Personal Life

You may be experiencing problems in your current relationships and not wish to undertake therapy together with your partner/friend/family member.  

Perhaps you find yourself repeating patterns with partner choice or relationship style. You might have difficulties finding or sustaining a loving relationship, or want to think more about what you want. 

Individual counselling can help to better understand these challenges and find ways to cope.

Professional Life

Work or study can be stressful for many reasons, and cultural differences can cause additional problems.  Managing stress, learning to be assertive, living with our own perfectionism, finding a good work-life balance or coping better with cultural differences, and setting boundaries - these are all possible goals for counselling. 

It could also be that you are dissatisfied with your progress professionally, or want to better understand your own possibilities and find out what you want to achieve.

Prolonged Stress

We can all be tired, exhausted, irritated or sad during difficult phases at work and/or in our private life. We recover when we go on vacation, make changes, or reach a more balanced and rewarding phase in life. 

However, sometimes  it can be the case that a stressful period of time becomes very long. Heavy workload, an unsupportive (work)environment, unclear goals at work or not being able to value those goals, having difficulties with children or a partner, being a long-term caretaker, having very high standards, experiencing difficulties with setting boundaries - all can contribute to the level of stress, and everybody has a personal sensitivity level regarding what is a “lot” or  “too much”.

Prolonged stress and difficulties can sometimes lead  to serious physical, cognitive and/or emotional symptoms. We often use the word “burnout” if these symptoms are present in a certain combination and for a long time. 

If you experience a lot of stress or have  psychological or (unexplained) somatic complaints, it pays to seek help to prevent illness or (prolonged) burnout. 

Existential Questions

I also meet clients who want to use the sessions to discuss their religious or existential doubts. Thoughts and feelings related to our existence (from a philosophical perspective) can cause a lot of distress, and counselling can be a safe place to examine these feelings and try to find peace and balance.