Depression goes beyond temporary feelings of sadness or low spirits that many experience from time to time. Unlike brief periods of unhappiness, depression involves persistent feelings of sadness that can endure for weeks or even months. It manifests differently in each individual, leading to a range of symptoms such as prolonged feelings of hopelessness, disinterest in previously enjoyable activities, and frequent tearfulness. Depression impacts individuals physically, emotionally, and mentally.

These aspects are interconnected, making it difficult to distinguish one from another. They reinforce each other in a draining cycle that intensifies feelings of being trapped and hopeless. For instance, experiencing sadness, hopelessness, and a low mood may lead to decreased motivation to get out of bed or engage in physical activity. This in turn can manifest as physical symptoms such as lethargy, heaviness, and slowed movement. These physical symptoms then contribute to further feelings of sadness, fatigue, and lack of motivation, perpetuating the cycle relentlessly.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease that can range from mild worry to intense fear. Anxiety and panic attacks are real and can significantly impact daily functioning, making it difficult to lead a fulfilling life. You may withdraw from social interactions to avoid feelings of fear and worry around others. This can also interfere with work, possibly resulting in absenteeism due to anxiety. These behaviors can exacerbate self-doubt and diminish self-esteem.

You may experience a range of physical symptoms, including:

●     Racing thoughts

●     Difficulty concentrating

●     Feeling disconnected from your surroundings

●     Profuse sweating, sometimes soaking through your clothes

●     Racing heart

●     Sweaty palms, nausea, and stomach discomfort

●     Feeling butterflies in your stomach

●     Trembling or tingling in your hands and legs

●     Tense muscles

●     Light-headedness or dizziness

●     Shallow, rapid breathing

These symptoms can vary in intensity, sometimes mild but escalating to a full-blown panic attack at their most severe.

Grief and sadness are emotions that can arise not only from the death of a loved one but also from significant losses such as the end of a friendship or relationship, the loss of a pet, retiring from work and leaving colleagues, or moving away from a beloved home.

Grief and loss manifest in various ways and affect individuals differently. There is no right or wrong way to experience these emotions. Common symptoms include initial shock and numbness, followed by intense sadness and frequent crying, feelings of exhaustion, anger directed towards the deceased or the circumstances of the loss, and guilt over various aspects such as unresolved issues or perceived .

In Therapy you’ll be able to discuss how the death and the resulting grief has influenced you, including any surprising impacts or concerns that may have surfaced.

PTSD is used widely to describe the symptoms that can be experienced when you either witness, or are involved in a terrifying, stressful or distressing event. 

You may experience some or all the following:

●     Vivid flashbacks (where you feel as though the trauma is happening again)

●     Disturbed sleep & Nightmares

●     Intrusive thoughts and images

●     Anger, irritability, outbursts, aggressive behaviors

●     Extreme alertness or being easily startled

●     Or the opposite to this, feeling extremely detached and numb

●     Avoiding things that remind you of the trauma, tying to keep busy to avoid it, repressing memories

●     Intense distress at any real or imagined memory or reminder of the trauma

●     Physical symptoms such as sweating, dizziness, pain

In therapy you can process your emotional and physical responses to the event, and find ways of helping you to process what has happened to you, and cope with any reactions that you may be having, so that the trauma moves from being a current problem, to a memory.

Sexual Assault encompasses any form of sexual contact without consent. It is widely recognized that sexual assault and rape are not merely about sexual acts but also about exerting power and control over another person.

There is no justification for sexual violence. The responsibility lies solely with the perpetrator. No one deserves to experience it, and it is never provoked or warranted. Experiencing sexual violence can have diverse impacts, and I am here to support you by:

●     Exploring and understanding your emotions.

●     Developing strategies to cope with strong or distressing emotions. We will examine why feelings like 'shame', 'anger', and 'emptiness' are common responses after experiencing rape or sexual violence.

●     Working on reducing the frequency and intensity of flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts.

●     Addressing and diminishing feelings of shame and self-blame, such as thoughts like "I deserved it because..." or "I should have...". Also, tackling self-loathing thoughts such as "I am dirty", "I am disgusting", or "nobody will ever love me".

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior characterized by the exercise of control or power by one person, or sometimes more than one person, over another within an intimate or family relationship.

No one should live in fear of abuse and in therapy I provide a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space where you can begin to explore what is going on, what has happened and how you feel about it. Importantly it is a space to be heard and believed. Domestic abuse can leave you feeling:

●     Confused about what is happening, thinking thoughts such as “am I imagining things?” “Is this abuse?”

