denisespinney.therapyworks@gmail.com
07414 202298
Issues
Anxiety
Excessive worrying about yourself or others’ health, the future, the stability of your relationships. Worrying about the state of the world to a degree that becomes intrusive and impacts your quality of life. A sense there’s not enough – time, money, energy, food, space, interest in your welfare.
Bereavement
Struggling to process the recent or past death of a loved one. Feeling overwhelmed with sadness and loss, angry or numb and time isn’t making it any easier.
Depression
Lacking energy or motivation, feeling powerless or hopeless, hard to find the meaning in life. Seeing things in a negative light, unable to seek out or accept offers of help, unable to believe things will get better, that this feeling will pass. Feel numb, detached, uncaring and uncared-for. Going through the motions, feeling hollow, fake, unseen.
Rage/anger
Disproportionately angry, particularly when you feel things aren’t in your control. Experiencing intrusive feelings of wanting to harm yourself or others. Feeling scared or aroused by your sense of your own power.
Relationships
Feeling under appreciated, not noticed, as if your feelings aren’t important. Having to compromise too much or finding it hard to compromise at all. Affairs, fantasies of being with another. Boredom or anxiety, money worries, fear of losing your partner. Fear of being trapped or stifled. Lack of stable loving relationships in your life. Becoming unsure about your sexual orientation or gender identity.
Negative self view
Used to seeing yourself as a burden, wrong, not good enough, not clever or attractive enough. Seeing others as better than you. Believing you don’t deserve to be happy, or you deserve it when bad things happen to you. Putting others’ needs above your own.
Confusing behaviours
Not feeling okay and unable to describe this in words/ Feeling you need help but cannot say with what. General agitation and not feeling oneself. Not feeling entirely in control without knowing why. Experiencing any of the following without understanding what they mean for you:
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Behaving in ways that confuse you or cause harm to you or others
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Suicidal thoughts or behaviours
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Self harm
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Compulsive risk taking
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Chronic health issues
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Gambling
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Addictive/compulsive behaviours
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Irrational thoughts/behaviours
Bereavement
Struggling to process the recent or past death of a loved one. Feeling overwhelmed with sadness and loss, angry or numb and time isn’t making it any easier.
Trauma
Persistent feelings of overwhelm. Intrusive, inexplicable strong reactions to situations, people or environments leading to panic attacks, sleep disturbance, self harm, suicidal thoughts and actions, dissociation, addictions. Endlessly de-motivated, numb, agitated or scared without understanding why. Feeling unreal, fake, hard to care about others. Feeling easily abandoned, rejected, criticised, threatened. Jealous and possessive of those you care about, flip-flop between feeling clingy or detached. Chronic health issues with no underlying cause identifiable. Feel vulnerable or excessively powerful, confused by your own behaviour as if you weren’t in control in the moment.
Rage/anger
Disproportionately angry, particularly when you feel things aren’t in your control. Experiencing intrusive feelings of wanting to harm yourself or others. Feeling scared or aroused by your sense of your own power.
Historic sexual abuse
All the negative impacts of trauma, plus a chronic lack of trust, fear of intimacy, engaging in risky or promiscuous sexual relationships and experiences, overwhelming corrosive shame, anger or guilt. Mixed feelings of love for, fear of and anger towards the perpetrator.
Negative self view
Used to seeing yourself as a burden, wrong, not good enough, not clever or attractive enough. Seeing others as better than you. Believing you don’t deserve to be happy, or you deserve it when bad things happen to you. Putting others’ needs above your own.
Body issues
Pre-occupied with how you look. Behaving in potentially harmful ways to change your self view eg by dieting, bingeing, over exercising, starving yourself, cutting, scratching, compulsively pulling out hairs/lashes; comparing yourself negatively to those you see on social media. Engaging in treatments to change your body shape without reward. Shame, guilt or confusion about your sexuality or gender.
Gender and identity issues
You or someone you care for struggling with their gender or sexual orientation; finding a sense of self that will be valued by others. Experimenting with different ways of being to discover your true self. Being trans, non-binary, gender curious. Coming out – how to tell friends and family: the religious, social or cultural implications. Finding your ‘tribe’. Giving yourself permission to change your mind, make new choices. Grieving your former self identity. Feeling threatened, judged, exposed or invisible.
Health issues
Chronic and/or unexplained symptoms that impact negatively on your life. Intrusive and irrational fear of becoming ill, being injured or dying. Managing the impacts of long term health issues.
Drugs/alcohol
The use of addictive substances that feels out of control, harmful or intrusive. Exposing yourself repeatedly to dangerous situations, people or unknown substances. Feeling unable to manage without drink or drugs. Unwanted changes in your mood, tolerance or ability to feel connected to others. Work or relationships being negatively impacted. Financial burden of alcohol/drug use. Unwanted physical impacts increasing in frequency or severity. Filling ‘the void you want to avoid’.
Difference/disability
Feeling disconnected from others due to your identifying as different ethnically, culturally, racially, sexually, or in terms of your gender or religion. Feeling you have a physical, emotional or mental impairment that makes it hard for others to accept you unconditionally and value you for who you are.
Sex and sexuality
Confusing or intrusive thoughts and feelings around sex. Compulsive or obsessive sexual behaviour. Shame or guilt around kink, BDSM, pornography, masturbation or fantasies. Impotence, lack of libido, inability to experience orgasm. Feeling unsatisfied in your sex life. Feel non-sexual, disgusted, scared or confused by your own or others’ sexual feelings. Engaging in risky behaviours that feel out of your control at times or unrewarding.
Gaslighting/coercive behaviour
Having your sense of reality consistently undermined, not being able to trust yourself and your judgments, being threatened, someone taking control of your finances, making decisions for you, not allowing you out, claiming to be your protector, cutting you off from friends and family
Male perspectives
Confusion about your role and status as a man. The changing landscape for men. What are men allowed to/expected to be and feel? Pressure to be all things to all people – strong, fit, supportive, protective, the provider, gentle, nurturing, a good father/lover/son. Being allowed to explore your gender and sexuality safely and without judgment.
Ageing
Coming to terms with lost opportunities, loss of physical function, loss of libido. Struggling to find meaning or a sense of self as an older person. Fear of becoming irrelevant, not useful, dependent on others. Fear of becoming ill/dying.
Pregnancy & childbirth
Infertility, miscarriage, still birth, fertility treatment, post partum depression, health concerns. Triggering of unresolved early childhood experiences. Previous issues with pregnancy/birth. Loss of control and independence. Fear of not being a good enough parent. Issues in breastfeeding. Loss of intimacy with partner. Feeling isolated and unprepared.
Menopause
Trouble managing the physical and emotional impacts of the menopause. Mood swings, questioning your sense of self and your role in your work or family. What it means to not longer be able to have children. Physical changes. Tiredness. Feeling less resilient.
Domestic violence
Fear, confusion, lack of self worth. Feeling powerless or that you deserve punishment. Staying to protect others (children, other vulnerable individuals). Fear of living alone. Shame at not leaving. Mixed feelings of love and fear towards abusive partner.