Welcome to my Blog
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Recently I have begun to notice that it is the stories we tell ourselves that are often the most powerful narratives in our head. It is these stories that can become our truths and drive our life experiences, unless we begin to notice their impact and challenge them....
Do you need to be in crisis to come in to therapy?
Over the years one of the questions I often get asked is; Does it need to be an emotional crisis before I ask for support and enter therapy? The answer is no, therapy is also a great place to come to explore life changes and plans for the future. Most people know that...
Learning to love your inner child
"Why do I need to talk about my childhood?" This is a question I often get asked by clients first entering counselling. "I survived" a client once said to me with a big shrug, "why does it matter, let's move on". I completely see his point but the reason therapists...
Being connected and why it matters to mental health
One of the first things I notice about clients who suffer from depression or anxiety is that they often avoid being around other people. For some they find others needs exhausting, for some they feel they might bring people down with their low mood. However as we...
Neurodiversity and Psychotherapy
Over my years as a Psychotherapist I have seen a steady rise in my clients who have a diagnosis or identify as Neurodiverse. I also work as a Neurodiversity Mentor at Universities, so it became very natural to see people in my private practice too. It's been a true...
Growing inner resource and resilience after major challenges
Some people seem to be able to bounce back from difficult situations with no trouble at all. For most of us though, it is a much more challenging undertaking and with all that we are dealing with at the moment, it can be even harder. Growing inner emotional resilience...
Bereavement anxiety
A past client once said the me that bereavement was like being on a rollercoaster, you never knew what was coming next. She had developed anxiety for the first time in her life, which sadly isn't unusual. Anxiety is not necessarily a feeling we might associate with...
How having boundaries can set us free
We all bandy about the word accountability a lot, without really thinking of its implications and what it might truly mean to us in our lives. Brené Brown says "When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we...
Why Nature is the best Therapy!
I often get asked what clients can do when things become overwhelming. I always say, go outside, find a tree you love and lean against it. It really works, give it a try! My tree friend has helped me find peace when things have been tough. Ecotherapy helps us...
Body Image; moving towards acceptance
This post is one I have been very keen to do for a while, as clients have been bringing body image in to therapy more and more over the years. I think this is a subject that is very thorny for most of us and really valuable to be discussed in therapy. Menopause has...
Protecting Your Precious Energy
Most of us have felt at some time that we are tired of giving all our energy away to others, leaving us feeling exhausted and depleted, especially at the moment. I have noticed, as have many of my clients, that this constant background anxiety from the holiday season...
Being connected and why it matters to mental health
One of the first things I notice about clients who suffer from depression or anxiety is that they often avoid being around other people. Some find others needs exhausting and some feel they might bring people down with their low mood. Overall there is a feeling that...