“The only `normal’ people are the ones we don’t know very well.” – Adler

At times, any one of us can fear that we have lost our way in life. We might feel `stuck’, low, isolated and anxious; find it hard to sleep or relax; struggle with our closest relationships, or feel overwhelmed by our responsibilities.

Our difficulties might arise from everyday situations like financial or job worries, conflict in relationships, or confusion over sexuality. Or we may be feeling lost and hopeless after divorce or bereavement, redundancy, retirement, or the departure of our children from home and the onset of our later years.

We could be struggling to bear traumatic `baggage’ from the past, or feel overwhelmed by fear for the future, and realise it has been a long time since we last felt we could really connect with other people and enjoy life.

Such feelings, if not attended to and understood, can lead to difficulties such as chronic anxiety and depression, eating and sleeping disturbances, relationship problems, uncontrollable outbursts of emotion (like tearfulness or excessive anger),  and persistent, niggling health issues.

How counselling helps

At such times, psychodynamic counselling offers a lifeline, providing a safe, confidential place in which to talk freely, explore our true feelings, make sense of what’s happening and find a way ahead which is uniquely right for us.

“In the midst of the journey of life, I came to myself in a dark wood, where the direct way was lost. It is a hard thing to speak of, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood was…”

Dante, The Divine Comedy.