At sometime in our lives we have the feeling that we just cannot cope with whatever is going on at the time - however, we are usually able to come to terms with it before too long and soon feel back to our normal self.

However, when these overwhelming feelings of not feeling able to cope continue on indefinitely - whether they have been triggered by a life event or seem to be a pattern in our life generally we can be left feeling hopeless and desperate and life can seem futile and pointless. We can feel stuck in a cycle of, what we feel are, repeating failures and feelings of not being good enough or strong enough to get ourselves out of it or to function normally. This can affect every aspect of our lives and relationships with others.

By seeing a counsellor or psychotherapist at the Stephenson Centre and beginning to think about and understand these often confusing and painful feelings, we can begin to make sense of the origins of these reactions and responses to life. If we have the space to explore what it all means to not cope but also to not believe we have the ability to run our lives successfully, we can, with the support of a therapist in a calm and containing environment, enable a new perspective on life and a sense of empowerment and control and a new sense of freedom can emerge, leading to change and a more fulfilling outlook on life.