During our development we draw back from experiences that are unacceptable to us or which are too intense. One consequence of taking care of our self in this way is that the experiences we repress don’t actually go away but continually return in a distorted or disguised form.

As adults we experience the return of the repressed in many different ways – in, for example, dreams, slips of the tongue and other everyday mistakes, laughter at jokes or while watching horror movies. Our experience of the repressed can be harmless, frustrating, amusing, or even exciting.

At other times, however, the return of the repressed can be disturbing or distressing: feelings of anxiety, a phobia that limits what we’re able to do, obsessive patterns of thinking, and compulsive or self-sabotaging actions. Or we might end up feeling robbed of the pleasure we once derived from shopping, going to the gym, eating or having sex. We might become depressed or troubled by unsettling moods or desires, some of which may feel urgent or overwhelming. We might take things out on our loved ones or on work colleagues, or get into the same old tired arguments again and again.

Therapy and counselling enable you to develop and extend awareness of yourself and your inner world. Over time you will come into contact with the repressed experiences that are causing the disturbance and learn to relax into them.

Once therapy is working, the disturbances usually fade in importance and whatever it is that you have not been addressing becomes clearer. You, in turn, can experience a deeper level of self-acceptance, greater freedom to make decisions and an increased ability to live life more fully in the present.

So you might commence therapy because:

• you want to make sense of a troubling experience
• you feel stressed and anxious
• you want to be able to talk more easily about things that matter to you
• you want to change your self-esteem
• you find taking decisions difficult
• you’ve become troubled by moods or desires, some of which may feel overwhelming
• you want to regain a desire for life
• your behaviour has become harmful to yourself or others
• you’re tired of always having to be the strong one, the life and soul of the party, or the one for whom things never go right
• you want a better understanding of your relationship with your partner, family, friends or colleagues
• you want a better understanding of your self

It can be difficult to address these issues on your own. At Therapy in Manchester we offer you a professional, affordable and confidential environment in which to work things through.

To discuss how therapy and counselling can be tailored to suit your needs contact Paul Melia on 07592 340 211 or email email hidden; JavaScript is required