Anxiety is a natural response to stress. It's what keeps us alert and focused when we're in danger. It is a normal emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Anxiety is the feeling of fear or apprehension, which can be mild or severe.

Anxiety disorders are more complex than normal feelings of nervousness or worrying. People with anxiety disorders may have symptoms such as:

• Feeling afraid or worried about a lot of different things for no apparent reason
• Having difficulty concentrating on things like work, school or other activities
• Being preoccupied with thoughts about death or dying
• Avoiding places, events or situations that trigger panic attacks.

Therapy can help you understand your anxiety, the root cause and why it affects you the way that it does. Through therapy, you can develop ways of coping with feelings of anxiety so you can live your life on your terms.

Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder and can simply come on even when you are just thinking about it.

They develop from an unrealistic or exaggerated fear surrounding an object or situation. When actually facing a phobia you might become scared, nervous or anxious.

You might even feel physical symptoms of anxiety such as:

• Fast heart beat
• Shortened breath or holding your breath
• Sweating
• Dizziness or shaking
• Upset or a ‘butterfly’ feeling in your stomach

If the phobia (fear) is an event or situation that you come across in everyday life then it will have large implications on your day to day activities. More complex cases might even include social anxiety, agoraphobia leading to loneliness and isolation. However, some phobias such as fear of flying may not interfere in everyday life but could impact where you go on holiday. A fear of giving presentations might stop you getting that job you want, or passing an exam or completing coursework if you are a student.

Hypnotherapy blended within counselling can really help you overcome your fear or phobia by changing how your subconscious mind views the perceived threat. It can help you get to the root of the problem, overcome the fear, examine the trigger (if there is one). Counselling blended with Hypnotherapy can help you find a way to stop avoiding that fear or phobia so that you can get on with life.

If you have low self-esteem and low motivation, you might feel as if you’re stuck in a rut and unable to get out. You may feel like nothing you do is good enough, which can lead to feelings of guilt, shame and hopelessness.

Low self-esteem is defined as a negative view of yourself — your abilities, beliefs or personality. Low motivation is when you don’t do things that are important to you because of a lack of interest or enthusiasm for those activities. You may experience one or both of these conditions at once or separately over time. The good news is that all three conditions can be treated effectively with therapy.