Performance Anxiety · Brisbane CBD & Online

When the pressure to perform gets in the way of actually performing.

Practical, psychology-based support for professionals managing anxiety in high-stakes moments.

Registered psychologist – support for performance anxiety in Brisbane City.

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Performance anxiety is more common in professionals than you might think

It’s the anxiety that surfaces in high-stakes moments: presenting to a group, being evaluated by someone senior, a critical conversation with a client. Outside of those moments, you may feel completely capable. In them, the anxiety can be intense, hard to control, and deeply frustrating.

For professionals, performance anxiety is particularly difficult because the situations that trigger it are unavoidable. You can’t build a career without presenting, being evaluated, or navigating high-pressure moments. Avoidance isn’t really an option — which means many people develop elaborate coping strategies instead: over-preparing, scripting everything in advance, or pushing through with significant anxiety.

The frustrating reality is that performance anxiety often has little to do with actual competence. The good news is that you can learn to understand performance anxiety and find ways to manage it.

Woman public speaking at work

How Performance Anxiety tends to show up for professionals

Anticipatory anxiety

Dreading an upcoming presentation, meeting, or evaluation well in advance — the lead-up often more distressing than the event itself.

Physical symptoms

Racing heart, shaking hands, voice changes, sweating, or a mental blank at exactly the wrong moment.

Over-preparation

Spending disproportionate time rehearsing or preparing — which temporarily reduces anxiety but can be exhausting to maintain.

Avoidance of visibility

Turning down opportunities that involve presenting, public speaking, or increased scrutiny — which limits career progression over time.

Harsh self-evaluation

Replaying the performance, focusing on what went wrong, or dismissing positive feedback — reinforcing the belief that you’re not good enough.

Imposter syndrome

A persistent sense that your success is undeserved or that you’ll eventually be found out — that others are more capable or more deserving than you are.

Performance anxiety may get worse over time if not addressed. Avoidance often provides temporary relief, but it can also strengthen anxiety in the long run. The good news is that performance anxiety can be managed with the right kind of support.

You might also be looking for

Performance anxiety can connect to other challenges that have their own dynamics. If any of these feels more relevant to what you’re experiencing, there’s more specific information available.

Social Anxiety

If anxiety extends beyond high-stakes professional situations to social interactions more broadly — fear of judgement, self-consciousness, and avoidance of everyday social contexts.

Find out more
Confidence & Self-Worth

Performance anxiety can quietly chip away at your self-esteem. You may notice a deeper sense of self-doubt — a persistent feeling of not being good enough that goes beyond the workplace.

Find Out More
Focus & Procrastination

If your challenges show up more as difficulties initiating or preparing — putting off the presentation, delaying the difficult conversation, or finding reasons not to get started.

Coming Soon

What we work on together

  1. Understand what’s driving it
    We explore when performance anxiety shows up, what triggers it, and the patterns — avoidance, over-preparation, harsh self-evaluation — that are maintaining it.
  2. Change your relationship with anxious thoughts
    Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety before a high-stakes moment — mindfulness helps you change your relationship to anxiety so it has less influence over how you actually perform.
  3. Build practical strategies for high-pressure moments
    Develop concrete tools for managing anxiety before, during, and after high-stakes situations — visualisation, grounding techniques, and ways of reviewing performance that enhance it.
  4. Address imposter syndrome and self-doubt
    Work on the underlying beliefs about competence and performance that contribute to anxiety — building a more balanced and grounded view of yourself and your skills.
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Working with a psychologist who understands professional life.

I’m Adam Sadd, a registered psychologist and the founder of Uplift Psychology. With 17 years of combined experience across psychology, coaching, HR, and leadership, I have a practical understanding of how workplace pressure affects how we think, feel, and perform.

I work with professionals navigating anxiety, burnout, self-doubt, and career challenges — people who take their work seriously and want practical support that’s grounded in psychology. My approach is warm, inclusive, and focused on how you think and work.

Registered
Psychologist (AHPRA)

17+ years
combined experience

Board approved
Supervisor

Background in
Psychology, HR & Leadership

→ Learn more about Adam and his approach

Tailored to How You Think and Work

When managing performance anxiety, I draw on a blend of evidence-based approaches. Here’s some of what you can expect from our sessions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A mindfulness-based framework that supports you to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, build psychological flexibility, and take action guided by your values.

