There are some common issues that bring people to therapy, although each person will have a different experience of them and will need to find a different way to address them. This list is intended to point out that you might not be alone in feeling the way you do. Also, during the Coronavirus restrictions we have all to some extent experienced an increase in stress. We are surrounded by palpable fear and signs of danger, whilst also being told to stay away from people. Being locked-down has added enormous stresses on some households, put strain on families and denied us our usual de-stressing outlets. Isolation has been a common experience, even for those sharing spaces with others.
Anxiety
Social stress, coping with work, family, big life changes, losses or fears. We all feel anxiety some of the time, but when it interferes with decision making and stops us being natural, spontaneous, brave or effective, then we may need some help defusing the tension and thinking clearly.
Anxiety can also cause terrible physical symptoms that medication fails to relieve. In many cases therapy can provide long term relief.
Autonomy
Often we feel restricted, repressed or disempowered, without really knowing why. Therapy can help us to clarify or reconnect with our core aims, beliefs and desires, to become the person we want to be. If something is something holding you back, stopping you doing what you want to do, or being who you want to be, it may be a matter of agency. How can you take more control of your future?
Identity (including eating and body-related issues)
How we feel about ourselves and how we think others see us, are core questions for all of us which can be hard to deal with alone. A compassionate, shame-free examination can provide greater freedom and resilience for positive changes.
Bereavement and Loss (and loss of freedom)
Losing a loved one can be devastating and may cause disorientation and distress for long periods of time. Bereavement can unravel long-held ties and set off big changes in families. However loss can be worked through, to a point where the sadness is accepted and the person or that which you lost can be held with you as a positive part of your future and growth.
Lock-down, redundancy, divorce, losing mobility, function or capacities, … these are all losses which can undermine our sense of self and can leave us feeling bereft.
Relationships
At work, with the family, friends… many relationships fail or present problems due to communication difficulties – hidden agendas, lack of trust, feeling bullied or undermined. These are common feelings in relationships which can be addressed and improved through therapy. Old patterns which may keep us in conflict or prevent us from trusting can be understood and modified.
Love and love for ourselves
Romantic relationships present their own problems and often leave people feeling misunderstood, unwanted or lonely. The patterns and beliefs behind these problems are often relatively strait forward to address. How we value ourselves will impact and affect how other see us.