What happens when your thoughts turn unkind?

How are you doing?

No, really, what do your unhealthy thoughts say in the quietness and isolated experience of your day?

In the work of psychotherapy and counselling in Torbay and Teignbridge, there are times when people come because they recognise a mental and emotional health decline. They may have sat opposite a medically trained individual who suggested working on this with a therapist near me.

The work in psychotherapy and counselling starts by examining how you use emotional and affect regulation, both healthily and unhealthily. For some people, it could be that there are thoughts and feelings that consistently arise around shame and guilt. While others could be experiencing depressive symptoms despite having the dream partner, home, career and markers of success society puts on us. This is known as effect regulation.

In the work, we work together by using psychoeducation to learn about the daily, weekly and monthly exposure you may be experiencing. In the use of cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic and humanistic techniques in a therapeutic environment, we build awareness to response prevention.

This terminology is simply about finding your harmony as an individual, person in the world, and as your recognised gender. I name it as your light bulb moment that helps you, and I understand what imbalance activation is taking place. There is space in our work to see how the brain and body functions have changed for you to cope with shame, guilt, depressive symptoms, or burnout.

It is a professional and personal belief that we need to explore behaviour, thoughts and symptoms on a regular basis. Some will make us feel content and happy, while others will make us want to throw negative beliefs, thoughts and feelings into the recycling bin.

What does this mean in daily ‘normal life’ to cope with stress, anxiety and identity issues?

If you’re having a pint or two, three or more to help with a stressful day, then we could work on the life and work balance.

If you’re regularly looking at adult content for stress relief or to cope with negativity in your marriage, relationship or roles, then we could look at your identity in life.

If you go to comfort foods and deprive yourself of food, then we could look at the feelings and emotions happening within you in a safe and confidential space.

Finally, if you’re concerned or care for someone unwell, then we can most certainly look at how the isolation and hopelessness feature in the mind and body.