Positive Psychology

Rather than focusing only on what’s not working, we build on your strengths, supporting resilience, motivation, and long-term wellbeing.

successful professional
Coaching Psychology

A forward-focused, goal-oriented approach that combines psychological insight with practical strategies. Helping you understand what’s getting in the way and move toward meaningful change.

Rates and Rebates

Session Type

Fee

After Medicare Rebate**

Initial session (50 min)*

$320

$218.45

Subsequent sessions (50 min)

$275

$173.45

*Initial session includes onboarding, psychological assessment, and developing a customised plan

**Medicare rebate available with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. Private health insurance rebates may also apply depending on your level of cover — I can process most funds at time of payment.

How You Can Get Started

Step 1
Book a 15-Minute Intake Call

I’ll call you for a relaxed 15-minute conversation. Ask questions, share what you’re looking for, and decide whether Uplift Psychology feels like the right fit for you. There’s no pressure, and no obligation to commit.

Step 2
Begin With a Clear Plan

In your first session, we’ll clarify your goals, explore what’s happening for you, and introduce evidence-informed approaches. Whether short-term or ongoing, your plan will be tailored to how you think and work.

Step 3
Practical, focused sessions

Focused on what’s important to you. Each session is practical, psychology-backed and solutions-oriented. You’ll leave with insight, strategies, and a clear sense of where to direct your energy.

Initial session $320  ·  Subsequent sessions $275  ·  Medicare & Private Health Rebates Available

A 15-minute conversation. No obligation.

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→ check availability and rates

You’re capable. getting support when you need it doesn’t change that.

A free 15-minute intake call is all it takes to get started. There’s no pressure, and no obligation to commit.

Book intake call

FAQs

I offer a forward-focused, evidence-based approach that works on understanding how performance anxiety is showing up for you now — and building practical strategies to manage it differently. Rather than spending extended time exploring where it came from, the focus is on what’s maintaining it, how it’s affecting your career and confidence, and what genuinely helps. For professionals managing performance anxiety this may be a good fit.

No referral is needed to book an appointment with me. You can get started by booking an intake call through the client portal.

If you’d like to access a Medicare rebate for your sessions, you will need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. It’s worth noting that your GP will need to provide a referral as part of this process.

That depends on your goals and what you’re working on. Some people come with a specific challenge or decision and find clarity in a handful of sessions. Others prefer ongoing support to build momentum, develop skills, and work through multiple areas over time.

In your first session, we’ll discuss your goals and work out an approach that suits where you’re at — whether that’s something targeted and short-term, or a longer-term plan. There’s no set formula, just a structure that works for you.

As we work together, I can provide guidance on what frequency and duration makes sense based on your progress and goals.

Many people who come to see me are managing well on the surface but struggling internally. Performance anxiety doesn’t have impact your performance to be worth addressing. If it’s affecting your confidence, limiting opportunities, or you find performance-based situations draining — there may be value in developing strategies to manage it.

Yes. While much of this page focuses on professional contexts, performance anxiety often shows up outside of work — and it’s more common than most people realise. The underlying psychological patterns are often similar: anticipatory anxiety, avoidance, harsh self-evaluation, and a growing fear that the anxiety itself will cause the problem. If this is something you’re navigating, the intake call is a confidential, no-pressure conversation where you can share what’s going on and we can work out whether this is the right fit.

Exposure-based work involves gradually facing situations that trigger performance anxiety — which can feel uncomfortable. But this is always done at a pace you’re comfortable with and with proper preparation. You’ll be supported with new tools to manage your anxiety along the way. Over time, anxiety tends to reduce with exposure therapy. We’ll build a plan together that feels manageable, not overwhelming.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based, mindfulness-informed approach to managing difficult thoughts and emotions. Rather than trying to eliminate uncomfortable thought and emotions — ACT helps you change your relationship with them, so they have less influence over your behaviour. It’s practical, skills-based, and well-suited to many of the challenges people experience in professional environments.

Yes. Public speaking coaching focuses on delivery skills — structure, presence, technique. What I offer works on the psychological patterns underneath: the anticipatory anxiety, the self-doubt, the physical symptoms, and the avoidance that gets in the way of performing at your actual level. Many people find that once the psychological layer is addressed, the performance skills they already have become much more accessible.