Counselling Twickenham

27/02/2023

How to be Safe

This article is about the small adjustments you can make everyday to reduce a constant flow of stress and anxiety. It's one thing learning to be alert and responsive to problems; and quite another learning how to find safety in a world of overwhelming stimulation. Put aside time everyday to decompress, rest and revitalise. "Heal thyself..."

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https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/reducing-anxiety-how-to-feel-safe?_gl=1*1wehvwo*_up*MQ..*_ga*NzUxMDU0NC4xNjc3NTAzNTM0*_ga_BMWGCG64PD*MTY3NzUwMzUzMS4xLjEuMTY3NzUwMzUzNy4wLjAuMA..

Gregori Savva explains the concept of the singularity of focus and how it can help reduce anxiety.

17/04/2020

The current pandemic we are all experiencing will be provoking different emotional and survival responses for different people. Fear and anxiety are natural responses at a time like this, but fighting your anxiety may only send you into further turmoil. It is helpful to be able to let go of your fears and discharge your stress hormones, at least some of the time. It is possible to find a balance between the ebb and flow of your fears and the more restorative moments of quiet, stillness and peace. Not perfect calm, but a moment to pause and to breathe.

For this, you will need to find a uniquely personal way to deal with your anxieties, and take ownership of how you experiment and adapt to a way that suits you. Address your body, not just the mind, and you may start to regulate the unconscious triggers that affect you.

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/i-need-to-feel-safe

The current pandemic we are all experiencing will be provoking different emotional...

03/04/2020

Right now, the world really is in a state of alarm. It’s not all in your head, but you do have some choice over how you respond to the crisis. Proportionately, or otherwise.
You may feel like you’re spinning out of control – with hair-trigger emotions, body-checking for symptoms, or erratic trains of thought. You may also swing from hyper-alert states, to emotional paralysis. The more your thoughts obsess over events, the more impulsive your behaviours become.
You may feel completely mad, but you are not alone. Whatever people tell you; however calm they may look on the outside, they are going through their own process of anxiety, or distress. Some are better at hiding it than others, even from themselves. Some genuinely are more equipped to cope, but they are still going through it...

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/trapped-inside-my-head

Right now, the world really is in a state of alarm. It’s not all in your head,...

08/03/2020

This is my new article on how anxiety, depression and traumas can lead you to feeling cut off from your emotions - or dissociative states.
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/cut-off-from-my-emotions

Being cut off from your emotions can have a devastating impact on your personal life...

23/01/2020

Driving me crazy

When you are confused, distressed, and driven to distraction, it's easy to imagine there's no way out. And although there's no such thing as crazy, it is often an immediate way of characterising how you feel. Anxiety and depression can be overwhelming. It can feel like a very desperate and lonely place to be.

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/driving-me-crazy

When you are confused, distressed, and driven to distraction, it's easy to imagine...

29/07/2019

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/blind-panic-and-anxiety-spikes

We’ve all been there. In that moment of blind panic - your heart pounding; shortness of breath; intense and overwhelming feelings of fear for no apparent reason, quickly followed by an endless c...

04/01/2019

Fear… we all feel it. A sudden startle in response to a perceived threat, a shortness of breath and chest constriction as your heart quickens pace. An unshakeable feeling of dread, then excessive worrying triggered by an unstoppable train of thoughts. Or occasionally, even a full-blown panic attack.
Fear is the biology of survival. It’s the primitive brain’s internal alarm system - alerting us to danger and triggering a ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ response. While your amygdala sounds the alarm in your brain, a cascade of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin are released into the body. This causes massive changes to your metabolic rate – as your heart-rate, breathing and blood sugar levels go up, priming you for action.

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/fear-1

23/09/2018

Welcome to my profile. I'm Greg.

I believe in a compassionate, open-minded approach to counselling. Helping you make sense of difficult thoughts and emotions, as you recover from anxiety, depression or broken relationships. Restoring your confidence and self-worth as you put the pieces together with someone you can trust. A counsellor who has your interests in mind, but remains neutral.

At Counselling Twickenham, I see our work together as a partnership which thrives on effective listening and feedback. Offering you realistic solutions that resonate with your experience. I focus on finding the best way forward, while helping you stay true to yourself. As an experienced counsellor, I recognise the key to success is rebuilding your independence and self-awareness. So it's vital that with each step forward you recognise your strengths as well as your difficulties.

I provide indivdual counselling (£50/£55) and couples counselling (£65) at affordable rates to suit your needs daytime and evenings.

Working in an atmosphere of respect and compassion, I can help you face the challenges of turning your life around. Offering you a safe place where you can voice your thoughts and concerns without feeling judged. I understand making changes to your life can be difficult. So, if you feel unsure about the next step, it can come as a welcome relief to talk things through with a therapist. Someone who can help you improve your wellbeing and relationships, as well as challenge you to get back on track. While I remain neutral, I am committed to finding solutions that suit your needs and personality. I also integrate mindfulness and the latest scientific research, to help you understand how your body and mind works.

http://www.enduringmind.co.uk/

Gregori Savva

Counselling Twickenham & Whitton for individual and couples counselling with compassion. Counsellors Twickenham TW1 & Whitton TW2 call Greg Savva 07506787034 Twickenham counselling

13/04/2018

Gregori Savva is at Counselling Twickenham.

