Ongoing dizziness or vertigo often carries a psychological weight of its own — fear, hypervigilance, and a loss of confidence in movement — regardless of whether the underlying cause turns out to be medical, psychosomatic, or some mix of both.
Many people working with a physiotherapist or vestibular rehabilitation specialist find that the physical symptoms respond well to treatment, but the anxiety around the next episode, the memory of a bad fall, or a general loss of trust in their own balance doesn't resolve on the same timeline. That gap is often where psychotherapy fits in alongside physiotherapy, not instead of it.
This includes situations where dizziness is diagnosed as psychosomatic or functional (sometimes called persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, or PPPD) as well as cases where a clear physical cause has been identified but the psychological impact — avoidance of movement or busy places, hypervigilance about symptoms, or the aftermath of a frightening episode — still needs its own attention.
The work itself depends on the picture. Where the dizziness is psychosomatic or functional in origin, therapy addresses the condition directly, since the underlying driver is psychological rather than physical. Where there's an identified physical or vestibular cause, the focus is on the fear, avoidance, and loss of confidence that built up around it, working alongside the physical rehabilitation rather than duplicating it.
If you're a physiotherapist, GP, or vestibular rehabilitation specialist and see clients whose recovery is being held back by fear, avoidance, or the psychological aftermath of dizziness or vertigo, I'm happy to take referrals directly. Feel free to get in touch to discuss a client, or simply pass on my contact details.
Contact to Discuss a Referral