●     Conflicted feelings about your partner / family member

●     Trapped, as though there is no way out of the relationship

●     Trapped in relation to money and housing

●     Worried about your children

●     Fearful of what people will think, or do or say

●     Alone and isolated, feeling as though you cannot speak to friends or family

●     Ashamed, lacking in self-esteem and confidence

●     Depressed and / or suicidal

●     Feel that you deserve to be treated in this way

Life transitions are periods of change to your lifestyle that make you stop and evaluate your life. Life transitions may run smoothly but people often struggle to adjust to change and may find these periods of life highly stressful and perhaps distressing.

There are many types of life transitions that people can find difficult to adjust to.Some of the most common ones are: family separation (divorce, empty nest), becoming a parent; leaving university; changing job/losing your job; becoming ill or disabled; being bereaved; and retiring.

 Experiencing a life transition can bring out all sorts of feelings in people. At such times it is common for people to evaluate their lives and ask themselves questions about their success, what they are doing and why, where they are going in life and what is important to them.em description

Work / Life Balance is commonly referred to in relation to our career and professional life. The impact of how much you work, the ways in which you work, the satisfaction that your work provides, and how this balances with your personal life.

●      What causes you to work so much? Or so little? Or avoid certain aspects of work or personal life?

●      What do you want from your career? Or what would you like to change completely?

●     What is happening in your personal life, and how does this impact the way in which you work at the moment?

 Therapy for developing a better work/life balance helps you address the underlying issues such as a tendency to work longer hours to avoid distress in intimate relationships, perfection and poor boundaries.

Caregiver Stress

At various points in life, many people find themselves in the role of caregiver for a family member or friend who is ill. Caring for someone can be both demanding and stressful, and caregivers are often at risk of experiencing mental health challenges.

Here are some common indicators of stress to watch for:

●      Persistent Fatigue: Constantly feeling tired or lacking energy.

●      Overwhelm: A sense of being weighed down by responsibilities.

●      Anxiety: Frequent worrying or anxiety about the situation.

●      Irritability: Becoming easily frustrated or angry.

●      Sleep Issues: Trouble falling or staying asleep

Therapy for stress aims to identify and address the factors causing your stress, and collaboratively develop skills to manage your time, energy, thoughts, and emotions to reduce your stress levels.

Attachment Issues

According to Dr John Bowlby, the strong needs that a child has for secure bonding with their primary caregivers in early childhood, these early attachments shape adult relationships for the remainder of their lives.

 Adults who have never addressed problems with attachment and who see the result of attachment issues in their lives might, in treatment, identify and explore early losses, grieve for the childhood bonds that were not experienced, and gain closure, while learning how to develop healthy attachments and accept love, if they have difficulty doing so. Through therapy, adults who have experienced attachment issues may become able to build stronger bonds with friends, children, and partners.

Premarital counseling provides couples with a valuable opportunity to discuss their expectations, future plans, and the dynamics of sharing their lives together. This process helps in understanding how individual backgrounds and family experiences influence their relationship styles.

Therapy aims to identify the key elements necessary for a thriving relationship and to address how couples can manage and embrace their differences. By fostering a healthy, trusting foundation, therapist assists couples in aligning their shared intentions with their personal needs, hopes, and aspirations.

By working together with a therapist, couples can build a strong foundation for their future, avoid potential pitfalls, and create a fulfilling and enduring partnership.

Postpartum Depression (PPD)

Following childbirth, most women experience what's commonly known as the 'Baby Blues'. They may feel tearful, fatigued, anxious, and emotionally unstable. This is a normal phase that typically resolves within a few days and is often attributed to the shock and hormonal changes associated with childbirth.

However, some women develop PPD following delivery. PPD involves persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that persist for at least two weeks after giving birth. It affects around 15% of women (approximately 1 in 7). These feelings can significantly interfere with self-care, caring for the baby, and can strain relationships with partners.

What are the signs and symptoms of PPD?

Symptoms can start anytime during pregnancy or the first year postpartum. They differ for everyone, and some symptoms might include the following:

●     Feelings of anger or irritability

●     Lack of interest in the baby

●     Being overwhelmed by life at the moment

●     Feelings of guilt, shame or hopelessness

Birth Trauma and PTSD

Feeling disturbed or troubled by your childbirth experience could indicate that you're going through birth trauma. Each person's experience varies, but trauma can arise from both physical and emotional factors. It could stem from prolonged and intense labor, unexpected interventions, feeling neglected or unheard during labor, or concerns about your or your baby's safety.

Regardless of your specific experience, it's crucial that you are heard and able to articulate how these events affected you emotionally.

What are the signs and symptoms of PTSD?

●     Re-experiencing the traumatic event through flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive memories. These make you feel distressed and panicky.

