Is Therapy for Me?
So! You’re ready to make a change.
Often people begin by saying, “I’m not sure if this is the sort of thing you do.” If you’re taking the step to see us, you’re ready for
Therapy is beneficial when your usual ways of dealing with life’s challenges are no longer working. In fact, your coping style can have become part of the problem. You may feel out of options, anxious, miserable, angry or depressed, and you just can’t shake it.
When you no longer feel able to sort out matters on your own, the support and objectivity of a trained psychotherapist can help.
Relationships
The relationships you form and nurture can contribute to a full and satisfying life. At the same time, your relationships – or lack of them – may be what’s getting in the way.
If your relationships start to founder in the same repetitive pattern, you can lose your confidence and be nervous of trying again.
The Bridge can help you identify, map and break the relationship patterns that might be keeping you from fulfilling intimate relationships with partners, children, parents and friends. We can help you find and establish new ways of being in relationship that work better for you.
This work can improve professional relationships with colleagues and organisations as well.
You may be surprised to find that once you address your relationship issues, much more begins to make sense.
Feelings
Many people are afraid of their feelings. They’re afraid of being overwhelmed, or driven in directions they don’t want to go. It’s as if the intense feelings are managing the person, instead of the other way around.
Hopelessness, disappointment, anger, or grief visit us all from time to time. But when these become intense or chronic, life loses its quality.
Depression or dark thoughts can create a struggle just to ‘stay present’. Ordinary pleasures — the company of friends, good food, a sunny day — might elude you. You may become preoccupied with misery, yet embarrassed to share it; worried that you will put others off. Isolation can make things worse.
Talk to us. We are experienced in helping people reconnect with themselves and those around them. As you change the way you interpret and manage your feelings, you can regain a sense of purpose and self-acceptance.
Anxiety
Similarly, life with problem anxiety can make it difficult to accomplish daily tasks, let alone long term goals. Panic attacks make people afraid to be afraid! People often report feeling ashamed of their anxieties, as if they are somehow diminished because of them. These “meta” feelings can make a situation that’s already difficult feel unbearable.
People often wonder what “makes” them anxious. It is helpful to know that good mental health actually requires anxiety. A person who lacks appropriate anxiety has very serious difficulties! Anxiety that turns problematic often begins as a self-protective mechanism that seems to ‘take over’, becoming chronic and ‘over-zealous’. Understanding how it works can really help.
We can help you to get to grips with anxiety and rediscover your nerve.
Conflict
Fear of conflict can result in a feeling of diminished self-worth and effectiveness, whether in intimate relationships at home or with colleagues at work. You can end up feeling as if you’re letting yourself down — limiting your own potential.
When you can’t manage conflict situations, you find you can’t grow or explore. You feel blocked; prevented from reaching out for what you need or want. You may withdraw, avoiding people and activities, ‘making do’ with less from life. Or you may erupt, further limiting your opportunities.
If you find yourself accepting unacceptable treatment from others, or bottling up resentments or objections, you might need help managing conflict.
We can help you to develop the assertiveness skills necessary to take your place in the world.