Time2Talk

Anxiety and depression are natural responses to life's events. For example when you experience a bereavement or a life changing event such as divorce or redundancy.  Often we are able to cope   However sometimes we can experience an event that is traumatic or our resilience may be low.  When this happens our anxiety levels can rise and feel unmanageable.  Do you feel sad,  depressed, tired, scared, angry and suicidal. Do you experience physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, excessive sweating and a tight chest?  These can all be indicators that you are experiencing anxiety and depression.  If you experience any of these feelings then counselling may be able to help to explore where these feelings come from and help you to put some coping mechanisms in place.  NB, you should always contact your GP if you experience any heart or breathing issues.

Many of us struggle with our self esteem feeling that we  should be able to do certain things and achieve certain  goals, that we are only acceptable and loveable if we are  able to do these things.   Have you ever thought that life  would be better if you got one more promotion, one more  new outfit, were more muscular or lost some weight? Then  those things happen and you don't feel any different or you don't achieve the goals you set yourself and you feel your self worth becoming lower.  Do you struggle to say ‘no’, even though you want to?  Do you compare yourself to others and wish you could be more like other people?  Do you feel that you are not good enough no matter what you do or how hard you try?  If you feel any of this applies to you then counselling may be able to help you to improve your self worth and feel more positive.     

Loss - have you experienced a bereavement, a divorce, the end of a relationship?  Have you been made redundant or lost your job?  Loss and change can bring feelings of grief, anger, denial and guilt.  It can be difficult and may feel impossible to adjust to and build a new life.  Counselling can help you explore the process of grief and loss safely.

Change - do you crave change but don't know where to start?  Does change feel impossible?  Often we feel that we have no choice and therefore stay in situations that are causing us distress and unhappiness for example a job or a relationship.  Counselling can help you explore what you may fear about change.  It can  help you explore what you value, your coping mechanisms and needs and whether these things still have a purpose in your life.

Being a parent and/or carer brings with it many challenges. I work with parents and carers to help them safely explore the challenges and difficulties they experience, without fear of judgement. Although I work with all parents and carers I specialise in two separate areas:

1. I work with parents and carers who look after children who find school difficult and/or have stopped attending.  Non school attendance can be a very stressful time for both the child and parent/carer.  There are often pressures from the schools and outside agencies and fear of being taken to court and being fined.  I work to help understand and navigate through the stress and anxiety that can present when faced with these difficult situations, safely and without judgement.
2. I work with parents and carers of Autistic children and have both personal and professional experience of Autism and PDA (pathological demand avoidance).  I work with parents to find acceptance, to help them understand their child, to explore any feelings they may have and don't feel they can share for fear of being judged.