My name is Stewart Geddes, and I am a fully accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist (MIACP). I have been practicing since 2012, specialising in anxiety, and working particularly with professionals struggling with their anxious thoughts and feelings, about themselves, the job they are doing and their ability to cope and progress.

The struggle

For nearly two decades I worked in the corporate world, in various companies and positions. Although I was always good at what I did, and my many managers were happy with my work, I never felt at ease in myself, and I progressed far slower than my peers.

For as far back as I can remember, I struggled with anxiety, and whist this affected my school days, it really began to hamper my life in college and in work, when the discipline and relative security of school was behind me. I sought the comfort and safety of roles that were well within my capabilities. I was basically hiding. When I progressed to new roles, or new jobs, I was flooded with fear and worry, until that role was mastered and I could hide in the comfort of familiarity once again. Regardless of how safe I felt, however, my thoughts were always ablaze.

What was I thinking?

“I’m going to be found out”
“I’m not good enough”
“Others know I’m anxious and not up to my job. They’re wondering how I got to this position”
“Everyone else is so much smarter, more confident, better able to cope, driven, etc., etc”
“This corporate world is not for me. It’s too harsh, unforgiving, judgemental, scary, etc., etc”

My thinking was flawed. I thought of myself only as weak and helpless, the people around me as brilliant and confident, and the environment I worked as unforgiving. I told myself I hated the job, when really I hated that I couldn’t cope. I ignored the things I was good at and the many times I was valued. I was stuck in a negative, anxious mindset, and it was undermining my ability to be happy and succeed.

If your experience sounds something like this, then let me help you. I know exactly what you are going through, as I have been there myself, and I know how to help you to be more at ease with yourself and the workplace.

I discovered that anxiety was such a big problem for me much later in life than I would have liked, and I had to deal with and accept all the regrets that came with that…basically losing my professional progression in my twenties. When I started to work through my anxiety and show up in work with less fear, I was no longer paralysed with what people thought about me, I could focus on doing great work and not on how to avoid being found out, I was much freer to be myself with other people, I could put myself out there, and I started to enjoy and get reward from my job.  In short, I was no longer hiding, and getting more resentful…I was participating.

We’re always talking to ourselves, time to choose better words

I love working with professionals struggling with anxiety in the workplace because I can give them the confidence that comes with understanding and managing their anxious thoughts and feelings. It gives me great satisfaction to help someone deal with the issues I faced and move on with their lives.

Combining my knowledge of anxiety, the way people think, and the way professional life works, with a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach, I can not only show you how the way you think is making work unnecessarily difficult, but I can teach you to manage your thoughts and feelings, and think your way to a more confident working life. When tackling my own anxiety, I found that my thoughts were the root cause of my problems, and it was only when I became aware of what I was saying to myself on a daily basis, that I was able to begin to change how I was thinking. I can show you how this works, and teach you ways to be able to live your life with much less anxiety.

So, if you’re tired of having anxious thoughts rule your life, and are ready to show up in the world as your true self, contact me by phone on 087 634 3647, or by email @ stewart@themoodlab.ie, and let’s get your anxiety under control.