Is My Therapist Any Good?

Are you feeling any better since seeing your therapist? If the answer is yes, then your therapist is probably doing fine. If the answer is no, it's probably time for you to start being as honest with your therapist as possible. Challenge them, ask questions, and test your therapist's emotional resilience. Remind your therapist, in whatever way suits you best, that you are in therapy to experience positive changes. By challenging your therapist and experiencing how they respond to you, you will begin to get a much better sense of what kind of a person your therapist is and what they can offer you.

A therapist should be able to more or less cope with anything you say to them. Therapists can be shocked, they may be flustered, and they can even become upset, but they should never abandon you. They should always do their best to work together with you collaboratively in sessions to resolve any misunderstandings, upsets, frustrations, or impasses that arise between the two of you.

In the end, therapists are there to help you to feel better, and one of the best ways to bring this about is for your therapist to demonstrate to you that the therapeutic relationship, the relationship that you develop together during therapy, is robust enough to weather all sorts of difficulties.

When a reparative experience follows a complex interaction leading to a satisfactory resolution, we call this 'rupture and repair'; it forms the cornerstone of successful therapy.

If you notice this happening, you should stick with your therapist; they are probably good enough.

Am I Suffering With Anxiety?

Feelings of nervousness, worry, or fear typically characterise anxiety. It is a normal part of everyday life for most people, and in fact, it can sometimes help to increase a person's performance under pressure and keep us safe in potentially dangerous situations. Usually, anxious feelings subside after a while, and we can feel more relaxed again. These fluctuations in our state of nervous arousal are very normal. However, when anxiety does not subside and begins to get in the way of our everyday functioning, then it can become more of a problem.

High levels of anxiety are also associated with panic attacks. This is when your body has an exaggerated response to stress, fear, or excitement. Panic attacks can feel scary, and the physical sensations often include an increased heart rate, sweating, nausea, chest pains, and difficulty breathing. Panic attacks typically last 5 to 20 minutes, although they may feel much longer.

If you are suffering from anxiety, you can always speak to your G.P. about your concerns. Your G.P. will listen to your description of what you have been experiencing and recommend a course of treatment. This may include talking therapy, self-help interventions, or medication. Counselling and psychotherapy can help to get to the root of the problem and will often begin to relieve some of the problematic symptoms of anxiety.

Some useful sources of further support and guidance include Mind.org.uk, Anxiety U.K., and the NHS website.

Am I Depressed?

Depression is thought to affect between 8-12% of the population of Great Britain each year. That's a lot of people. Depression ranges in severity from simply feeling down and listless (mild depression) to find it almost impossible to get through daily life (severe depression). The symptoms of depression can include sadness, low mood, lethargy, a loss of enthusiasm about life, sex and relationships, possible suicidal thoughts, difficulty sleeping, numbness, restlessness, and many more. You can find more information about the symptoms of depression on websites such as Mind.org.uk. 

In addition, anxiety can also commonly be something that can affect those who are depressed. This can make life even more difficult.

The NHS offer helpful information and guidance about depression on its website. You can view some of this information by clicking on this link.

If you feel that you might be suffering from depression, and are experiencing difficult symptoms for most of the day for more than 14 days, then speak to your G.P. and ask them to assess you. Talking therapy is often recommended for moderate to severe depression.