the first time in your life: call 103 first; suicidal thoughts alongside anxiety: call 112
- Outcome
- An understanding of how anxiety works, less avoidance, skills for reducing tension, and better sleep and concentration
What to know
Anxiety is a normal feeling that helps us notice danger. The problem begins when it switches on without any real threat, lasts for weeks, and starts running your life: you stop traveling, put things off, sleep poorly, and endlessly check and recheck. Many people put up with this for years, believing it is just their personality. I explain to my patients that anxiety can be changed, and psychotherapy offers specific, proven tools for doing so.
It is important to distinguish between related topics. Treatment of anxiety disorders and panic attacks by a psychiatrist includes diagnosis and, when needed, medication. This page is specifically about psychotherapy: how a course helps with constant worry, work stress, burnout, and tension after difficult events. Psychotherapy and psychiatric treatment often go hand in hand, and I will explain how to tell when you need a doctor’s examination.
When Anxiety and Stress Call for Work With a Psychotherapist
- worry about work, health, or loved ones almost never stops and is hard to switch off
- you have started avoiding trips, phone calls, meetings, or crowded places out of fear
- constant muscle tension, headaches, or stomach problems with no cause found
- falling asleep takes a long time because of racing thoughts, and you wake up already tired
- you have become more irritable and short-tempered, although you used to be calmer
- work no longer brings satisfaction, and cynicism and emptiness have set in
- you increasingly need alcohol or sedatives in order to relax
If life is at risk — loss of consciousness, seizures, hallucinations, overdose, suicidal thoughts — call 103 or 112. Helpline for children and young people: 150.
Why Anxiety Becomes Constant
Anxiety feeds itself. A person notices an unpleasant sensation or thought, becomes frightened, and the body responds with even more tension. To feel better, they avoid the situation, seek reassurance that everything is fine, or try to control everything. In the short term this helps, but the brain learns that the danger was real. This is how a vicious circle forms, and this circle is exactly what cognitive behavioral therapy targets.
Chronic stress and lifestyle also play a role: prolonged overload at work, lack of sleep, financial difficulties, caring for a sick relative, and no time to rest. Add to this a tendency toward anxiety, perfectionism, and difficult experiences in the past. Sometimes similar symptoms are caused by thyroid or heart conditions, medication side effects, or alcohol withdrawal, so at the first visit we check your physical health.
How a Course of Psychotherapy for Anxiety Works, Step by Step
The first session lasts 60 minutes: the psychotherapist asks when and in which situations anxiety arises, how you cope with it, how you sleep, whether you drink alcohol, and whether you have had your heart checked. You fill in short anxiety rating scales. Then together we map out your anxiety cycle and choose goals. In the following sessions, you work on self-regulation skills, on your thoughts, and on gradually returning to the situations you have been avoiding. The online course works the same way.
If your symptoms are very severe, for example daily panic attacks, being unable to work or leave the house, or anxiety combined with severe depression, the psychotherapist will recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist: sometimes medication support is needed first. If you have sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, or weakness in an arm or leg, do not put it all down to anxiety: call 103. If you have suicidal thoughts, call 112.
How we help
Cognitive behavioral therapy
The foundation of the course. You learn to notice anxious thoughts, such as “if I don’t call back, something terrible will happen,” to test them against reality, and to find more balanced alternatives. At the same time, you work through gradual exposure: step by step, you return to the situations you have been avoiding and see for yourself that the anxiety subsides on its own. NICE guidelines recommend CBT as a first-line therapy for generalized anxiety.
Self-regulation skills
Breathing with a longer exhale, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding techniques. These are not a way to run away from anxiety but tools that help reduce physical tension and get you back to what you were doing. The psychotherapist teaches them during the session, and then you practice at home every day for 10–15 minutes, noting the results in a diary.
Working with worry and uncertainty
With generalized anxiety, a person spends a lot of time thinking about the future, trying to anticipate everything. In therapy, we learn to tell solvable problems apart from hypothetical ones, to set aside a dedicated time for worrying, and to gradually tolerate uncertainty. This reduces the volume of anxious thoughts and frees up time for living.
