Marya Goga (my pronouns are she/her)

Hello. The question I am asked most frequently is 'why would I choose to see a psychotherapist?', so I thought I would address this question first and foremost. There is no 'right' reason to consider therapy. How we feel in our lives should never be compared to how others feel in theirs. 

Our experiences, and our reactions to what life throws at us are our own, and nobody else's. Some people come to therapy after a bereavement, the breakdown of a relationship, or perhaps the loss of a job. Sometimes feelings of anxiety or depression, lethargy or general feelings of purposelessness can seem insurmountable, yet inexplicable. Some people find themselves confused in their circumstances – 'How did I get here, and what do I do now?' – or are struggling to make decisions. 

Times of transition are often fraught with anxiety eg. the beginning or end of university, marriage, parenthood, retirement. Others feel that although on the surface they have everything they need, there is still a niggling feeling – a hunch, perhaps – that something isn't quite right. 

Psychotherapy and counselling offer an environment in which to talk about your concerns, to make them alive in the presence of a therapist; someone who is trained to remain non-judgemental, and who isn't part of your life on a day-to-day basis. Together we can look at the various parts of your life and try to understand how they all fit together. 

The modern world is a fast-moving and increasingly complex place in which to exist. Psychotherapy can help with the more practical elements of the things that society expects from us. It can also help us wrestle with the more philosophical questions around where we see ourselves in this world, and to consider what it really means to be human.