In this section you will find information on the most common issues that people come to counseling for. Reading the information may give you insight on what could be your next step and/or in meeting with a counselor to talk about how we can help you.

Common Concerns

TRAUMA

Trauma can be anything that is out of the ordinary range of daily events and is deeply distressing to someone. Many things can have this impact. It could be a fire, an accident, a robbery, an attack, or being witness to a traumatic event, such as a death.

It could be large scale, such as a major disaster involving many people, or a personal event involving yourself, friends or family members.

RELATIONSHIP

ISSUES

Relationships are central to our lives. We are all in a relationship of some kind with other people from the moment we are born, and it follows that relationships of all kinds are of great importance. Problems from relationships arise for most people at some time in their lives and this is one of the most common areas of life that people come to counseling about.

However, they can be a source of anguish and grief, if they go wrong. The issue is made more relevant and is often in a time of personal change

Some common relationships issues are:

-Friendships/Peer relationships --Work Relationships

-Familial Relationships

-Spousal Relationships

-Courting Relationships

FEELING DEPRESSED

Everyone gets ‘down’ sometimes. Life has natural ups and downs, when we just feel fed up or things don’t go right.

People often say they are ‘depressed’ when they are really referring to these normal low periods in life. Depression is more of a long term problem which doesn’t get better by itself. The difference between feeling ‘down’ and being depressed is one of both intensity of feelings and duration.

MANAGING

LIFE TRANSITIONS

Whether this is your first time away from home or you’re going back to studying after a break, starting after a large change within your life is not always easy to cope with.

-Your course: is it what you expected? Can you keep up?

-Making friends: will anyone like you?

-Finances and managing practical things on your own: can you do it?

-You may feel homesick and be surprised how this is affecting you.

-You may be trying to live up to other people’s expectations: this can be a real burden.

-You may have expectations about yourself that are unrealistic.

SUICIDAL

THINKING

You may be consulting this page because you are considering suicide or because you are worrying about a friend who seems to be considering suicide.

The CK Counseling Service advises most strongly that anyone contemplating suicide seeks assistance at the earliest possible time.

The problems that lead to suicidal thinking are too complex and varied to address here. However what we can do is give clear guidance and immediate sources of help; by finding our email or number on our contact page.

BEREAVMENT

The death of someone who is significant to you is one of the hardest things you will experience in your life. Whether it is expected or a shock, the enormity of loss is something that impacts you in a very profound way. Usually, this is experienced with not just one feeling but a whole range of feelings. This is a normal natural process. However, it may take some time to get through these feelings and unfortunately, they cannot be hurried. Coping with loss is difficult at any time, but as a student, with deadlines to meet, exams to revise for, not to mention the money worries, it can feel even worse.

STRESSED OUT

The causes of stress and anxiety have been widely written about and include many experiences common to financial hardship, academic pressure and relationship difficulties...

This section explores the experience of being ‘stressed out’, suggests coping strategies and sources of support.

Some typical anxiety responses:

-unpleasant body sensations (heart pounding, sweating, tense muscles, dry throat, shaking, feeling or being sick, dizziness)

-inability to concentrate

-worrying thoughts or unpleasant memories coming into your mind

-intense dislike or fear of some situations and therefore avoidance of them (eg talking to people you don’t know, walking in the street, being in a tutorial class)

-panic attacks coming out of the blue, and once one has happened fearing that another will strike at any time

-disturbed sleep, with unpleasant dreams or nightmares.

MANAGING ANGER

Just because you are angry does not necessarily mean you have a problem. Most people have been angered at times in their lives. It is after all a natural response that helps our survival and helps us protect others.

Anger can be:

An energizer. It can give us strength and determination, mobilizing the body’s resources for self-defense and providing stamina for dealing with difficult circumstances.

A signal or cue. It tells us something about ourselves, other people and situations. It can be a sign that something unjust, abusive, or threatening is happening. In this sense, it can serve as a cue that it is time to use coping skills.

A way to express tension and communicate negative feelings. The constructive expression of anger is an important way to resolve conflict.

TESTING

ANXIETY

In this section we address some of the most common study difficulties that students report to Counselors in our service. We explore some of the reasons problems can occur whilst studying, and suggest some tips to cope. Many of the suggestions may seem simple or 'obvious', yet at times when we are under pressure we can easily forget these basics

SELF HARM

Self-harm is a very common problem, and many people are struggling to deal with it. Research suggests that 1 in fifteen young people in Greece will have harmed themselves.

Self-harm is often about trying to cope with overwhelming thoughts and intense emotional pain. Many people self-injure because physical pain distracts them from their emotional pain for a time being. Others are conscious of a sense of release. For some it may be a way to “wake-up” in situations where they are so numb they can’t feel anything.