Counselling with Pam Ajimal

Some of the issues counselling can be helpful with are:

Some of the issues counselling can be helpful with are:

Depression

The most commonly reported symptoms of depression are disrupted sleep, feeling listless, poor motivation, tiredness and a dread of coping with everyday life, facing another day.

Some people believe that only medication can help with such distressing symptoms. However, counselling does have an important role to play. It can help you to feel more in control of your life again and also make sense of what may have led to your depression.

Anxiety – Panic Attacks

Panic attacks can be very frightening to experience. You often feel sick, you feel faint and out of control of yourself. Counselling can help achieve understanding and recognition of the onset of panic attacks. This is an important step to take control.

Abuse - Sexual / Physical / Emotional / Abandonment

People may experience abuse at different stages of their lives. Others have to cope with it during a particular time when a relationship may go seriously wrong. Abuse takes away one’s basic trust with people in close or important relationships. It can lead to many difficulties, ranging from depression, low self-esteem, feelings of guilt and shame, onset of addictions, psychosomatic illness, development of self-destructive tendencies and in many cases lead to self-harm and even prostitution. It is important to understand that all types of abuse should be acknowledged on an individual basis. Sexual abuse, in particular, generates intense and crippling shame. The crucial aspect is not what occurred, but what impact it has on the survivor at the time the abuse took place and later into adult life. Counselling enables to gain an insight into the trauma experienced and explore possibilities for change, discover ways of developing their self-esteem and self-worth.

Self Harm

The term ‘self-harm’ is used to mean many ways in which someone might injure, hurt or harm themselves, as a way of coping with unbearable distress. For someone who injures or harms themselves repeatedly, there are usually both long term and short term reasons. The origins of self-harm often lie in distressing experiences or circumstances which the person has suffered in the past and sometimes as long ago as their childhood.

Serious illness / Bereavement

Serious illness can result in a high level anxiety for the patient, their families and relationships. Talking about your fears and concerns can be invaluable.

People feel grief and often a great anger when someone they love dies. You are unable to cope with the pain of the loss. After a while you find your family, friends or other forms of social support dwindles and people around you find it hard to continue to listen to your pain. Affective manifestations of grief include depression, despair and dejection, anxiety, guilt, anger and loneliness.

Relationships – Partner / Work / Children

Relationships with people at work, in your private life or partners can bring exciting and positive experiences. However, sometimes relationships can go wrong and may need to be examined by looking at different perspectives. This could be a major area which affects your well-being.

Addictions

Eating disorders, alcohol and drug dependencies can not only cause concern to the user but also to partners, parents, children and friends. You may have come to realise that you need to discuss these issues objectively with a neutral person. In other cases people who are indirectly affected may also wish to acquire more information or seek guidance.