“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed.
It means the damage no longer controls your life.”
Akshay Dubey
SUPPORT FOR ANXIETY, STRESS & MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Sometimes, it’s easy to cope with the ups and downs of life. At other times it’s not. If you find that you need a little extra support navigating life’s challenges, then we are here to help.
At BEP Therapy, we believe that everyone has the potential to live a fulfilling life. We provide mental health support for a wide range of issues, including bereavement and loss, illness, transitions, difficult relationships, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, life purpose, meaning and identity.
What we might talk about…
Bereavement
When someone dies, your whole world shifts. You may be left with vivid, intrusive memories of their illness or death or you may be feeling numb. You may find you’ve gone through rapid changes of identity leaving you wondering who you are now. You may feel relief or even glad depending on your relationship. Family dynamics can change, or you may find yourself repeating patterns from childhood you thought you’d grown out of.
I can support you in your grief (or your lack of it), help you explore unresolved feelings and examine how you can find meaning as you adjust to life without them.
Loss
While we tend to think of loss in relation to bereavement, it can occur in all aspects of our lives. Perhaps a long-term relationship or friendship has ended, or you’ve been made redundant or are changing jobs. Maybe you’ve lost your home or are moving away from friends or family, or you’ve been ghosted when dating. This type of loss can be especially hard as it often goes unnoticed and unrecognised by those around you.
I can help you explore your feelings of grief, anger, sadness, and disappointment, support you as you make sense of what is happening and find a way to move forward.
Illness
Illness can rock your world. Perhaps you’ve been unwell for a long time and struggling to get a definitive diagnosis or it might have come suddenly out of the blue. It can leave you wondering “why me?” or feeling disconnected from friends and family as the things you thought were important take a back seat.
I can help you to explore feelings of anger, sadness or betrayal towards your body, the healthcare system or a world and society that fails to recognise and adapt to ill health. I can also support you as you learn to adjust to your new normal and find the balance you need to manage your health.
Difficult relationships
Maybe you find you’re walking on eggshells or feel you have to change to keep the peace. Perhaps you’re locked in destructive arguments. Or you might find similar patterns play out in different relationships. Whether you’re experiencing problems with a partner, friend, family, boss or colleagues, difficult relationships can make you feel upset, angry, frightened, isolated and alone.
I am here to support you as an individual. I work relationally, so can help you examine what’s going on and tap into your inner resources so you feel safely empowered in this situation.
Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety are different for everyone. Maybe you feel a permanent state of panic, your mind races constantly (rumination) or you struggle to breathe. Perhaps you worry you’ve done something wrong or adopt tactics such as people pleasing or perfectionism to try and stay in control. Ultimately, anxiety can make it hard to do the things you want.
While to some extent, anxiety and stress are part of life, I can work with you to find ways to better manage your symptoms. We can also look at any underlying issues that may be causing your anxiety in the first place to help alleviate distress long term.
Life transitions
We tend to think of life’s milestones as a cause for celebration. However, they can also prompt us to re-evaluate our lives. Maybe you’ve just turned 18 or 21 and feel lost while all your friends seem to have things sorted. Perhaps you’ve hit perimenopause and all the changes that come with it. Or you might be approaching midlife and find life hasn’t turned out quite as you expected.
I am here to listen as you explore your hopes, dreams, fears and disappointments. I will help you to examine your values so that you can start to move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.
HOW CAN WE START?
To help you decide whether we’re a good fit, I suggest a 15 minute introductory call, so you can tell me a little about your situation & I can explain how I work.
From there, we can arrange to meet for an initial 50 minute session. During this session, I will undertake a brief assessment. It also gives you a chance to tell me what brings you to therapy, with the understanding that you may not feel ready to share everything yet. You can also ask me any questions you may have.
Together we can decide whether what I offer is suitable for you – although there’s no rush, I appreciate you might need time to think it through. While there’s no obligation to go ahead, if it feels right, we can discuss arranging your next session.