issues I work with

• Believing you are not OK – but others are OK; or you are not good enough, you are stupid or a ‘bad’ person

• Getting caught up in a cycle of self-blame and shame—stuck in negative self-talk and feelings of guilt—unable to switch off from unpleasant feelings and thoughts 

• Being afraid to make a mistake, always driven to be perfect and constantly pleasing others while not attending to your own needs

• Often feeling emotionally numb or disconnected while struggling to maintain your relationship(s)

• Experiencing burnout and exhaustion

Or perhaps you just know “something is not quite right in my life” but you can’t pinpoint what it is, leaving you with feelings of dissatisfaction and chronic unhappiness.

As a result, you have serious difficulties finding peace and joy in your life. Your sense of well-being, physically and mentally, may be reduced or destroyed. You might find yourself sliding into unhealthy or even self-destructive behaviours. Your persistent self-doubt leads to anxiety and depression, causing relationship problems and anger issues. You have a feeling that you do not quite know who you are. 

You may notice any (or several) of the following…

• You have become isolated from your family and friends, fearful to allow anyone to glimpse what’s really going on inside for you. 

• You have to do everything yourself, intellectualising and over-analysing to avoid your own feelings. 

• You have turned into a ‘people pleaser’ – with your big heart but a diminished sense of your own independence,beset by alack of boundaries, losing your sense of agency. 

• Your life has become one of always thinking of others first and doing your best to meet the expectations of your partner, relatives, friends, colleagues, and boss – even when this means you neglect your own needs.

• You feel driven to be a perfectionist and a superwoman or superman. You’re always on the go, hypercritical of your achievements and setting yourself unrealistic standards. You cannot allow things to be simply “good enough”. You work constantly to improve yourself, becoming a workaholic or overdoing the gym membership to cope.

• You are concerned that you are in the “wrong” relationship. You have become enmeshed, and co-dependent, losing your healthy sense of self. (Or perhaps you never have experienced a healthy sense of self?) And although you know it is currently unhealthy and not right for you, you feel confused, scared, stuck or even powerless over what to do about this.

If you want to take the next step – book an informal chat with me to see if I can help you.

There’s no obligation – just a “getting to know you” conversation so that we are both comfortable enough to make a start. And in the event that what I can offer isn’t right for you at the moment, I’ll explain why and we can talk about other options.

Check out my overall availability here but please do call me to confirm up-to-date information – some of my clients stay longer than they’d initially thought and some find that they have what they need – for now – in fewer sessions than expected.

My standard fee (£75 for an hour session) reflects the level of my qualifications, additional training and long experience beyond counselling. I think it’s fair, of course, and is good value. If it’s a real problem for you just now, make the call anyway and we can talk about it – I sometimes have one or two spaces available at a lower fee for students and anyone who’s not earning an income just now.