A Place to Speak Freely
I understand that seeking help is incredibly hard, especially when you are not sure what your exact problems are. You might just feel incredibly low, anxious, or overwhelmed, and not know how to make sense of it. Alternatively, you may be fully aware of what is causing you issues and need a space to talk things through.
Whatever your situation may be, I provide you with a non-judgemental, no-pressure space to be yourself and talk freely about anything you wish to discuss.
My person-centered therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy online covering areas such as Essex, Hertfordshire and London revolves entirely around you. Sessions are led by you and are dedicated to creating an environment where you can explore your thoughts and feelings and be listened to.
Remember that you are never alone. I am here to help you in any way I can, in a way you decide is best for you. If you have any questions about my cognitive behavioural therapy either via telephone or online, covering areas such as Essex, Hertfordshire and London, don’t hesitate to call me for a free, no-obligation 15-minute chat.
How I can help you:
I take a strictly compassionate attitude towards helping you move past addictions. Having an addiction problem is not a conscious choice, or some fault of character. It is in fact a very natural response to being in pain. When you indulge in an addiction, from substances to gambling to sex, you are doing it because that addiction fills a hole inside of you that needs to be filled. That is why I never see addiction as your primary problem; it is rather an attempt to solve a primary problem, such as low self-esteem or stress, whose effects are eased by addictions like drinking or drugs.
As a result, I will never make you quit a particular substance or activity. Instead, we will work to identify why that hole inside of you is there in the first place. It is not a question of ‘why the addiction?’ but rather ‘why the pain?’ By adopting this approach, we will engage with the traumas lying behind your addiction in an empathetic, curious way, and, over time, help you get to a place where you don’t have to keep escaping into addictions as a way of making yourself feel better.
Everyone responds to bereavements and losses in a different way. There is no correct way to grieve, and it takes time to recover, which is by no means a linear process. The severity of your grief can alter from extreme to light almost randomly, and an important part of my counselling service is to validate these feelings and give you a totally non-judgemental space to process your emotions in any way you need to.
If you are going through a bereavement or loss, you may be experiencing anger, guilt, denial, or feel highly depressed and unmotivated. These feelings are okay. They are completely normal. My approach is to let you voice these feelings in any way you see fit, providing the space you need to process them in your own time. And then, when the time is right for you, we will develop a person-centered way for you to move through the stages of loss and come to a place of acceptance.
If you are experiencing depression, it can be easy to feel like things will never get better – that your situation is hopeless. You are not alone in this feeling. Depression affects many people, and it takes steady work to reach a better place. We will do this together. I will observe your thoughts in a compassionate way and help you develop better thought patterns that don’t reinforce your low mood.
Today, for instance, you might say, ‘Things are never going to get better.’ My aim is to help you get to a state where that thought is replaced by, ‘At the moment, things feel like they are never going to get better’. That gradual progress, supported by an empathetic approach, is key to overcoming depression and staying on top of it when difficulties arise in the future.
Anxiety shows up in many ways. You may feel constantly overwhelmed, overthink and catastrophise over certain issues, experience social anxiety and panic attacks, or engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviours. I help you become more comfortable with – and eventually overcome – these feelings by listening closely to you and noticing where your emotions arise during our discussions. This helps us identify the root causes behind your anxiety and allows us to work towards you feeling more like your authentic self.
Following over a year of lockdowns, it is very normal to feel like you have lost confidence and withdrawn inside yourself. So many people are in the same position. After such a prolonged period of not being in large groups or seeing many people, you might feel overwhelmed by the idea of things opening back up again. My confidential, non-judgemental space gives you the chance to voice these feelings and develop a more compassionate attitude towards your lack of self-esteem – which is ultimately a very natural response to extremely unnatural circumstances!
Just like with addictions, your anger is never the primary problem, but rather symptomatic of a deeper problem. Behind anger lies sadness, hunger, frustration, and our sessions will be about me helping you, in a way that is comfortable, become more familiar with the emotions that cause your anger. Knowing more about the reasons why you express yourself through anger makes it much easier for you react in a healthier way to potential future triggers, and I will be with you every step of the way.
If you experienced a traumatic or adverse childhood the chances are you have learnt coping strategies that kept you feeling safe as a child, and allowed you to survive. Unfortunately we usually bring these learnt behaviours into our adulthood, as they are such a deep part of us. These behaviours may include 'people pleasing' 'being hyper-vigilant of other peoples moods or facial expressions' 'feeling like you take on other peoples emotions' to name a few. You may have very negative and self-critical thoughts about yourself, and feel like you are just not good enough. Together we can work to understand and make sense of what behaviours you have carried with you that you no longer need, and work on how to let go of these and bring in new, positive behaviours that allow you to be who you feel truly comfortable being.
Other issues I can help with:
Abuse
ADD/ADHD
Asperger syndrome
Cancer
Child-related issues
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Health-related issues
Men's issues
PTSD
Work Related issues
Pregnancy-related issues
Redundancy
Relationships
Self-esteem
Sex-related issues
Sexual identity/sexuality
Spirituality
Stress
Trauma
Women's issu
Are you battling with anxiety, bereavement, or another kind of issue? Do you feel low, anxious, overwhelmed, and need to talk your thoughts through with someone? I offer a safe, non-judgemental space for you to do this. To learn more about my person-centered therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy in Billericay and online, get in touch.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07484386985 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential and uses secure phone and email services.
©2022 Sharon McHugh
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