HOW I CAN HELP

Counselling and psychotherapy can be effective for a variety of issues. During weekly sessions talking through thoughts and feelings and exploring your patterns of behaviour I can help you to

  • Feel supported
  • Understand yourself better, why you feel the way you do 
  • Change behaviour patterns that may be contributing to your mental wellbeing
  • Deepen self-awareness and self-understanding, encouraging personal growth and self-acceptance
  • Manage your feelings and your emotional world better
  • Facilitate you making changes in your life
  • Resolve internal conflict, learn to manage uncertainty
  • Work through challenges and build your resilience
  • Increase your confidence and strengthen your sense of identity
  • Build the right relationships in your life

These are some common issues where counselling can be effective that I have direct experience dealing with:

Depression

Filled with self doubt and negative thoughts, you are struggling to find any enjoyment in life. It is common to find yourself tearful and upset, unable to get out of your low mood. There is a hopelessness surrounding you and you don’t know how get yourself out of this hole. Symptoms of depression can also include loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Working together we can develop coping strategies to help you better manage your emotions and rebuild your energy levels and enthusiasm for life. 

Anxiety

Do you find yourself experiencing regular or uncontrollable worries about many different things in your everyday life? You are unable to relax, contain your nerves, you struggle with uncertainty and feel out of control.  Situations which involve being around others, such as socialising or in the workplace cause you to feel uneasy. You may have experienced panic attacks. Working together we can gain more understanding of the underlying issues related to your difficulties, leading you to understand yourself better.

Stress – Career/Academia

The pressures of modern life can be overwhelming. You may be experiencing what you can only describe as a breakdown. The daily stress of work or academia has become unmanageable. In the midst of a crisis, you may have had a burnout through stress, everything has got too much and you are struggling to cope with life. You might be in a job you don’t enjoy and feel you aren’t valued in the work place and aren’t getting the support you need. You might be struggling with internal workplace politics and are having difficulty interacting with certain colleagues.You are a student and finding the workload overwhelming. Deadlines are looming, you are feeling the pressure and struggling with your confidence in achieving. Together we can help you to cope better, reduce your stress levels and find a better work life balance.

Relationships

You may have recently gone through a break up or are finding it difficult to find a partner. You are wondering whether you are happy in your current relationship. You might be experiencing conflicts within your friendships and/or family relationships.  Emotionally you are exhausted, thoughts and feelings have become too difficult to manage. The fast developments in the modern world and new forms of communication via social media are impacting people’s ability to form and maintain healthy, intimate relationships. Together we can look at your relationship style and identify patterns, increasing your self awareness, communication skills, helping you to build the right relationships in your life.

Life Transitions and Change

There are times in life where you may feel at a crossroads and are unsure what to do next.  You feel stuck, you need a change but don’t know what that is or how to achieve it. It could be that you have recently gone through a major life change, a job loss, a relationship has ended, you are grieving a loss. You might be a student who’s just finished at University but aren’t sure what to do next. The question arises, what am I doing with my life, who am I? It’s an unsettling place to be in when you feel confused and lost, looking for direction and guidance. Together we can work through your worries and concerns and develop strategies, leading to more direction, clarity, meaning and purpose in your life.

Low Confidence/Self-esteem

You lack confidence in your abilities and/or your appearance, you often find yourself comparing yourself to others and feeling not good enough. You experience being rejected a lot. You want to be better version of yourself. There is a sense of not reaching goals and often you think that the problem lies with you. Together we can look at your sense of identity and instead of seeking validation from others we can work towards self acceptance and self compassion, increasing your confidence and self esteem.

Loneliness

The modern day world of the web and social media, whilst there to connect us, can cause people to feel more disconnected and alone than ever. You may feel like you have no one to talk to, no-one there to listen. Perhaps you feel people are too busy for you. Friendships have changed. You don’t know where you fit in. This can lead to thinking no-one cares about you and spiral in to an unhappy place where you feel isolated. We can work together towards gaining a sense of belonging and connection again.

Dating

It is common in this modern day to find people having issues looking for and forming new and lasting intimate relationships. You may be having trouble negotiating the modern world of online dating. You often find yourself feeling rejected and asking ‘what’s wrong with me’? You’re attractive and successful but have no luck finding someone. By exploring your patterns we can work together for a healthier attitude towards dating and finding love.