Depending on what industry you work in, there will be varying degrees of competition among colleagues. In many industries, there can be incredible competition to get jobs in the first place, and once you are in, the competition only increases. The Muse found that nearly a third of managers thought their employees were more competitive than a decade ago.

In a time when everything is felt so intensely - the grief, the fear, the sadness, the connection - it can be easy to be led by our emotions and our inner monologues. However, being led by our thoughts and emotions can lead us to feel quite unstable - think about how often your emotions change throughout the day. We are trying to adapt to this new lifestyle, and wondering what is the best way of doing this.

You know that feeling when you are working on something important and trying to focus, but you find yourself picking up your phone and starting to scroll through social media. You then berate yourself; “For goodness sake, why am I so easily distracted. So stupid. I need to focus and get this done.” Well, this is the opposite of a gentle, nurturing lens.

If a therapist offers an initial phone call before you decide to book with them, this will be an opportunity for you to ask questions about how the therapy will be, about their qualifications and experience, or about whether they think they can work with what you’re bringing.

It is also a time when the therapist will want to learn more about what has brought you to seeking out therapy and what you are hoping to gain from the therapy sessions.

It used to be the case that breaks were a usual part of going to therapy. You would go on a holiday and there would be a natural break in therapy as you weren’t physically able to go to your therapist’s office.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most therapists moved their sessions online using services such as Zoom or Skype, and now it is more than possible to “take your therapist with you” when you go on holiday or a staycation.

The question is: is this beneficial?

We are hardwired to seek out human connection throughout our lives. At all stages of life, we seek out connectivity with others, and sometimes these relationships are healthy, while other times they are not. As infants, we seek out the care of others in order to survive physically, and as we grow older, we seek out connection with others in order to survive and thrive mentally and emotionally.

Millennials face a level of lifelong insecurity that their parents might not be able to comprehend. They are one of the first generations who might never match or surpass their parents’ careers and salaries, and they may never own their own homes.

According to the NHS, counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to a client and helping the client find ways to deal with emotional issues. Counselling is most often focused on issues in the past or present such as depression, anxiety, trauma, bereavement, infertility, self-esteem, or sexual identity issues (among many others).

Going to therapy certainly doesn't mean you are crazy, and this is the most common reason that people use to not go to therapy. There is nothing wrong with going to therapy at all. Sometimes you just might have a big decision to make, other times you might want to explore different options, different ways of thinking, or have someone unbiased to discuss things with.

When you start therapy, it is important to make sure that you are happy and comfortable with your therapist. Therefore, it is important to ask some questions to ensure that they are right for you.

Each therapist is different, which has the benefit of you having a lot of choices, but also means that you might be 'shopping around' before you find the right person for you.

Many people come to therapy expecting their counsellor to tell them what to do, to tell them how to ‘get over’ something, or generally to give out life advice.

These same clients often leave their first session feeling slightly deflated and disappointed that their counsellor has not done that at all. What their counsellor will likely have done is to answer the client’s questions with another question.

The first thing that you need to look for is the therapist’s training and education. Many therapists will list this on their website or the directory that they are listed on will display the therapist’s training. There are a few different training routes to become a therapist in the UK. So, don’t be alarmed if your chosen therapist doesn’t have an MA or PhD after their name.