The Silent Anxiety in the City of London and How Clinical Psychology Breaks Out of the Therapy Room
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Roje Khalique, Founder and Consultant Psychotherapist at rkTherapy, believes the challenge is not simply access to therapy. "The problem isn't that successful people don't have access to therapy. The problem is that psychological science has traditionally been locked away until people reach a point of distress. Anxiet-Ease® changes that."
rkTherapy, a London-based clinical psychology practice founded by Roje Khalique, a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist and former City professional who understands first-hand the pressures of high-performance environments, is launching Anxiet-Ease® Version 2, a structured CBT-based programme translating clinical psychology into an accessible format for high-achieving professionals in law, finance and medicine experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. The programme is available from September 2026, with a waiting list available now at rktherapy.co.uk. The relaunch follows the programme's public debut at ExCeL London in October 2024 and rebuilds the original version specifically around this population’s stress, anxiety, and burnout.
While one in five adults in England live with a common mental health problem in any given week, high-achieving professionals often mask these symptoms entirely, leading to silent burnout.
The professions Anxiet-Ease® was rebuilt for carry a disproportionate burden. Surveys of the UK legal sector put the proportion of lawyers who have experienced work-related stress or burnout above 90 percent, with around seven in ten reporting they struggle with anxiety. In financial services, over half of banking professionals report feeling overwhelmed most or all the time. Among UK doctors, systematic reviews put burnout-related emotional exhaustion as high as 54 percent, with GPs and consultants scoring highest.
In each field, anxiety rarely presents as fear. It surfaces as perfectionism, procrastination, an inability to delegate, and a reluctance to ask for help. It shows up as working gruelling, extended hours to earn approval, leaving them with little time to recognise their anxiety, let alone walk into a clinical room to address it. This is the kind of burnout that pushes people out of careers they worked hard to build, yet it often remains undetectable both to colleagues and to the professional experiencing it.
"Knowledge is only powerful when it is shared. Without professional guidance, high-achieving professionals risk relying on superficial social media advice rather than evidence-based interventions," says Khalique.
Anxiet-Ease® applies the delivery model NICE guidelines recommend for mild to moderate anxiety specifically to the needs of high-achieving professionals. For those participating in facilitated groups, progress is tracked throughout using recognised outcome measures, including the PHQ-9 (measure of depression), GAD-7 (measure of anxiety), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Participants from the October 2024 debut showed reductions in anxiety symptoms and improvements in self-esteem following completion of the programme.
The programme is available as a self-guided digital experience or a facilitated group of up to twelve participants, with one-to-one therapy also available for those who prefer individual support, ultimately, this is science coming to them, on their terms.
"High-achieving professionals are at the top of their game and suffering in silence," adds Khalique. "They carry anxiety that nobody around them sees, and they will not walk into a clinical room to address it that easily. Anxiet-Ease® brings the science to them, on their terms."
About Anxiet-Ease® and rkTherapy, London
Anxiet-Ease® is a CBT-based Guided Self-Help programme for high-achieving professionals with mild to moderate anxiety, with the self-guided app launching on the App Store and Google Play in September 2026. A waiting list is open now at rktherapy.co.uk.
rkTherapy is a London-based clinical psychology practice founded in 2018, specialising in high-achieving professionals and diaspora communities at the intersection of psychology, sociology, and culturally adapted CBT. The practice serves clients across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, the USA, and Asia.
Safety disclaimer: This programme is designed for mild to moderate anxiety and is not a substitute for crisis intervention. If you or someone you know is in immediate distress, experiencing a mental health crisis, or at risk of harm, please contact emergency services, your GP, or the Samaritans on 116 123.
Applications for the September 2026 Anxiet-Ease® cohort are now open via info@rktherapy.co.uk.
Media contact
Roje Khalique, Consultant Psychotherapist and Founder, rkTherapy
