When we find our lives to be challenging it’s easy for us to blame ourselves, to judge our actions and choices as inadequate, to fear that we’re not good enough, that we deserve our distress. When this happens our threat response (fight/flight/freeze) is triggered and we can fear rejection or abandonment which leads to anxiety and/or anger, and eventually depression.
In therapy I provide neuroscience psychoeducation so that my clients can fully understand what’s going on and why, that their bodies and brains are reacting in biologically correct and predictable ways: they are not broken, their feelings are entirely valid. I then teach them how to notice that their threat response has been triggered and what kind of people/situations/places/relational dynamics tend to cause that (different for each of us). Then we focus on the skills, tools and tactics needed to find their way to rest and digest, as soon as possible, so that they can think straight and feel comfortable, both physically and emotionally. We also spend time considering new choices about developing healthy habits (physical, emotional and cognitive) which will help to ensure that their threat response is less sensitive (less easily triggered, less often).
The combination of gaining new perspectives about what’s going on and why, making new choices about what to do about the things you want to change, developing new skills and healthy habits, and feeling the benefits of those can lead to a real sense of freedom and agency, which is so important for our wellbeing: low self-esteem and confidence do not have to hold you back.
You can find out more about how to take pride in your achievements from my blog here https://www.theexetercounsellor.com/apr-2024-how-to-take-pride-in-our-achievements/.
If you’re feeling lost or that your life has got off track, you might appreciate the new perspectives on how to begin again in my blog here https://www.theexetercounsellor.com/mar-2022-feel-like-youre-lost-or-your-life-has-got-off-track-how-to-begin-again/.
You can find out more about my therapy and fees here https://www.theexetercounsellor.com/how-it-works/ and options for contacting me here https://www.theexetercounsellor.com/contact-me/.
