Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy in Bristol for depression and negative thinking

More than any other problem, depression and negative thinking sing you the song: “Nothing will ever do any good, nothing will ever get any better.” Happily, this is wrong. It is entirely possible to lift negative thinking and connect, or re-connect, with joy, energy and motivation. For psychological depression, research proves talking therapies, not anti-depressants, are the best way to help.

Depression may be a crushing despair, a feeling that life is cursed and that every hand of cards you’ve been dealt is a losing hand and always will be. Negative thinking may be a recurrent fear that you are not wanted as you are, a fear, maybe a terror, of revealing yourself to the world or to people you love for fear of being found not good enough. Painful though these experiences are, real and compelling though they seem, these feelings are in the end bad dreams. We can wake up from these nightmares, wake up and emerge into a daylight full of possibilities and potentialities for joy and love. I know that’s true – as a teenager, that was me!

There are numerous websites for psychotherapy in Bristol for depression. But therapy research shows that what counts is your relationship with the therapist, and you can’t know that from a website. So you are welcome to come for a free half-hour initial consultation to meet me and ask any questions. (Currently Bristol only.)

What treatment for depression works?

For many years there has been a heated debate between two schools of thought. Therapies such as psychodynamic psychotherapy think negative thinking comes from buried emotions and past events. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and related forms of counselling for depression think it comes from how to talk to yourself in the present and from not being active in life in the right way. It’s obvious to anyone not invested in a particular school that both are true, and I combine both type of approach flexibly according to what is useful for you.

I use solution oriented brief therapy, hypnosis, meditative awareness (“mindfulness”), and, if there are indeed buried emotional and subconscious issues, various forms of emotional healing.

I wish to advertise honestly and to offer hope without hype, inspiration based on realism. Every week I hear people sitting in my recliner telling me of significant breakthroughs they are making. At the same time, realism is that some changes happen slowly, some situations are very difficult, that’s just how life is.

But is it also realism that the voice that says “Nothing will ever do any good, nothing will ever get any better,” is almost always wrong. You can lift and overcome psychological depression even if long-standing and severe. You can recover your aliveness and enjoyment of life.

If you are looking for a hypnotist in Bristol or psychotherapy for depression in Bristol, give me a call today: 0845-3510604 / 0117-955-0490. I’m happy to answer questions or arrange, in Bristol only, a free, no-obligation half-hour initial meeting.

The symptoms of depression - What does depression feel like? The intensity of feeling depressed varies enormously. It may be just feeling low and tearful for a period when events don't go well, or it may be a most terrible darkness which descends, a	What helps with depression: (1) action - The voice of depression always says "nothing will work", and for a reason: action is the enemy which depression fears above all others. Depression is an inward state in which the person lives in their heads	What works with depression: (2) emotional healing - Depression has two common root causes: stuck sadness, also called "complex grief", and stuck anger. Therapies which only look at everyday behaviours don't cut the roots.
Are you depressed? – two helpful tests - Take the two tests on this page and get a good idea if you are or not. My advice is simple, if you’re not one hundred percent happy and zestful about life and its challenges, do something about it!	Depressed? Check these boxes? – go to your doctor - Do you fit these signs of clinical depression? Then go to your doctor at once. Sometimes medication is the right choice, at least in the short term.	Tablets or talking? - "Should I take anti-depressants or go to a therapist?" It's good to talk to your GP. But unless depression is severe, talking likely to be very effective; and sometimes, medication is definitely the right choice.
Understanding depression – 10 key facts - Recognising "I am depressed" is good news, npt bad. Depression isn't something you have to just put with. Situational and emotional depression is very possible to ovecome. Here are some key facts about depression.	The causes of psychological depression - Depression can be mild and intermittent, or it may be a terrible life-crushing darkness: "I just can't go on". It can be unipolar (always down), or manic-depression (wildly up and down.) It can be due to events such as winter (SAD) or giving birth (post-natal depression.)	Are you a teenager looking at depression tests? - Are you a teenager or young person looking at depression tests? If so I strongly encourage you to talk to someone in confidence. Here are some sources of help.