Clinical review
Reviewer: David Bloore, Clinical Psychologist, David Bloore Psychology Ltd (private practice)
Date of review: August 2023
Comments: This is an online 6-part cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) course designed to support people to overcome health anxiety. It is part of the Just a Thought website and draws from treatment practices, which have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of health anxiety. The course is designed to be completed in around 2–3 months, but can be done at the chosen pace of the user.
While users have the option to complete it on their own, it is recommended that they work through the programme with the support of an experienced health professional. This is due to the large amount of information, which may prove to be overwhelming or possibly confusing without having someone to help guide them through the process.
Overall it is a course which provides accurate and valuable information about health anxiety and offers an evidence based treatment process to help the user learn skills to treat health anxiety effectively. While the content lacks variety (written material only) it is an easy platform to navigate and a worthwhile treatment option for people suffering from health anxiety and health professionals to use with their clients.
New Zealand relevance: Yes.
Safety concerns: No, but I would want to reiterate that clients should seek the support of an experienced health/mental health practitioner before starting a programme like this.
