The following is a list of common reasons people have sought counseling services.

Anxiety.

Anxiety is the world’s most common mental health disorder with 1 in 13 people affected (futurity.com). It presents as excessive worry, fear, and/or panic. It may be a general sense of worry or a specific fear. You may feel out of control, irritable, tired and have trouble concentrating.

Special note regarding children: Numbers are even higher for adolescents as 1 in 4 children aged 13 to 18 years old are affected by an anxiety disorder (adaa.org). Left untreated, these children are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, to miss developmentally crucial social experiences, and to engage in substance abuse.

 

Parental mental health.

There are many books, blogs, and experts out there promising the secret to hacking parenting. There is immense pressure on parents to raise high-achieving, perfect-mannered, hyper creative children by being organic-pinterest-superparents. The truth is no parent is perfect and there is no one-hack-fits-all to parenting. However, there is a large body of literature supporting certain parenting skills and a lot of information to learn about childhood development

Postpartum depression affects 1 in 7 women (APA, 2020) and conservative numbers say 4% of fathers (Sad Dads, 2007). Due to the stigma, many parents suffer in silence and struggle to connect with their newborn. Through individual and/or family therapy, parents can find comfort, understanding and strategies to cope.

Depression.

Are you feeling a lot of sadness, anger, or guilt? Have you lost interest in the activities you used to enjoy? Have you been eating and/or sleeping much less or much more than before? Do you feel a sense of hopelessness and have trouble imagining life getting better? According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), depression is one of the leading causes of disability with 1 out of 6 adults affected. Most concerning, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds (World Health Organisation).

 
 

Multicultural/Expat/TCK

We live in a time when multiculturalism has become a norm more than the exception. It enriches our society and creates powerful connections. Many people are struggling to navigate the balance of holding onto cultural practices while embracing new ones. First and second generation individuals often experience a gap in mutual understanding.

There are many stressors that are specific to the expat experience. You may feel isolated or home sick, you may have difficulty adjusting to different customs, and may feel conflicted about assimilation or integration.

Third Culture Kids (Pollock and Van Reken, 2009) are children who spend their formative years in cultures different from their parents. The intersection of their parent’s culture and the culture in which they live is what is referred to as the “third”. Although this provides them with many opportunities and privileges, these children face their own specific set of stressors.

Trauma.

Trauma lives in the body. Somatic interventions (body awareness) are often most powerful in providing relief and healing. Even if the event(s) happened long ago, your brain believes you’re in immediate danger and sends signals to your body to engage in fight/flight/freeze. Survivors of trauma, often aren’t aware what triggers this “alarm” system and it can be something as innocuous as a smell.

Special note regarding Covid 19: During this global pandemic, we are all experiencing acute traumatic stress. We are fearing for ourselves and/or for others and have little sense of control. It is important that we are prepared to experience mixed feelings and practice self-care.

Relational conflict.

Are in conflict with your partner, boss, family? Do you find yourself struggling to maintain satisfying, healthy relationships with other? Do you find yourself repeating the same old cycle in your romantic experiences?

Humans are relational beings, meaning we are build to seek others for our survival. It is an essential life skill to create functioning, healthy, and nurturing relationships. There are clear skills and tools that can be learned to optimise your relational happiness.