Stress management and burnout prevention
If your anxiety is linked to overload, we look at your daily routine, your boundaries at work, your ability to say no, and how to restore sleep and rest. We use elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness. The goal is not to get rid of stress entirely, but to keep it from building up and turning into exhaustion.
How treatment works
- 01Call or WhatsAppThe administrator and the doctor on duty clarify the situation and tell you what to do right now.
- 02Examination or consultationThe doctor visits your home, sees you at the clinic or joins by video.
- 03Treatment planWe choose the format — at home, inpatient, psychotherapy or rehab — with a clear price.
- 04Ongoing supportYour doctor and psychotherapist stay in touch: follow-ups, family support and relapse prevention.
Myths and facts
MythOnly pills can help with anxiety
FactFor mild to moderate anxiety, psychotherapy, especially CBT, is the first-choice treatment according to international guidelines. Its effect lasts after the course ends because you have mastered the skills. A psychiatrist prescribes medication for marked symptoms, and it is often combined with psychotherapy.
MythYou just need to pull yourself together
FactTrying to suppress anxiety through willpower usually makes it stronger. Anxiety is not a weakness of character but a learned reaction of the nervous system. Psychotherapy teaches you not to fight it, but to change what keeps it going: your thoughts, avoidance, and pace of life.
MythIf you avoid stressful situations, the anxiety will go away
FactAvoidance brings only temporary relief and reinforces fear. Gradually, the range of situations that feel safe shrinks. In therapy, step by step and at a comfortable pace, you reclaim what you used to avoid, and the anxiety fades naturally.
Prices: Therapy for anxiety and stress
| Therapy for anxiety and stress | 18 000 ₸ |
| Psychotherapist session (50 min) | 14 990 ₸ |
| Psychologist session (50 min) | 12 000 ₸ |
| Family session (80 min) | 25 000 ₸ |
| Phone consultation | free |
Prices are approximate: the doctor confirms the exact cost after the examination, before treatment starts.
Confidential
We do not register patients with state dispensaries or share information with employers. You do not have to give your surname; doctors arrive in unmarked cars. Medical confidentiality is protected by the Code of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”.
Clinic addresses
FAQ
How long will it take before I feel better?
Many people notice the first changes after 4–6 sessions, once they start using the skills in everyday life. A full course of CBT for anxiety usually takes 8–16 sessions. The results depend on doing the homework regularly: psychotherapy for anxiety is training, not just a conversation in the office.
Do I need to see a psychiatrist first?
Not necessarily. With moderate anxiety and stress, you can start with a psychotherapist. If the first session shows that your symptoms are marked or that there are signs of depression, we will recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist at Akalam. When the two are combined, the specialists coordinate the treatment plan with your consent.
Can I have psychotherapy for anxiety online?
Yes, CBT works well by video. Assignments, diaries, and exercises are easy to discuss on screen, and exposure work is often most convenient to do right at home. The online format is available in any city in Kazakhstan. In-person sessions are held in Almaty and Astana.
Does psychotherapy help with burnout?
Yes. We look at the causes of overload, learn to set priorities, restore sleep and rest, and work on perfectionism and guilt about resting. If burnout is accompanied by marked low mood and a loss of interest in everything, it is worth ruling out depression at a consultation with a psychiatrist.
Can I take sedatives during the course?
Continue taking any medication prescribed by your doctor as directed, and do not stop it on your own. If you take sedatives without a prescription or drink alcohol to relieve tension, tell your psychotherapist: this can interfere with therapy, and a consultation with a psychiatrist is often needed.
Will the anxiety come back after the course ends?
Anxiety is a natural feeling, and it never disappears completely. The goal of therapy is to make sure it does not run your life. At the end of the course, we put together a prevention plan: which signs indicate a return of symptoms and which skills to use. If needed, you can come for maintenance sessions once a month.
Sources and review
Prepared by the Akalam medical editorial team based on:
- ICD-10 and ICD-11: mental and behavioural disorders
- Clinical protocols of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan
- Code of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”
- WHO: mental health and substance use
- NICE and APA clinical guidelines
This information is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Editorial policy