You might have lost someone or something that gave your life meaning. Perhaps it is hard to be in the world without them. It may have been a partner, a pet, a home, a community. You may have lost your old way of life. It may have been complicated or you’re not sure why you’re still stuck. Sometimes it helps to really talk about it.

As life goes on, it’s normal to experience heartache and pain. Most of the time, we can process these experiences and move on. However, sometimes we are confronted with things that are impossible. A cancer diagnosis, an accident or injury, the loss of a career, a divorce. You might benefit from therapy if you’re struggling with things that are impossible and unwelcome.

You might not have words for what the problem is, something just feels wrong. You might have tried therapy before, but this time you want to explore things more deeply. Perhaps you feel like a misfit, and you want to feel like you belong. Perhaps you haven’t shared some of the things that really bother you, because you have been worried that no-one will be able to understand. Or you’re worried there is something deeply wrong with you. But if you don’t get to the heart of the matter, you’re just tinkering around the edges, and you can’t really feel better on a deep level. Therapy can provide the safety to explore whatever lies beneath the surface, to help create genuine and lasting change.

You might be very harsh and critical towards yourself. You might not even realise you have a bully inside your head, telling you that you don’t measure up. This can be the result of experiencing abuse and neglect. It can just be the result of living in a culture that tells many of us that we are not good enough as we are.

Learning how to show kindness and compassion towards yourself can help transform your feelings from shame and blame to kindness, warmth, happiness, and aliveness.

You might feel disconnected from yourself, your life, the natural world. Emotional wellbeing, happiness, and healthy relationships aren’t just good luck, they can be learnt. You might be struggling with a late-in-life crisis, experiencing the effects of trauma, or struggling with self-doubt.

Sometimes you need to talk to someone who can really listen. Investing in your wellbeing can help you become a better parent, a better partner, a better person. Investing in your wellbeing isn’t self-indulgent, it can benefit others, too. Feeling connected to others and the natural world is shown to improve wellbeing.

You might feel that your friends and family don’t understand you. Or that you don’t have the sort of friends and family you really want. Perhaps you want to start to understand yourself. Why are you in two minds about things? Why do you do things you don’t want to do?

When your emotional needs are not met, and no one understands you, it’s normal to feel alone. Therapy is about forming a connection between all of the different aspects of yourself. Once you understand yourself better, you can move forward to live a meaningful and congruent life.

You might want more from life. More happiness, more joy, more love, more connection. You might want a partner. If you have a partner you might want to improve your relationship, or talk confidentially about whether to stay or go. Perhaps you are feeling disconnected, as though you are not worthy of having love and kindness. Or you’ve noticed that when you receive love and kindness you run away. Therapy can help you to move away from lonely dysfunctional patterns, and become free to feel honest, safe, and loved.