Most people coming for psychotherapy have spent a number of years with the idea of attending a therapist floating around in their mind.
They may be aware of issues from childhood that they have never told anyone about or they have become aware of how their childhood is now impacting on them as an adult and they wonder if the space to talk about it might help.
It can feel lonely and very heavy to carry these issues around in our minds for many years on our own.
Some people may have heard from concerned loved ones that psychotherapy may help them to understand themselves better. Or a GP may give a patient a name of a local therapist as a suggestion for dealing with a difficult life situation or low mood/anxiety.
It can sometimes take a significant event such as an accident or bereavement or relationship breakdown to encourage someone to seek out psychotherapy.
The act of telling someone about things on our mind that we have never told anyone else can be a liberating experience.
We can all carry shame and embarrassment about secrets from our past and when we tell someone who doesn't know us, we may be surprised and relieved that the person listening is not shocked or disgusted or uncomfortable.
Being listened to in a non-judgemental way can help us to release the past to allow us to feel unburdened. We may be surprised to be listened to in a compassionate way without any conditions attached.
I am lucky to have the honour to sit with people who want to release the past and feel lighter in themselves.
There is a lot of truth to the phrase 'a problem shared is a problem halved'.
From my own personal experience of therapy, it is always a relief to speak about things that have been playing on my mind in the safety of the therapy room.
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