●     Avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma. This can mean refusing to walk past the hospital where you gave birth or avoiding meeting other women with new babies.

●     Feeling hypervigilant: this means that you are constantly alert, irritable and jumpy. You worry that something terrible is going to happen to your baby.

●     Feeling low and unhappy (“negative cognition” in the medical jargon). You may feel guilty and blame yourself for your traumatic birth. You may have difficulty remembering parts of your birth experience.

Birth partners may also feel traumatized after witnessing a distressing event, sometimes even if the woman who gave birth is feeling well. Although there’s not much research into this area, it’s thought that as many as 5% of partners develop trauma symptoms after witnessing a birth.

Fertility, Infertility & Getting Pregnant

What if ‘the time comes’ and you are unable to conceive? Or is it taking longer than expected? Maybe you are coping with the expectations of partners, family or friends to become pregnant leading to pressure, stress and anxiety.

Infertility means unable to conceive after one year of trying (six months if a woman is 35 or older) or sustain a pregnancy to term.

-       About 10% of women (6.1 million)  in the US struggle conceive or stay pregnant.

-       About 20% of women have their first child after age 35

-       Affects approximately 1 in 8 couples

Source: US Dept of Health & Human services, Office of Women’s Health (www.womenshealth.gov)

 The identity of motherhood or fatherhood often becomes deeply ingrained, and facing challenges with conception can lead to navigating complex emotional and psychological issues such as:

●     Will I ever have biological children of my own?

●     How do I manage the expectations of family members longing for grandchildren?

●     Could fertility struggles lead to strain in my relationship?

These uncertainties can provoke feelings of anxiety and depression, possibly manifesting as:

●     Intense feelings of loss and mourning

●     Sensations of failure or guilt

●     Sense of helplessness and lack of control

Antenatal Depression

Discovering you're pregnant can evoke a range of emotions, whether the pregnancy was planned or unexpected, and whether it's your first child or not. While pregnancy is often seen as a joyful time, it can also be incredibly stressful for some, leading to antenatal anxiety or depression. These conditions can occur during pregnancy and leading up to birth, and if left unaddressed, they may increase the risk of postnatal depression.

Here are some common symptoms to watch for during pregnancy:

●     Feeling tearful: Increased crying is normal due to hormonal changes, but excessive or persistent tearfulness may indicate antenatal depression.

●     Feeling numb or empty: The overwhelming nature of pregnancy can lead to detachment or a sense of emptiness.

●     Anxiety: While some anxiety about birth or parenting is normal, overwhelming anxiety that interferes with daily life may be a concern. This could manifest as panic attacks, constant nervousness, difficulty concentrating, or avoidance of social situations.

●     Insomnia: Trouble sleeping, especially due to a racing mind rather than physical discomfort, may signal underlying emotional distress.

These symptoms can be exacerbated by feelings of guilt or shame for not meeting societal expectations of pregnancy and motherhood. It's important to recognize that experiencing depression or anxiety during pregnancy is not uncommon or abnormal.

Therapy for Partners of Pregnant Individuals

During pregnancy, much attention is naturally focused on the pregnant person. However, partners often experience their own set of fears and concerns:

●     Worries about parenting and their role as a parent.

●     Anxiety about potential complications during childbirth.

●     Concerns about differing levels of excitement or readiness for parenthood compared to their partner.

●     Changes in the relationship dynamics and coping with new responsibilities.

●     Financial worries and family conflicts that may arise or worsen during pregnancy.

●     Adjusting to the changes in their partner and the relationship.

No matter the reasons behind the breakup, the emotions you go through can be intense and all-consuming, making the situation feel daunting and hard to manage. As a result, the end of the relationship might seem like your entire world is falling apart. Therapy for coping with relationship breakups and separation can provide valuable support, helping you navigate these emotions and adjust to your new reality.

Many people view couples counseling as a last-ditch effort, reserved for relationships in crisis. However, this isn’t the only way to approach it. Couples counseling can be incredibly effective for addressing minor issues before they escalate into bigger problems, helping prevent resentment and conflict from developing.

Couples therapy can offer numerous benefits by addressing the root causes of relationship issues. Often, the challenges we face in relationships stem not from a lack of love, but from difficulties in effective communication. Benefits of couples counseling include:

●     Enhanced Communication: Developing better skills to listen and communicate without jumping to conclusions or causing arguments.

●     Increased Empathy: Gaining a deeper understanding of your partner’s struggles, fears, and challenges.

●     Relationship Renewal: Reinvigorating and refreshing your relationship.

●     Improved Intimacy: Strengthening emotional and physical closeness.

●     Boundary Awareness: Learning about personal boundaries and uncovering past influences that affect your relationship.