Whether you are facing a specific problem, feel overwhelmed by continuous work or life demands, or simply feel curious about yourself and want to build greater emotional intelligence, my practice is a confidential, non-judgemental place where you can work towards greater understanding and self-fulfilment.
Keep reading to see how I help with different issues as part of my counselling and coaching. Face to face sessions are available to those in St Albans as well as online, please get in touch for more information.
Modern life feels very pressured at times and can make us feel very tense. That tension can show up in our bodies, resulting in many unpleasant symptoms. It can also disturb our thinking leading to rumination, feeling overwhelmed, constantly uneasy, or experiencing social anxiety, panic or obsessive-compulsive behaviours. I have a lot of experience of working with anxiety in all its forms. Together, we will look to uncover what lies behind your anxiety, what the triggers are, and come up with strategies to help you feel a greater sense of wellbeing and control in the future.
Depression affects many people in different ways. I know how hard it can be to imagine reaching a better place when you feel this way. You might feel a sense of hopelessness, or exhaustion, or simply feel numb. Keeping painful feelings bottled up inside can reinforce an overall low mood. My practice is a place where you can express your feelings openly and receive a warm and non-judgmental response. Over time, I can help you to work towards an improved mindset, with greater energy and motivation.
I have extensive experience of working with people going through a bereavement or loss of some kind.
Often those around us don't know how to respond to our loss or fear upsetting us. This can increase feelings of isolation and make the situation harder. We all experience grief in our own way and at our own pace. It may not feel right expressing these feelings in front of family members/friends. My counselling is dedicated to giving you space to say how you feel without fear of judgement or recrimination.
We all encounter major life transitions. It's normal to sometimes feel overwhelmed, distressed or lose our sense of identity during these times, even when those changes are things we have made positive choices about. This could involve career change, redundancy, getting married, moving house, becoming a carer or parent or seeing our children leave the home. Having a dedicated space to talk these events through gives you some valuable clarity and helps you to face the future with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
Some clients tell me that they feel lonely or isolated. They may struggle to establish satisfying relationships. Some clients are experiencing hurt, conflict or confusion in their family, personal or work relationships. Understanding and communicating these feelings may feel very daunting. I work one to one- I don't offer couples therapy- to explore the patterns that underpin how you relate to people and help you to understand how to foster better relationships in the future.
Work and/or family commitments can seem all consuming at times, leading to us feeling both exhausted and too tense to properly unwind and rest, stuck in a 'hamster wheel'. When we are stressed in this way, over a prolonged period of time, burnout can occur. Quality of life and productivity diminishes, which only serves to perpetuate the cycle of stress and burnout. I have worked with both corporate and private clients with this issue, and I know that the best way to deal with it is to explore and identify the issues that have led you to this point, ahead of devising a way to reduce the impact these stressors have on your daily thought patterns.
You might not be facing a particular problem or challenge currently and instead simply feel curious about yourself. If you like, our sessions can focus around developing greater self awareness. You may be curious about how your mind works, your personality and how this affects the way you feel about yourself and others. You might want to build more emotional intelligence or psychological flexibility for all kinds of reasons, such as improving family life, your relationships, greater resilience or success in the professional arena.
To learn about how I became a counsellor and coach in St Albans and online, feel free to visit my About Me page.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling and coaching works, or to arrange an introductory chat. You can call or message me on 07767 625003 or email me below.
©2022 Lorraine Eastwood Counselling and Coaching
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