How good am I meant to feel?

Often the most difficult part of our plans is simply getting started.

Our individual needs and plans at any one time are hugely varied. They might involve our achievements in our working life, our personal relationships or our social life. Sometimes, it's simply about finding confidence in the choices we want to make for ourselves.

The uncertainty that's part of daily life can lead us to postpone decisions or not take action even when we might benefit in the long term.

So, despite feeling unhappy, frustrated or confused, we don't act. And negative thinking displaces action.

We might feel like we're making a fuss over nothing or it's something we can solve for ourselves. The feeling of discomfort might then disappear for weeks or months.

Often those issues and emotions that we've suppressed can re-emerge at times of stress or crisis. The loss of a job or a breakdown in an important relationship can challenge our skills and our ability to cope.

Even without these events, the feelings of discomfort and anxiety can persist and exhaust us or prevent us from achieving our goals. That's a good time to seek help.

It's also the time to come to terms with obstacles and perceptions around seeking help: embarrassment about our emotions or our perceived past failures; our pride in being self-sufficient; cost and personal energy. Or a sense that the changes we want to make are overwhelmingly hard or too late.

Occasionally we might even think and behave as though we're undeserving of personal success.

Because these feelings are so common before meeting a counsellor or therapist we thought it would be good to get them out in the open.

On this website we hope that you'll find some answers about the value of therapy and, having already taken this first step, some motivation to take the next.

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