Problems addressed

I have a particular interest in the assessment and treatment of the following issues:

Anxiety issues including:social anxietygeneralized anxiety (excessive worrying about a range of things) panic/phobias/obsessive compulsive disorder. Anxiety is a state that we all experience however it can be very intense, frequent and debilitating – it gets in the way of an good quality of life.

Mood issues – depressed mood. There can be periods in life when one’s mood flattens somewhat and one feels low or down for a day or so and then it returns to a more positive range. For some however depressed mood can flatten over time but it doesn’t return to more positive levels and one can begin to feel more and more depressed. The depression can dominate one’s feelings, thoughts and behaviour. When one is clinically depressed it can be hard to function – to set goals, to socialize with others and to live life to the full. For those experiencing depression there can also be a loss of motivation or interest in things, concentration difficulties, irritability, sleep disturbance, and feelings of guilt and/ or worthlessness.

Stress management – both in the personal and work areas of life. Stress is a natural part of life but there can be times when the number and the nature of the stresses feel overwhelming. It can be difficult to put coping strategies in place when one is feeling stressed, tense and anxious. Stress management approaches can be useful in developing a framework of coping strategies to manage existing stresses as well as ensuring those strategies are maintained.

Loss and grief – can come in many forms over the course of one’s life. Grief is a normal response to loss and it can be difficult to function day to day when one is grieving intensely. Being able to talk about the loss and one’s thoughts and feelings in response to loss can be an important part of working through the grief and ultimately in moving forward with one’s life.Some people feel isolated in their grief and find it difficult to talk with family and friends – particularly over time when life may seem to have moved on for those who have been less affected by the loss.

Anger – anger is a normal emotion we all experience, however for some, it can occur too frequently, very intensely and be difficult to control. For some it can compromise valued relationships with others and interfere with one’s quality of life at work and in one’s personal life.

Adjustment problems – there can be many difficult situations in life that can pose understandable challenges to one’s adjustment. They may be life-cycle changes, losses, or changes that have been beyond one’s control. Sometimes it can be difficult to work through these changes and move on with life. Sometimes there can be multiple challenges to come to terms with over a very short period of time. Therapy can often assist in coping with the challenging of making adjustments to major changes in life.