Below is an A to Z of some of the issues which may be helped by talking to one of our Counsellors
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Abuse & Neglect
Abuse is when the way others treat you becomes harmful to you. It can take many forms, including physical, emotional or sexual and can happen anywhere such as your own home, at work, an educational facility or care home. It can be deliberate, or the result of ignorance. It’s all Abuse.
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Addiction
Addiction happens when you become overly dependent on something
You can be addicted to many things including Alcohol, Drugs, Gambling, the Internet, Sex & Shopping.
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Anger
Anger is a normal emotion where we may feel frustrated, irritated and upset, and is often a reaction to stress, failure, or injustice. If managed correctly, it can be a healthy response but it can, if left unchecked, become uncontrollable and create problems for you and the people around you. Anger has risks more than any other emotion. It can stop you thinking clearly and act in ways you may regret later, causing alienation.
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Anxiety
Anxiety can mean nervousness, self-doubt or worry and may be accompanied by sleeplessness, palpitations & irritability. Everyone feels anxiety once in a while but when it starts to be overwhelming or reoccurs for no apparent reason, then its maybe time to contact your Counsellor to help manage the impact this may have on your life.
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Bereavement
Bereavement is a type of grief involving the death of a loved one and unfortunately most people will experience it at some point in their lives. Grief is not limited to sadness, it can encompass a range of other feelings too from guilt, anger, yearning & regret. The grieving process can be confusing and can vary from one person to another, for example somebody may mourn the passing of a loved one but feel relief that that the person is no longer suffering.
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Confidence & Esteem
Confidence is linked with the external world and how others see us, how we present ourselves and what we achieve. Self-esteem, however, is the opinion we have of ourselves, deep inside.
Self-confidence is understanding that you trust your own judgment and abilities, and that you value yourself and feel worthy, regardless of any imperfections or of what others may believe about you.
Low self-esteem may lead you to view life in a negative way. You might think you are worthless, and have difficulty saying what you really feel, or you may lack the confidence to be assertive. As a result, you may feel that people take advantage of you and treat you badly.
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Depression
Depression is not just simple sadness, it is a serious, but common, condition which often causes people to feel sad or empty for long periods of time. It can be a devastating illness that affects your body, mood, behaviour and thoughts. It is not a sign of weakness or failure. It can affect thinking patterns physical health & in some cases, it can lead people to consider suicide.
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Loneliness
Loneliness is a deeply personal, heart-wrenching feeling caused by the lack of companionship. Everyone is vulnerable and it is something we all may experience at some point in our lives
According to a 2018 report from the Office of National Statistics, in 2016 to 2017, there were 5% of adults in England who reported feeling lonely “often” or “always” and that younger adults aged 16 to 24 years reported feeling lonely more often than those in older age groups.
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There are two types of loneliness; emotional and social.
Emotional loneliness - when we miss the company of one particular person.
Social loneliness - when we lack a social network, e.g a group of friends.
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Phobias
Phobias develop when someone has an overwhelming and debilitating sense of danger of an object, place, situation or animal. Some of these fears may be unfounded.
It can cause a lot of stress and in severe cases, can cause a person to organise their life around avoiding the thing that's causing them anxiety as well as taking a toll on a person's health, well-being and overall way of life.
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PTSD & CPTSD
Both CPTSD, (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) are psychological and physical conditions that can take many forms. The symptoms include reliving the experience through dreams and flashbacks, difficulty in sleeping and feeling isolated.
The difference between CPTSD and PTSD is that PTSD usually occurs after a single traumatic event, while CPTSD is associated with repeated trauma
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Relationships
Relationship counselling can help improve the way you relate to those around you and allow you to break free from old patterns of behaviour. This can cover all relationships, including married people, cohabiting couples, people in non-monogamous relationships, siblings dealing with family issues, or even business partners.
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Separation & Divorce
The decision to end a relationship is a difficult one. Not only are there a lot of strong emotions involved in this particularly painful process, but there can also be a lot of practicalities to consider such as moving out of the family home or the prospect of becoming a single parent. Whatever the reasons for your separation, counselling can help you make a smoother transition into the next chapter of your life.
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Rape & Sexual assault
A sexual assault is any sexual act that a person did not consent to, or is forced into against their will. It is a form of sexual violence and includes rape (an assault involving penetration of the vagina, anus or mouth), or other sexual offences, such as groping, forced kissing, child sexual abuse or the torture of a person in a sexual manner.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2018 showed that police recorded 150,732 sexual offences, encompassing rape (53,977 cases) and sexual assault, and also sexual activity with children.
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Sexual Identity
Our sexuality and gender can form a big part of our identity and for many people, coming to terms with their sexuality can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. You may know from an early age that you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, pansexual, asexual or non-binary for example, or you may be questioning. In some cases, a person’s sexuality can cause discrimination and possibly bullying due to a lack of understanding. Thankfully there is an ever increasing understanding of diverse sexuality and we have come a long way, when you consider that incredibly the World Health Organization’s decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder was only made in 1990.
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Stress
Stress can be a positive thing and help you achieve your goals. But too much stress can put your health at risk and lead to physical, mental and emotional problems. Therapy could help you to manage your life differently or support you in developing coping strategies. Stress can cause physical, mental & emotional symptoms.
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Suicide
If you need immediate help and are worried you can’t keep yourself safe, please:
Go to your nearest A&E department
Call 999 if you can’t get to a hospital
Ask someone to take you to A&E or call 999 for you
If A&E isn’t an option, or you just want to talk to someone, call the Samaritans on 116 123.
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Many kinds of emotional pain can lead to thoughts of suicide. You may reach a point at which you feel you can no longer cope. You may not truly wish to die, but you may need help at that moment. Therapy could help by allowing you to share your thoughts and feelings and work on ways to transform negative thoughts into more positive ones.
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Trauma
Trauma can be emotional and psychological and be the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, and make you feel helpless and vulnerable. Trauma can be caused by a one-off event, such as a violent attack, bad accident or a natural disaster. Or it can result from ongoing, relentless stress, such as living in a crime-ridden neighbourhood or struggling with major health issues.
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Work issues
The average person spends almost a quarter of their adult life at work. It can give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction but factors such as overwork, colleague friction including intimidation and bullying and pressure from the boss can cause stress, frustration, poor health and self-esteem issues.
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