You are unique, and your issues are particular to you. That said, there are recurring themes in the struggles that people bring to therapy, and the following are some of those I more frequently see in clients and work with. This is by no means an exhaustive list – you of course bring to therapy whatever it is you are needing to bring.
Anxiety & depression
Whether it shows up as intrusive thoughts, fearfulness, societal distress, or a nameless dread, anxiety follows you relentlessly. Or you might feel depression as a pervasive self-loathing, lifelessness, emptiness, or profound aloneness.
Anxiety and depression can be seen as issues in themselves and treated as such, but they are often better understood as the symptoms of deeper issues, such as those below.
Low self-worth & shame
You believe yourself to be lesser, deficient, or not good enough, even when there is evidence to the contrary. Your sense of worth depends heavily on external validation: achievement, usefulness, being chosen, or being needed. Yet none of these provide lasting okayness.
You may doubt your right to take up space, ask for care, or be emotionally demanding. Everything in life seems to confirm your negative belief about yourself.
Over-giving & resentment
You’re people-pleasing, giving more than feels sustainable, while telling yourself that this is just how relationships work. Over time, a silent resentment has built up about being taken for granted or expected to cope alone.
Because expressing resentment feels dangerous or morally wrong, you suppress it or redirect it into self-criticism, withdrawal, or sudden ruptures with the people you care for. You’re aware of unmet needs, but rarely feel safe enough or deserving enough to voice them.
Avoidance & insecurity
Closeness can feel deeply desired, yet unfamiliar and threatening. While you are anxious about remaining alone and unknown, you pull away from intimacy, which you find quickly overwhelming. You oscillate between longing for connection and the comfort zone of self-sufficient isolation.
Or, despite yearning for closeness, that which you receive never feels enough. You find it impossible to trust the love you’ve demanded, and are always bracing for disappointment. Small relational shifts feel profoundly threatening, leading to constant vigilance and the intense anticipation of rejection.