Creating Space
for Meaningful Change
Creating Space
Anxiety and Panic
Everyone feels anxious at times. There are situations however where anxiety may become more problematic and interfere with everyday functioning. Anxiety can present itself in different ways and it is usually characterised by physiological changes such as a racing heart, breathlessness and tension as your body prepares for what is sees as a threat. Thoughts are likely to be fearful and a racing mind can be common. There can be a strong tendency to avoid situations that are anxiety provoking, often restricting life. For some, anxiety may get in the way of socialising with others, for others, it may be specific situations such as public speaking that trigger anxiety. Some people develop a phobia of a particular situation, such as heights or enclosed spaces. Others may experience ongoing worries, expecting the worst to happen, or intrusive thoughts that may lead to compulsions such as hand washing or tapping, as it is the case in OCD. Therapy can help you to feel more in control of your anxiety by learning ways of coping with both the physiological aspect of anxiety and your thoughts. It can also be helpful to delve deeper into the root causes of anxiety and build an understanding of the factors and life experiences that may have contributed to it.
Depression
Feeling sometimes sad, down or lacking in motivation is normal and part of being human, particularly after a disappointing experience, a loss, or at the end of a significant relationship. Depression can be characterised by persistent low mood, hopelessness, tearfulness, difficulties with motivation and loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable. There can also be a tendency to withdraw from family and friends. Sleep can be disrupted and sometimes depression can lead to sleeping more, at times it can lead to sleeplessness. Anger, irritability and restlessness can also be common. Often, there is a negative self-image and an internal critical part that can contribute to depression and alongside it there can be guilt and shame. Therapy can help you to understand the reasons why you may be depressed, both in terms of what is keeping depression going in the present and some of the life experiences that have contributed to it. Focusing on breaking negative cycles of thinking and taking steps to engage with valued activities can be an important part of therapy. It can also be useful to focus on patterns of relating that may be contributing to the depression and understand their connections with early experiences.
Trauma and PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by an event or situation that is perceived as threatening, overwhelming, and upsetting. The traumatic event can be anything from a natural disaster, war, assault, or a serious accident. PTSD can manifest itself in various ways, and its symptoms can be different for everyone. Common symptoms of PTSD include intrusive thoughts or memories of the traumatic event, nightmares, flashbacks, and avoidance behaviours. Other symptoms may include irritability, anger outbursts, difficulty concentrating, and hypervigilance. Not all traumatic experience may give rise to PTSD whilst still having a significant impact. Developmental traumas and difficult experiences whilst growing up where the child’s need for safety, a secure attachment and an attuned connection are not met can affect one’s sense of self as well as the ability to manage emotions and to develop meaningful relationships with others. Therapy can provide a safe environment where you can understand the impact that difficult, traumatic, experiences may have had on you, your thoughts, your feelings and your ways of coping and relating to others. It is also possible to process traumatic memories using therapies such as EMDR to change how they are stored in the mind and loosen the impact they have on you.
Adjustment to Chronic
Health Conditions
Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic health condition can be challenging and bring up a lot of different thoughts and feelings. Chronic health conditions are long-term health conditions that require ongoing management and care. Examples of chronic health conditions include diabetes, arthritis, chronic pain, heart disease, and cancer. Adjusting to a chronic health condition can be a difficult and emotional process as it requires changes in lifestyle, relationships, and daily routines. The process of adjusting to a chronic health condition can be different for everyone. Therapy can help to integrate the diagnosis into your life, focusing on changing the aspects that can be controlled, and accepting the aspects that cannot be controlled. A significant aspect of adjusting to a chronic health condition is learning how to manage the physical and emotional effects of the condition. This can include learning how to manage pain, adapting to any restrictions, and finding ways to manage stress, anxiety and other emotions related to the condition.
Relationship Difficulties
As human beings we all have needs for connectedness and intimacy. Relationships with others, whether romantic, friendships, family or professional relationships, are not always straightforward. Some people notice that there are patterns that they tend to repeat. Perhaps it can be difficult to get close to others emotionally, or there is a fear of abandonment or mistrust in others. For some others it may be difficult to keep healthy boundaries and have a tendency to be in co-dependent relationships. Often, early attachment relationships as well as trauma and loss can contribute to relationships difficulties. These difficulties can be limited to romantic relationships or present themselves across a range of relationships with others. Therapy can help you to identify patterns you may be repeating and explore any life experiences that may have contributed to them. It can also help you to break these patterns and make healthier choices.
Stress and Burnout
Stress is an inevitable part of modern life. A degree of stress can be helpful and can even focus performance, however, when it is prolonged, it can have a negative impact on our emotional and physical health and eventually lead to burnout. Stress can present itself as difficulties to switch off, feeling anxious and “wired”, irritable and tense. The body may also display signs of stress and many chronic health conditions can flare up during stressful periods. When reaching burnout, feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and hopeless are common. Unhealthy coping strategies such as using substances or overeating can also have a toll on the body and mind. Therapy can help you to understand the sources of stress and develop healthy coping strategies to respond to life challenges more effectively.
Low Self Esteem
Self-esteem is how we see and value ourselves. If we tend to see ourselves in a negative light, as a failure, not good enough, undeserving of love, this can have a profound influence on our life. It can affect how we think and talk to ourselves, being critical or having high, unrealistic expectations. It can impact on the confidence to achieve life’s goals, both personal and professional. It may mean not living up to one’s full potential or constantly feeling on the verge of being found out (the impostor syndrome). Therapy can help you to understand your unhelpful core beliefs about yourself and where they originate from. Personal history and societal influences can all play a role. It will also help you to build a healthier self esteem and changing any self-defeating patterns of thinking and behaving that are maintaining low self esteem.
Self-Sabotage and
Addictions
Self-sabotage can be seen as repeated unhealthy patterns in thinking and behaving that interfere with psychological wellbeing, relationships and growth, often keeping one from achieving personal goals. Self-sabotaging behaviours include procrastination, perfectionism and people pleasing. Addictive behaviours and impulses can also be conceptualised in this way, including substance misuse, comfort eating and gambling. These behaviours have usually developed initially as attempts to cope with unmet core needs for connection, or as an attempt to escape upsetting feelings. Often, part of the unintended consequences of these behaviours is that they perpetuate the very feelings they were initially developed to avoid and may, for example, increase feelings of shame or disconnection from others. Therapy can help to understand some of these self-defeating vicious cycles and to develop healthier coping strategies to break the cycles.
An integrative therapy drawing from different therapeutic approaches
to find the best fit for your goals and needs.
You can attend your therapy session either in person in central London or online.
A convenient and flexible option to have therapy in the comfort of your home.
Clinical supervision for qualified therapists as well as psychologists in training.
Book a free 15 minute consultation
to discuss how I can support you and
see if you feel we may be a good match.
