Anxiety is a feeling of worry, unease or even fear of a real or imagined situation. Everyone feels anxious at one time or another, but it can be a mental health issue if our feelings are particularly strong, they last a long time or they are hindering our everyday lives. Over one in 20 people have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can affect behaviour negatively; avoidance behaviours are common symptoms. It can make people withdraw from family and friends, make us feel we cannot go to work or certain places. Avoiding situations may give short-term relief but it will very often return the next time we go back to the situation that triggers the anxiety, and can even return by simply thinking about the triggering situation. Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders.

Self-esteem is all about being able to hold a positive opinion or appreciation of yourself. When our essential emotional needs are not met, we can often feel undeserving of care and affection. Having low self-esteem means that we don’t think very much of ourselves, or we don’t hold ourselves in high regard. If you have low self-esteem, you may lack confidence, feel incapable and may criticise yourself unduly. Sometimes people can feel so negatively about themselves that whatever self-criticism they have can feel like a fact. A positive self-narrative is key to improving self-esteem. How you talk to yourself matters. Therapy can provide the tools to change your narrative, improve self-esteem and through these changes impact every aspect of your life.

Stress is a common complaint in our world today. The world is fast paced with work, family and social commitments leaving us feeling like there is not enough time in the day. Stress management is key to reducing heart disease, blood pressure, digestive issues, and many other physical consequences of a highly stressful lifestyle. Techniques to alleviate symptoms of stress and cope better with the demands of a full life are aspects of therapy that will improve your mental and physical health.

Difficulties or changes in relationships can have negative effects on our mental health. Relationship issues with a family member or a partner can cause anxiety, stress, depression and impact the way we communicate with others, these issues can even manifest with physical symptoms. Therapy can address many issues including attachment styles, communication skills, trust, infidelity, jealousy and boundaries.

The perceived and often real stigma of being overweight can be damaging in terms of mental health. Those with weight issues often experience stigma from employers, the media, educators and even family and friends – the latter is usually given in the form of friendly ‘humour’ but the damage to the recipient’s mental health is no less real. The consequences of this can lead to depression, lowered self-esteem, anxiety etc. It can also lead to eating disorders. A large proportion of weight issues are linked with mental health and are often a result of unresolved issues that therapy can address. Fitness and nutrition are vital factors in a healthy lifestyle, mental health is the third vital ingredient.