+ OVERWHELM OR BURNOUT

Burnout is often the end result of "too much". It can be too much of something which felt like a good thing (a career, family commitments), or too many things to deal with oat once. I have extensive experience of working with people who have needed to take time off due to burnout, and can support you in your recovery and to chart a more sustainable way forward.

+ ANXIETY OR WORRY

Anxiety is a an evolutionary response which helps us survive. Sometimes our response can go into overdrive or happen too frequently. Usually there are triggers and thoughts that stimulate an anxious response. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to manage anxiety more effectively. Therapy usually involves: understanding the underlying reasons; using cognitive-behavioural therapy approaches to identify triggers and unhelpful thoughts; and identifying more effective ways to manage and reduce anxiety.

+ HEALTH ANXIETY

Everyone, at some point or another, will notice sensations or changes in their bodies, will wonder whether they could have a serious medical problem, and will take steps to relieve their health worries and concerns. However, someone with health anxiety might worry a great deal about their health, and undertake information-seeking, checking or reassurance-seeking behaviours which have a negative impact on their life. Cognitive-Behavioural approaches are effective in reducing the control which health anxiety has over your life.

+ TRAUMA

People often think of trauma as being a result of a major event like a car crash - and this is true. However, trauma is really about how we experienced something: difficult experiences in childhood; a challenging loss; experiencing neglect or abuse. No-one can erase these experiences, but processing and understanding trauma's impact can allow you to move forward.

+ RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGES

Sometimes we become aware that we are repeating unhelpful relationship patterns. Or we are having difficulty in making personal or professional relationships work, but we can't figure out why. Understanding where these patterns come from, why we are repeating them and their impact can help you figure out a way of relating that works better for you.

+ BEREAVEMENT

Having worked in a hospice, I experience in supporting people to cope with loss and its consequences, whether of a family member or loved one. Often, people feel that they are expected to "move on" after a certain period of time, but grief is not a linear process. My aim is to help you make sense of the loss, to integrate it into your life, and to move forward in a way that works for you. I have particular experience around losing a family member to long-term illness, and of suicide bereavement.

+ DEPRESSION

People's experience of depression varies, but there are often common factors: low mood (consistent or cyclical); feeling hopeless or helpless; low self-esteem; a sense of emptiness. Depression is often a reasonable response to unreasonable circumstances - whether those circumstances are now or in the past. Usually depression requires fairly long-term work, with an integrative approach looking at underlying factors and triggers, and identifying practical ways of managing your life.