Whatever it is that brings you, counselling is a safe space to take the time to explore what is really going on for you, supported by someone who isn’t entangled with it and will never judge you.
I haven’t listed “issues” or “symptoms” that I am experienced with in counselling.
I don’t think of you as an “issue” or “symptom” but as a unique person with many strengths as well as vulnerabilities who just now needs a particular type of support to find the best way to live the kind of life you want and deserve.
You may be clear about what brings you to counselling or you may just have a real but vague sense that life should be so much better than it is.
You may want to be truly heard, perhaps for the first time in your life. I believe being heard, and witnessed by another person without judgement is healing.
Perhaps it is new or something that you have lived with as long as you can remember.
We all learn patterns of thinking, behaving and feeling when we are young that make sense at the time. They become automatic and we keep using them even when we are older and surrounded by different people and they have become very unhelpful. Together we can explore these so that you can then have a choice to make changes and become free of them.
You may be in pain from the loss of a loved one, a relationship or job or struggling with a decision or a transition in your life.
Traumatic experiences can leave us feeling unsafe in the world. The trauma might be physical, emotional or sexual. It might be one-off or ongoing and repeated behaviour such as bullying or excessive criticism.
Perhaps you are struggling with a difficult relationship.
Often we add to our difficulties by talking to ourselves incredibly harshly in a way we would never dream of using with friends. You can learn to soften this.
You might think of yourself as anxious, depressed, lost, traumatised, abused, self-critical, angry or worthless.
You may feel that it is not important or “not as bad” as things other people face but if it is stopping you living the life you want to then it really is important.
Whatever you bring we will explore together in a warm, safe, confidential, non-judgemental way.