Welcome to my Blog
Heart Centred Living
Many people feel that when they come in to therapy they will be using their mind a lot. In some ways that is exactly what we do, we learn to look at and manage difficult thoughts, especially if they cause us anxiety. We become aware that the mind and our thoughts are...
Feeling fearful and why we need to learn to ‘lean in’
Anxiety has this way of bleeding in to every part of our lives and before we know it we are avoiding things that might trigger our anxiety. It feels counter intuitive, but gently 'leaning in' to those things that may make us anxious is the best way to work through...
Why do I need to talk about my childhood?
This is a question I get asked constantly 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". The reason therapists are so interested in childhood is because it is where we develop our...
Why we need to talk about suicidal thoughts
The fact that I had to think long and hard before I decided to write about suicide in this blog, makes me fully aware that there is still a huge stigma around suicidal thoughts and ideation. Yet I have had a large number of clients over the years, who have suicidal...
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...
Bereavement and 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...
Do something to make your heart sing!
I have always been fascinated by the heart; the seat of feeling in the body and a place we consistently ignore in favour of the head. By learning to listen to our heart we may learn some very interesting things about ourselves and start to see where we might need to...
Building inner resource and resilience
This image really struck me as the tree seems to be thriving, despite its very precarious home! Some people also seem to be able to bounce back from difficult situations with no trouble at all, for most of us though, its much more challenging. Building resilience is a...
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...