Beyond Symptom Reduction: A Case Study of Experiential-Unifying Psychotherapy for Health Anxiety and Compulsive Checking

Health anxiety is often maintained by maladaptive cognitive and behavioral strategies, including catastrophic interpretations of bodily sensations and compulsive checking. Although existing interventions effectively reduce symptoms, less attention has been given to the experiential and integrative processes underlying these difficulties. This case study illustrates the application of experiential-unifying psychotherapy in a 22-year-old male presenting with severe health anxiety and compulsive blood pressure monitoring. The intervention aimed not only to reduce symptoms but also to facilitate emotional processing, symbolic expression, and relational integration through experiential techniques, including metaphor-based interventions, gradual body awareness, and a paradoxical behavioral strategy targeting compulsive checking. Over the course of therapy, the client demonstrated complete cessation of checking behaviors, reduced anxiety, increased emotional awareness, and improved functional and relational autonomy. These findings suggest that experiential-unifying psychotherapy may promote therapeutic change by addressing the fragmentation of experience and fostering psychological integration, highlighting the value of integrative interventions that engage cognitive, emotional, bodily, and relational dimensions in the treatment of complex anxiety presentations.