At Sea Change Counselling & Psychotherapy we deal with all sorts of issues including: Anxiety and stress, Cultural and Immigration Adjustment, Bereavement and Loss, Life Transitions, Relationship Problems and others.

Anxiety and stress

Anxiety:
Everybody experiences anxiety sometimes it is a normal reaction to a stressor such as taking an exam, preparing to have surgery. Anxiety can also be motivating and help us to get things done.

• If the person experienced a trauma earlier in their life and were not able to deal with the emotions or resolve the situation.
• Anxiety can also be learnt in early childhood. If the person grew up in a family where one or both parents were anxious and felt that the world was full of danger, these behaviors may be passed down to next generations.
• Some of the other factors that can lead to anxiety is stress, alcohol and drug misuse, poor nutrition, caffeine, and exhaustion.

Stress
We all experience a certain amount of stress in our lives.  As some stress enables us to get things done, it charges up our bodies with natural occurring chemicals: Adrenalin and cortisol, which heightens our abilities in the short term.

The effects of too much stress on a continuum means that our bodies are persistently
attacked with the stress related chemicals which can cause severe deterioration in health.

Some of the common symptoms of anxiety and stress include:

Trouble concentrating, irritability, restlessness, anticipating the worst, sleep problems
fearfulness, constant worry, aches and pains, feeling depressed, headaches, lethargy,
high blood pressure, relationship problems,  and loss of confidence.

Cultural and Immigration Adjustment

Relocating to a new country, even when the move was a positive one, can bring with it many expected and unexpected emotions, personal, and family challenges, the different cultural values, new language, and more.  Even if you are from an English speaking country, you may have found that there are many subtle differences that you were not expecting which can increase your feeling of being disconnected.

Adapting to your new surroundings can cause you to feel

• Lonely
• Isolated
• Homesick
• Disconnected
• Confused
• Guilt surrounding not being there for your family and friends in your country of origin
• Constantly thinking about home
• Depressed
• Angry
• Frustrated

You may feel that it is difficult to talk to people who are close to you about these feelings.
Maybe the rest of your family has settled well, and you can’t understand why you are finding it so difficult. Counselling and talking to a therapist can help you clarify these confused feelings, work through your emotions, find out what triggers them and find new coping strategies to help you to integrate in to you new life in Canada.

Bereavement and Loss

When someone whom we love dies, it can be one of the most distressing experiences that we will have to cope with.  Even when we know the person is going to die because of terminal illness, nothing prepares us for the often overwhelming feelings and emotions that will follow.

Everybody grieves in their own time, in their own way. Sometimes people feel that they are stuck in their grieving process, and that they are existing but not really living there lives fully.

The kind of relationship that a person had with the deceased person can affect how a person will experience the grieving process.

Talking to a therapist can help the person to work through their emotions in relation to their loss, and helps the person to adjust to life in a world without their loved one, and also an opportunity to resolve any lingering emotional issues surrounding the loss.

Life presents us with many different changes: some we welcome, some are inconvenient, some are tragic and cause great pain.

Change can be very challenging emotionally and change can trigger anxiety, stress, depression. You may feel confused and worried about the future.

Types of life transitions:

• Divorce
• End of a relationship
• Bereavement
• Relocating/ Moving
• Long term illness
• Redundancy / Lay off
• Career change
• Retirement
• Becoming an empty nester
• Caring for a loved one

Talking to a therapist can help you to find ways of coping with these changes, look at them with a new perspective, work through your feelings and emotions surrounding these changes in your life.

Relationship Problems

Throughout our lives we form many different close relationships with our families, partners, and friends. These relationships can be full of enjoyment and happiness, but there are times when they can also cause pain sadness and uncertainty

Relationship difficulties are one of the most common reason that people seek counselling and Psychotherapy

There are times that all relationships can become challenging. Talking to a therapist can help to gain insight into thoughts and behaviors, collaboratively working with the therapist to explore alternatives which can help to find solutions and help clients to enjoy the kind of relationships they are seeking.

Contact us for more information and a confidential consultation.