Anxiety

Anxiety is a very healthy and normal emotion; however, it becomes problematic when it encroaches on your life on a day-to-day basis. This makes you feel like you cannot cope with worry or that you are not in control of your thoughts. Anxiety can be very frightening and can lead to more severe apprehension, fear, nervousness and panic attacks.

How do you know if your anxiety has become problematic? You may have trouble eating or sleeping, concentrating, you may feel constantly on edge or have noticed increased irritability. Physical symptoms may also occur such as raised heart rate, chest pains or palpitations, stomach disorders, shaking, sweating and feeling nauseous, to name a few.

Treatment of anxiety can present in different ways, from learning relaxation techniques and mindfulness, to developing tools and strategies through CBT and lifestyle changes. You can rest assured that however anxiety presents itself, counselling will be tailored to you as the client. It is important to discover the approach that fits best with you, and I can help you achieve just that.

Relationships

Relationships can be the most rewarding areas of our life whether it be partnerships, friendships or family relationships. However, difficulties can occur causing a breakdown of communication, stress and anxiety, powerlessness, unbalance and tension, not to mention hurt and resentment.

Sometimes you may feel that you are not being heard or that others don't understand you, you may feel jealousy about a past relationship or infidelity may have occurred. Are you experiencing an unhealthy relationship where abusive behaviour may be present.

Seeking support is a difficult step but talking things through with a third party can offer you insight into some of the difficult aspects of your relationship. It can help you to identify difficult patterns in your relationship, improve communication, help manage differences by exploring contributing factors and help you make decision that are right for you and your future.

I am not, a 'Couple's Counsellor' and only work one to one with clients. If you require 'Couple's Counselling' this may be a different avenue to explore with a trained Couples Therapist.

Stress

Do you think you might be suffering from stress? Stress is a normal and healthy reaction that as humans, we all experience. Your body will react to experiences, changes or challenges, to avoid danger, keeping us alert and alive! However, often our stress response becomes a problem when we don't have periods of relaxation in between those stress responses.

Long term stress can take its toll on us physically, mentally and emotionally. Symptoms can include chest pain, heart racing, headaches, dizziness, lack of libido, weakened immune system, exhaustion, depression, digestive problems, and sadness.  We can also develop unhelpful 'stress' behaviours such as overeating or other eating disorders, gambling, using drugs, smoking and drinking.

There are many ways to combat stress. CBT tools are a great way to learn more healthy and positive behaviours to reduce stress and build in relaxation into your routine. Mindfulness is also a fantastic way of learning to be more present, balanced and less reactive to situations. I have many clients who have benefitted greatly from learning a few mindful exercises that have become part of their everyday life, changing their outlook on managing stress in a healthy and productive way.