Mental Health Counselling
You might be struggling with your mental health and finding that things are becoming harder to manage. Perhaps you feel anxious all the time, your mood has changed, you’re overwhelmed, you can’t switch your thoughts off or you’re simply not feeling like yourself. You may have been coping for a long time and reached a point where you know something needs to change. Or perhaps you’ve been given a diagnosis and want somewhere to talk about what that actually means for you, beyond appointments and assessments.
I’ve worked in mental health services for over 15 years across the NHS, voluntary sector and higher education, supporting people with a wide range of mental health difficulties and life circumstances. I understand that what someone is experiencing rarely exists in isolation. Work, relationships, family life, trauma, loss, physical health, education and major life changes can all affect how we feel and cope. In counselling, we can look at what is happening for you and try to make sense of what you’re experiencing, look at the ways you’ve learned to cope and consider what might help you feel more like yourself again. You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what you need. We can start from where you are.
Counselling can help with:
• Anxiety and excessive worry
• Low mood and depression
• Stress and feeling overwhelmed
• Burnout and emotional exhaustion
• Low self-esteem and confidence
• Difficult or intrusive thoughts
• Changes in mood and motivation
• Difficult life changes and transitions
• Relationship and family difficulties
• Trauma and difficult past experiences
• Grief and loss
• Feeling stuck or unsure what to do next
• Managing the impact of work or study on your mental health
• Understanding patterns that are affecting how you cope
• Making changes when the way you have been coping no longer feels helpful
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That's okay. You might know that you're not feeling like yourself, you're constantly worrying, you're exhausted, you're struggling to switch off or you're finding everyday life harder than it used to be. You don't need to arrive with an explanation. We can start with what's happening for you now and work from there.
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Counselling can be helpful for many people with a variety of different mental health diagnoses. You don't need to leave your diagnosis at the door, but it also doesn't define who you are or everything that is happening for you.
My experience of working in mental health services for over 15 years means I understand the wider picture around mental health. In counselling, we can explore how your mental health is affecting you, what you’re experiencing in your everyday life and what might help you move forward. If you're receiving other mental health support, we'll also consider how counselling can work alongside this safely and appropriately.
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It depends on the type of support you're receiving and what you're looking for from counselling. We'll talk about this when you get in touch and make sure counselling is the right thing at the moment. Sometimes counselling can sit alongside other support, while in other situations a different level or type of support may be more suitable.
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For urgent support, please call 111 and select option 2 for mental health support, or click here for 111 online support. In an emergency situation, please call 999.
Counselling is not crisis support and if you feel as though you are experiencing a mental health crisis it is important to access specialist medical support. Your GP can refer you to your local service if required.
There are also many helplines that are available for out of hours support, some are listed below:
Samaritans - call 116 123
Papyrus - call 0800 068 4141
Calm - call 0800 585858