Counselling Twickenham | Counselling Whitton | EnduringMind

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/my-partner-is-in-denial

Being in denial is a psychological defence mechanism against acknowledging “uncomfortable truths” in your relationship. Either you or your partner might be in denial, as a way of coping with difficult circumstances by hiding from your problems – such as avoiding responsibility for your part in conflict, addressing destructive patterns of behaviour or contributing to a communication breakdown. Despite the problems being self-evident, you may find it easier to overlook them, rather than confront each other head-on.

Being in denial is a psychological defence mechanism against acknowledging “uncomfortable truths” in your relationship. Either you or your partner might be in denial, as a way of coping wi...

10/03/2018

What is Mindfulness?

http://www.enduringmind.co.uk/what-is-mindfulness/4594015448

Mindfulness is about being present. Living as close to the moment as we can.

The focus is on developing a healthy mind and more balanced sense of wellbeing. As a practice, mindfulness uses the flow of our breath as a bridge between body and mind. Awakening a deeper connection to ourselves. Alert from within. In contact with the world outside. Breathing in and out. And using the simple flow of the breath as a way of accepting our experiences and letting them go.

When we breathe more fully in the moment, we bring clarity to the mind and space to our thoughts. Slowing down enough to observe our sensations, feelings and inner being. We accept the ever-evolving nature of existence as it is. Open to change; not clinging to false hope or certainty, nor the illusion of a perfect outcome. We we focus on the process, not the outcome. Training our conscious mind to be curious, to maintain awareness of what we are doing, while we are doing it. And to learn by trial and error. Not to set our expectations so high, we set ourselves up for failure. Or judge ourselves, feeling angry and disappointed that we haven't reached our goal.

At Counselling Twickenham, West London, we will explore mindfulness in counselling to find relief from anxiety, depression, anger, trauma and conflict in relationships

23/02/2018

http://www.enduringmind.co.uk/breathing-grounding-exercise/4594210504

Breath is the source of life. The very essence of our being.

It is the flow from which all human beings spring. From the moment we are born to the end of life, it is our beloved companion. The ether which keeps us alive in a continuous stream of consciousness, inhaling and exhaling - breathing in and out. Breath is the great restorative power, bringing oxygen, spaciousness and movement to our limbs as we breathe-in. Releasing tension and letting go of stress as we breathe -out.

We are blessed with the breath as a place of refuge and inner calm...

At Counselling Twickenham and Whitton, I offer you breathing exercises and grounding techniques to enhance your wellbeing and mindfulness

11/02/2018

Couples Counselling Twickenham

Truth and Reconciliation: Whatever you learn in couples counselling, it is both rewarding and challenging to find a way forward. Understandably change brings a certain amount of anxiety. At times you may feel vulnerable, but progress can be made if you focus on the process of healing and repair, not your individual expectations. You need to accept that although you may have valid reasons to be upset or disappointed with your partner, there is nothing to be gained from playing the blame game. Each of you is an equal participant in your relationship, except perhaps where abuse is concerned. You must be willing to address your own issues and not just point out where your partner went wrong. And you need to put the work in at home and use counselling sessions constructively. You will get to express how you feel and deal with your difficulties honestly, but you must be realistic and want to change, not simply win the argument. Be brave, be open to change and willing to let go of the past, as you make mistakes along the way. Take small risks to to be emotionally present, empathetic and experiment with the process as your journey begins... Read on at: http://www.enduringmind.co.uk/steps-towards-change/4594204952

At Couples Counselling Twickenham you will learn to make meaningful changes to your relationship. Communicate, develop empathy and heal old wounds.

08/12/2017

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment - developing a sense of your embodied experience and focussing on the flow of physical sensations and feelings, rather than dwelling on past or anticipating the future (M. Williams, 2011). As a counsellor and psychotherapist at Counselling Twickenham (www.enduringmind.co.uk), I help clients to cultivate a state of relaxed concentration so they can step-back and reflect on life, regaining their self-awareness. Mindfulness is a simple way of being; available to all of us - a condition that is hard-wired into the human brain. Even as babies we practice it instinctively to make sense of our world - using our instincts and bodily sensations to guide us.

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/what-is-mindfulness-for

To reduce craving – the more stressed we are the more we seek external stimulants to relieve the symptoms of stress – exchanging one chemical (such as dopamine) to compensate for another (...

20/07/2017

If you have ever suffered from anxiety and stress, you may have learned to cope by using avoidance behaviours which make you risk-averse, avoid conflict, miss social events, wary of change, procrastinate and evade taking responsibility or meeting deadlines. But the more you avoid the worse your anxiety gets. Learning a growth-mindset and approach behaviours, gets you out of these negative cycles.