A clinical psychologist at an anxiety clinic in Christchurch says it is still too soon for those with post-quake anxiety to be seeking expert help.
Aftershocks continue to rattle Canterbury following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 4 September.
Government-funded trauma counsellors are available for residents stressed out by their experiences and a lack of sleep.
Dr Lee Kannis says the brain is trying to make sense of the quake.
He says intense therapy would do more harm than good right now, because specialist intervention can re-traumatise people.
Dr Kannis recommends people wait up to three months after the aftershocks subside, before seeking professional help.
