Issues

Any of us can struggle with our mental health at some stage in life. Feeling sad or lonely from time to time is normal. However, if those feelings linger, it may be a sign that you need some extra support. Here are some of the issues you may be experiencing:

Anxiety

Depression

Health Anxiety

Counselling for Chronic Illness

Stress

Low Self-Esteem

Bereavement and Loss

Life Transitions

Retirement and identity changes

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Panic Disorder

Relationship Difficulties

Social Anxiety

Recurrent Miscarriage

Baby Loss

Infertility

Postnatal Depression

Perinatal Mental Health

Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural human response to stress, but for many people, it can become persistent and overwhelming. Anxiety often appears as a constant worry, a physical tension and a looming sense of dread. It can show up as repeatedly imagining worst-case scenarios, and for some people, it’s connected to OCD tendencies—like needing everything to be perfect or tightly controlled. It can disrupt your sleep, strain relationships, impact your wellbeing and work and leave you feeling like your emotions are tangled in a tight knot of worry and anxiety. Through psychotherapy, you can explore your inner world, understand what triggers your anxiety, develop healthier coping strategies and create a more balanced, grounded way of living.

Depression

Depression is a common but serious mental health condition that affects how you feel, think and function day to day. It goes beyond temporary sadness or low mood - depression can create a persistent sense of emptiness and hopelessness that just won’t lift despite your best efforts. Depression can make everyday life feel heavy, draining your energy, motivation and sense of joy. Here are just some of the symptoms of depression you may be feeling:

·      Persistent sadness or guilt

·      Decreased motivation

·      Feeling empty or numb

·      Fatigue and low energy

·      Struggling to concentrate

·      Sleep problems

·      Emotional overwhelm

·      Feeling Hopeless

·      Withdrawing from others

These experiences are real, but you don’t have to face them alone. Psychotherapy offers supportive help for depression, by gently exploring underlying patterns.  You can start to understand what’s beneath your low mood and develop healthier ways to cope. Together, we work at a pace that feels right for you, helping you reconnect with yourself and move toward a life that feels more meaningful and emotionally steady.

Health Anxiety

Health anxiety involves being persistently worried about the possibility of illness. It can lead to you constant checking your symptoms and an overwhelming worry that you have something seriously wrong with you. This ongoing anxiety can affect daily life, relationships and your overall wellbeing. Psychotherapy offers a supportive space to understand the roots of health anxiety and develop healthier coping strategies. Through counselling, clients can reduce reassurance-seeking behaviours, manage uncertainty and regain a sense of calm and control. It is possible to ease the anxiety and restore a more balanced approach to everyday life.

Counselling for Chronic Illness

Living with a chronic illness can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Counselling for individuals with chronic illness helps to manage anxiety, depression, pain-related stress and the uncertainty that long-term conditions often bring. Through compassionate evidence-based approaches, therapy can improve coping skills and strengthen emotional resilience. We explore your feelings safely and adjust where necessary to changing limitations and rebuild a sense of identity and control. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or years into your journey, therapeutic support can bring clarity and confidence.

Stress

While occasional stress is a normal part of life, chronic stress can take a serious toll on your wellbeing. Stress can affect your body, mind and behaviour in many ways.

Physically, it may cause muscle tension, headaches, fatigue, digestive issues, rapid heartbeat and sleep disturbances. Emotionally, stress can lead to irritability, anxiety, mood swings and a feeling of overwhelm. Cognitively, it often shows up as difficulty concentrating, racing thoughts and negative thinking patterns. Behaviourally, stress may cause changes in appetite, social withdrawal, procrastination or increased reliance on alcohol, nicotine or other coping habits.

Psychotherapy provides a safe space to explore the sources of your stress, understand your responses, and develop healthier coping strategies. With professional support, you can manage stress more effectively and cultivate a calmer, more balanced approach to challenges.

Low self-esteem

Low self-esteem can affect every part of your life, from relationships and work to your overall wellbeing. It often shows up as:

·      self-doubt

·      harsh self-criticism

·      difficulty setting boundaries

·      feeling unworthy or inadequate.

These patterns can leave you stuck in cycles of negative thinking and prevent you from reaching your full potential. Therapy provides a safe space to explore the roots of low self-esteem, challenge unhelpful beliefs and develop a healthier relationship with yourself. Through tailored support, you can build confidence and strengthen your self-worth.  

Bereavement and loss

Bereavement is the deep emotional response to losing a loved one. It can affect you emotionally and physically. Grief may show up as sadness, anger, guilt, confusion or a sense of emptiness - everyone experiences grief differently and all of these emotions are normal. Counselling offers a compassionate space to process your loss and explore your complex emotions.  Through supportive counselling, you can learn healthy coping strategies, honour your feelings and gradually rebuild a sense of stability. With guidance, bereavement therapy can help you navigate grief, find meaning and move forward while keeping your memories alive.

Life transitions

Life transitions can take many forms, from career and education changes - such as job loss, starting a new role, changing careers, or retiring - to periods of ill-health or recovery from surgery, chronic illness or mental health challenges. Changes in relationships and family dynamics, like becoming a parent, children leaving home, blended families, divorce or the death of a loved one, can also bring emotional upheaval. Anticipatory grief, when we face the expected loss of a relationship or loved one, can be particularly challenging. These transitions often trigger anxiety, sadness or self-doubt, making adjustment difficult. Psychotherapy provides a safe space to explore your feelings and develop coping strategies, helping you adapt and maintain emotional wellbeing during times of change.

