Latest articles on counselling and therapy

Loneliness can be incredibly painful and debilitating, but it is one of those things that, sadly, doesn’t get talked about enough. There can be shame in loneliness, but loneliness is something that can affect anyone and everyone. As such, I feel loneliness should be talked about more. This can help to reduce the feelings of shame and also help us all realise that loneliness is part of the human condition. There are different types of loneliness. There is, of course, the type of...

Depression is a common mental health issue that is becoming increasingly common amongst the Britons. According to the independent newspaper, Britain was seventh place amongst countries with the highest rate of depression in 2017, with 10% of 25 to 64 year old been diagnosed with depression. Studies have found that women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men, at a rate of 29%, compared to 17% of men. As a result of this, one in four women will require...

Depression can be a massive leveller, as feeling down can severely impact an individual even when that person appears to have a great life, is happy in their work life, enjoys happy relationships and appears to be happy in their home life. It is more than feeling sad. It can stop you from fulfilling tasks in your daily life. Depression is rightfully regarded as a major mental health condition deemed worthy of utmost respect in how it should be treated. Feeling depressed can sometimes involve...

I want to begin by saying there is nothing inherently wrong with taking a selfie: its incredible technology exists allowing us to take stunning photos with our phones, including self-portraits. There are however worrying and disturbing aspects about selfies and their impact on our anxiety and mental health which I want to explore, along with some ideas about how psychotherapy could help with the underlying issues, where there is a problem. It was this article on The Guardian which has made me...

Depression can often be a consequence of unresolved, repressed or forgotten feelings resulting from experiences of loss, trauma, crisis and conflict; such as unresolved grief. The depressive state can also occur due to a sense of meaninglessness and lack of purpose in one’s life, affecting the individual on an emotional, spiritual and relational level. The experience of depression can be described as a state of profound sadness, alternating with numbness, which...

When you are in emotional distress, it can feel messy and uncomfortable. Culturally, we are a society that wants answers and solutions before the discomfort becomes unbearable. We want to look and feel happy, to ignore or placate our negative thoughts or feelings into something more optimistic or palatable. What to expect in the counselling room When we don’t feel like ourselves or something is missing internally, we can seek solace in things that are external to try and relieve or make...

If you've even made it past the title, you may still think that this topic doesn’t apply to you. The fact is, you have felt shame in one form or another, and also people you know will have experienced feelings of shame. While a completely normal emotion, if left unexpressed and misunderstood its impact can be highly toxic. Previous articles I have written have been met with feedback from many about how the issues raised strongly resonate. I have wondered about writing this article because...

So February has finally arrived. How was January for you? Did you feel blue on Blue Monday? Was the month a low point? Isn't it kind of ironic that we make resolutions to get healthy and proactive at the most depressing time of the year? Wouldn't it be better to start making plans for how to look after ourselves with Winter's challenges, so that we can rebuild our resources first? One of the biggest challenges for a lot of us at this time of year is comfort eating. My personal view is that...

Our ideas about love are mostly based on the belief that there’s a soul mate somewhere out there for all of us and that when we see them, we’ll recognise them; we’ll get that special feeling, and it won’t be just a passing thing, it’ll last forever. These romantic ideas are beautiful and exciting, but they’re also very challenging for our capacity to have good long-term relationships. So, if we want to enjoy loving, nurturing, rewarding relationships, feel...