Help

Feelings of Low Self-esteem / Assertiveness

Negative beliefs can be challenged

Having a healthy level of self-esteem, which means putting a positive value on our own worth, is key to many aspects of maintaining a healthy, contented and fulfilling life. Low self-esteem can have a significant negative impact, on our potential and personal goals, careers and relationships. Often, but not always, developed in childhood, it creates negative core beliefs about ourselves such as ‘I am not good enough’ and this belief then dictates our negative behaviours and thought processes for many years. The good news is that these negative beliefs can be challenged and we can grow in confidence and become more assertive. Passiveness can be equally as damaging as aggressiveness and developing an assertive attitude is the way forward.

Bereavement / Grief / Loss

Talking to someone who will listen

Losing someone we love is one of the most devastating and life changing experiences we can have. We often feel that others just do not understand us or even want to listen, leaving us isolated in an alien world that cannot easily be described. So many unwanted thoughts and emotions bombard us, driving us further and further into anxiety, depression and despair. There are no short cuts or easy answers but talking to someone who will listen in a safe place can help. Don’t forget that we can suffer from these feelings of loss in many situations including divorce, redundancy, illness, disability and others.

Depression or Postnatal Illness

Helpful behaviours can lift the depression

Depression has many causes and is often therefore very perplexing and stubborn. It also comes in varying degrees ranging from mild to very severe clinical depression. Medication can help but is not a one stop answer and it is sometimes difficult to find the right type of antidepressant and often they have unpleasant side effects. Symptoms include feeling low, tearful, helpless, hopeless, overwhelmed, tired and lethargic. Sleep, appetite and libido can all be affected and sufferers become ever increasingly withdrawn, confused, unmotivated and inactive. Cognitive, Behavioural Therapy can certainly help by challenging the cycle of negative and unhelpful thinking, leading to negative emotions, leading to negative behaviour. Also activating helpful behaviours can lift the depression and produce more positive emotions and thinking patterns.

Anxiety / Stress / Panic Disorder / Phobias

Develop anxiety busting techniques

Anxiety has to be the number one issue presented to me by my clients. Our world is often stressful in so many areas and expectations of our performance and ability to cope are high. We must, it seems, multi-task, work long hours, earn lots of money, get that degree, be successful, juggle jobs, parent well, keep fit, run a home and/or business and somehow find space to relax. The result – burnout as our brains refuse to play ball – the equivalent of our computers crashing. Symptoms of anxiety are many and some lead us to A&E mimicking heart attacks. Panic and Phobias are a side branch of anxiety, focusing on fear and irrational thoughts. Learning that anxiety will not kill you and that you can develop anxiety busting techniques which, when practiced, will enable you to reduce your own anxiety to a reasonable level, really helps. Likewise learning how to gradually face your fears/phobias is the way to reduce the power they have over you.

Anger Management

Find a calmer way forward

‘What is your anger costing you?’ If the answer is a lot, then it may be time to come and take on a 6 week anger management course I can provide. Anger is a very strong emotion and the aim is not to eliminate it altogether but to contain it in an appropriate way, defusing it before it can do the damage. Get to know your triggers and turn volatile reactions into more reasonable responses and find a calmer way forward.

It is possible to move forward

Achieve a sense of wellbeing and perhaps peace