Anxiety is the body’s natural response to perceived threat, and is something that every human experiences in times of real danger. Anxiety Disorders occur when this response mis-fires in situations that are not life-threatening and causes a disproportionate emotional and physiological response to what is happening. There are a number of different Anxiety Disorders which all present with the same…

Depression is a prolonged experience of low mood, often accompanied by low motivation and low energy levels, as well of feelings of hopelessness. Typically people with Depression experience negative thoughts and will often avoid the activities that they would usually enjoy doing. Depression can be triggered by a difficult life event or a chemical imbalance (sometimes related to seasonal or…

Stress is a natural human emotion that we all experience at some point to varying degrees. Problematic stress occurs when people lack effective coping strategies to deal with stress as it occurs, resulting in a negative impact on their emotional and physical wellbeing. This is often (but not always) interlinked with Anxiety and / or Depression. Key Symptoms Muscle tension…

Low Self-esteem is often a long term difficulty, where people hold negative views about themselves, typically accompanied by a reduced sense of self-worth. This will often result in people being self-critical, expecting things to turn out badly and struggling to see their positive qualities. Low Self-esteem is commonly linked with Depression and Anxiety. Key Symptoms Self-critical thoughts Negative thoughts Low…

Assertive communication refers to the way we engage with others, and is commonly understood as a balance between aggressive and passive communication. This can be particularly difficult if someone has a co-existing difficulty such as Social Anxiety or Low Self-Esteem. Often people who struggle to be assertive can find it hard to communicate their views / needs and consequently these…

Sleep problems and insomnia can include finding it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep or waking up too early and not being able to get back to sleep. Issues with sleep often have an ongoing effect on people’s mood, energy levels and ability to concentrate in the day, leading to a viscous cycle. There is often a link between issues…