Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from difficult or demanding circumstances. While stress can motivate us to achieve, too much stress may lead to physical and mental health problems.

We all experience life adversity.  How we deal with that adversity is different for all of us:  many coping skills are healthy (talking to friends or family, exercise, self-care, doing pleasurable activities) but often people rely on unhealthy copying strategies (food, alcohol and/or drug use, self-harm, emotionally unregulated behavior) which may lead to additional problems.

Self-esteem refers to the overall opinion we have of ourselves; our sense that we can do things successfully; and the value we place on ourselves as people.  Self-esteem can hold a positive or negative tone overall. Our experiences create a foundation for views we hold about ourselves.  These can distort our self-esteem and may cause us to believe that we are unworthy or unable to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Anxiety is something many of us experience from time to time.  It is a normal response to situations that we find threatening or frightening.  For example, if we had to sit an exam or speak in front of a room full of people, it would be natural to feel anxious.  Sometimes, however, we feel anxious when we’re not threatened or frightened and we need to learn techniques to overcome these unhelpful responses.

Depression may cause us to experience low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration.  It doesn’t stop us from leading a normal life but makes everything harder to do and seem less worthwhile.  At its most severe, depression can be life-threatening, leading to suicidal thoughts.

All relationships have ups and downs.  Sometimes though, things can get a bit stuck and it’s hard to find a positive solution or see a way forward.  Problems that may exist within a relationship can include increased arguments and conflict, trust issues, financial issues, communication problems and how to progress the relationship.

Our early family experiences drive our core beliefs about ourselves: this includes what we believe about the roles we perform and the expectations that we hold about ourselves.  As our lives and personal situations change, the roles and expectations we hold can build resentment and dissatisfaction and may cause challenges personally and within family relationships.

Work is a significant part of life for many of us.  For some it allows ambitions to be realised; for others it pays the bills.  Challenges at work can include relationship problems, deadlines, workload problems and internal politics, all of which may cause stress.  Some of us may want to make change but are unsure how or what direction to take.

Families are systems of inter-connected and inter-dependent individuals.  Sometimes, functioning within families can be challenging, especially when there is conflict between parents, in step or blended families or when parenting children with complex needs (including adopted and fostered children).

Grief is the natural response to the death or loss of someone close.  It may also relate to the loss of an unborn child.  For others, the death of a much-loved pet brings feelings of grief. Loss may relate to redundancy, ill health, or a change in life circumstances; it may also relate to a person who is alive but not accessible to us any more (for example a parent who has dementia).  While loss is a natural part of life, sometimes it can feel overwhelming and may lead to additional problems.