What a first appointment is actually like

Nobody hypnotises you and nobody makes you do anything in the first meeting. Somebody asks you what has been happening, for how long, and what you have stopped doing because of it. It takes about an hour and most of it is you talking.

Ask your doctor for a referral, or look for a therapist who names anxiety disorders and the specific treatment rather than talking therapy in general. A good therapist will tell you themselves if they are not the right person.

If your faith matters to how you want this handled, say so at the first meeting. Good practice is to work alongside somebody religiously knowledgeable rather than around them, so that what is genuinely required in the religion is never mistaken for a symptom.