Retirement and identity changes

Retirement can bring significant changes to your daily routine, social life and sense of identity. For many, leaving the workforce can trigger feelings of loss, uncertainty or a diminished sense of purpose. You may experience anxiety, low mood or struggle to adjust to this new phase of life. Psychotherapy offers a supportive space to explore these feelings and  understand how they impact your self-identity. Through counselling, you can rediscover your strengths, build new routines and find meaningful ways to engage with life, supporting emotional wellbeing and a fulfilling retirement.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

OCD is a mental health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours or compulsions related to anxiety. OCD can affect daily life, making routine tasks feel overwhelming and exhausting. These behaviours can include counting, tapping, reassurance seeking, overthinking, repeated handwashing and cleaning, re-checking locks and appliances and worries about hurting yourself or others.  Through therapy, you can learn to understand where these patterns of behaviour came from in order to challenge them and develop healthier coping stretegies. With professional support, it’s possible to regain control, reduce anxiety and improve overall wellbeing.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a mental health condition characterized by sudden, intense episodes of fear or panic, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness or chest pain. These panic attacks can feel overwhelming and unpredictable, leading to constant worry about when the next episode might occur. Through therapy you can understand how these unhelpful patterns of behaviour developed, helping you to understand triggers and challenge your anxious thoughts. With professional support, individuals can regain a sense of control and reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks.

Relationship Difficulties

Relationship difficulties can affect your emotional wellbeing, self-esteem and overall quality of life. Challenges may include:

·      communication problems – feeling unheard or misunderstood

·      trust issues

·      conflict – constant and unresolved

·      emotional distance

·      trust issues or fear of being vulnerable

·      difficulties setting boundaries

·      repeated patterns of negative behaviour

Psychotherapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore these challenges, understand underlying dynamics and develop healthier ways of relating to others. Through counselling, clients can improve communication skills, set boundaries, resolve conflicts and rebuild trust. Therapy also helps individuals understand their own patterns and triggers, fostering personal growth. With professional guidance, it’s possible to strengthen relationships, enhance connection and cultivate more fulfilling, resilient partnerships.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is a common mental health condition that causes intense fear or discomfort in social situations. People with social anxiety may worry about being judged, embarrassed or scrutinized, which can make everyday interactions, work or social events feel overwhelming. Symptoms often include avoidance of social situations, physical tension, rapid heartbeat, sweating or difficulty speaking. Psychotherapy offers you a means of exploring your past experiences to understand how these unhelpful strategies have developed, then working on your triggers to develop healthier ways of being and enjoying more meaningful interactions. 

Recurrent miscarriage

Recurrent miscarriage can be emotionally and physically challenging. Couples may face feelings of grief, guilt, anxiety and uncertainty about future pregnancies. Therapy provides a safe and supportive space to process these emotions, cope with loss and rebuild hope. Individuals and couples can explore underlying emotional patterns, develop healthy coping strategies and strengthen resilience. Therapy can also help improve communication and mutual support within relationships during this difficult time. With professional guidance, those affected by recurrent miscarriage can navigate grief, regain emotional balance and move forward with confidence and hope.

Baby loss

Baby loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, can be an incredibly painful and overwhelming experience. Parents often face intense grief, sadness, guilt and feelings of isolation, which can impact their emotional wellbeing and relationships. Counselling provides a compassionate, safe space to process these emotions, honour the loss and begin healing. Through counselling, individuals and couples can explore their feelings, develop coping strategies and rebuild a sense of hope and connection. With professional support, parents can navigate the grieving process, find ways to remember their baby and gradually restore emotional balance and resilience after loss.

Infertility

Infertility can be a deeply emotional and stressful experience, affecting self-esteem, relationships and overall wellbeing. The challenges of trying to conceive, undergoing medical treatments or coping with repeated disappointments can lead to anxiety, sadness, and feelings of isolation. Counselling provides a supportive space to explore these emotions, process grief and manage stress. Individuals and couples can develop healthy coping strategies, improve communication and navigate the emotional impact of infertility together. With professional support, therapy can help you build resilience, regain a sense of control and maintain emotional wellbeing while facing the challenges of infertility.

Post Natal Depression

Postnatal depression is a common mental health condition that can affect parents after childbirth, causing persistent sadness, fatigue, anxiety and difficulty bonding with your baby. It may interfere with daily life, relationships and overall wellbeing. Psychotherapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore these feelings, understand underlying causes and develop coping strategies. Through counselling, parents can learn to manage mood changes, reduce anxiety and rebuild confidence in their parenting role. With professional support, therapy can help restore emotional balance, strengthen connections with your baby and loved ones and guide you toward recovery, resilience and a more positive postnatal experience.

Post Natal Depression for Partners

Postnatal depression (PND) can also affect partners, who may experience stress, anxiety, or feelings of helplessness while supporting a parent with depression. It is thought that up to 50% of partners suffer postnatal depression when the birthing parent is suffering too. They may experience problems with changes in routines, intimacy or emotional connection, which can impact relationships and overall wellbeing. Therapy provides a safe, supportive space for partners to explore their feelings, manage stress and develop effective coping strategies. Counselling can help partners understand postnatal depression, improve communication and strengthen their role in supporting both the parent and the family. With professional guidance, partners can foster resilience, emotional balance and healthier relationships during this challenging phase of life.

Perinatal Maternal Health

Perinatal maternal health encompasses the emotional and psychological wellbeing of mothers and birthing parents during pregnancy and the first year after childbirth. Many people experience mood changes, anxiety or stress during this period which can impact both their own wellbeing and their ability to bond with their baby. Counselling provides a supportive space to explore these emotions, manage perinatal stress and develop healthy coping strategies. With professional support, therapy promotes emotional balance, strengthens maternal mental health, and supports a positive, nurturing environment for both mother and child.